Realizing the time, I dialed my boss to request a day off as I certainly would not make it in time and needed to rest. On the other hand, Sacha hovered uncertainly nearby before finally offering to take me to the hospital. Since the wound was still bleeding, it wasn't wise to move much, so I didn’t refuse.
With Sacha's help, I limped toward the car and opened the passenger door, only to see a man’s bag sitting prominently on the seat.
Errol's POV
In my peripheral vision, I saw Sacha’s expression faltered. She then opened her mouth to explain, but I quietly shut the car door and slipped into the back seat without a word.
Still, she hurriedly explained, “It’s probably my coworker's. They caught a ride with me after work." Her voice was unnervingly calm, lips trembling ever so slightly as if she were holding back something deeper.
Not wanting to prolong the topic, I simply hummed and nodded. Afterward, the atmosphere in the car became heavy and tense in an instant.
Had I not seen that same bag last night, in the photo of her and Craig, I might’ve believed her. The unmistakable Pikachu keychain dangling from the zipper—the one we’d won together on our first date—stood out like a flashing neon sign. That keychain had gone missing weeks ago, and I had turned the house upside down looking for it. I remember Sacha snapping at me, saying it was just a worthless trinket. “It’s not worth fussing over if it’s lost,” she had said. In hindsight, she wasn’t wrong, it really isn't worth anything—once a keepsake loses its meaning.
After a while, we finally arrived at the hospital. Just as Sacha was about to help me out of the car, her phone buzzed, slicing through the uneasy quiet. A hint of hesitation then flashed in her eyes, but after a few seconds, she eventually answered the call.
"Sacha, I slipped in the bathroom. I'm now having a hard time walking. Can you come over?" Craig’s voice came through the phone, sounding pitiful.
Her eyes instinctively darted to me. With no expression, I gave a small nod and said calmly, “If you need to go, don’t worry about me. I’ll manage.”
“I… I have something urgent at work,” she muttered, already shifting back into the driver’s seat. “You just rest. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” And with that, she sped off at a pace much faster than when she’d brought me here.