This Girl's life (part 4)

Finally the door opened and Ana was wheeled out. A doctor followed behind her
“Where are they taking her?” asked Sofia to the doctor.

“She’s sleeping in the hospital ward for the night. We just want to observe her condition,” said the doctor, a sturdy Indian man in his late forties. He ushered the two of them into his office.
Bai Yoon and Sofia sat on the two chairs across the table from the doctor. The doctor was typing something on his computer. Sofia looked around the room. There was a big bookshelf behind his table filled to the brim with medical books. At the far end of the room was a sliding window overseeing the dim lit parking lot and there was a small table in the middle of the room with two small raggedy sofas on both side of the oval shaped coffee table.

The doctor finished typing and turned his chair facing the two of them.

“Have you called her guardian?” asked the doctor.

“I left a voice message for her father. He might reach here anytime,” said Sofia nervously.

“What’s wrong with her?” asked Bai Yoon leaning towards the table.

“I wish that I could speak to the father first,” said the doctor. Sofia was getting more nervous. It must be really serious for the doctor not to enclose any information to them…

“Please tell us. What’s wrong with Ana?” asked Sofia, her right hand grasping the edge of the table. She couldn’t help feeling guilty. If she hadn’t jumped in front of Ana and startled her so badly, none of this would have happened.. Sofia felt Bai Yoon touched her arm and tried to sooth her by holding her hand. The doctor looked at Sofia.

“All that I can say is that your friend has a serious eating disorder. However the rest I have to speak with her father. She must get treatment quickly. Her collapse mentioned by you, twice in a day shows signs that she has been having this problem for quite sometime and immediate attention has to be given. I will see whether I can get a physician to see her tomorrow. She do require some tests.”

“I do suggest that the both of you go home and get some rest. Leave her father’s phone number so that the hospital can try again to contact him. Are there any immediate family members that we can call besides her father?” asked the doctor. Sofia shook her head. Ana hardly spoke about anyone else beside her father. Sofia presumed that her mother had passed away. The doctor nodded to the two of them and turned back to the computer signaling the two of them to leave.

Sofia felt numb and her feet felt weak. She could feel Bai Yoon’s arm on her shoulder guiding her back to the waiting room. He gently led her to a row of empty seats. There was an old lady and a little boy sitting the front row. The little boy was fast a sleep on the old ladies lap. Besides the two of them, the waiting room was empty. All of them were facing the doctors’ rooms laid in front of them and a big clock hung high in the middle of the wall looming down at them with both hands on the figure 2.

Sofia didn’t know what she was waiting for. She reached for Bai Yoon’s mobile phone in his hand and dialed Ana’s father again.

The ringing tone was a torture to Sofia. Endless ringing..She wanted so badly to tell the father what had happened to Ana. ‘Why wasn’t anyone picking up the phone? Pick up..PICKUP! ‘ screamed Sofia’s head. Frustrated she was about to hang up when she heard a soft ‘Hello’ on the other line.

It was Ana’s father! Quickly she explained the situation to the father and told him to come immediately to the General Hospital. Sofia had hardly finished when the father put down the phone. Sofia sighed and was about to give the phone to Bai Yoon when she saw him slump against the small plastic chair they were sitting on, he had fallen asleep. Sofia smiled at her new friend. Bai Yoon had been a big help during their ordeal, she was more than thankful that he had willingly stayed with her even though Su Chee had offered herself. Sofia watched the Chinese boy who was 2 years her senior, fast asleep, his head on the edge of the backrest, small strands of hair had fallen over his closed eyes. Sofia noticed that his eyelashes were long and curly. There was a mole on his neck at the side of his Adam’s apple. Sofia sighed. How could anyone so nice be so good-looking?

There was a soft snort and Bai Yoon stretched his body. His body had moved closer to the edge of the seat. If he moved further he was going to fall off. Without thinking Sofia gently placed her hand on his shoulder and pulled him towards her. His head turned and lay against her shoulder. Sofia froze and for a minute she could hardly breathe. Sofia looked down at him and saw that he was still asleep. Sofia didn’t dare to disturb him from his sleep. He looked so peaceful.

Sofia turned her attention to the big clock. It had been half an hour since she talked to Ana’s dad. Where did Ana live? Was it far from the hospital? Why was she having an eating disorder? Most importantly what was an eating disorder? All these questions swam in her head. Sofia noticed a tall Malay man came into the waiting room from the entrance behind them. He looked worried and confused; his hair was in a mess. He stopped in front of the row of chairs, looked at the signs on the rooms in front of him. He kept looking around hoping somebody would help him.

“En. Faizal?” asked Sofia. The man stopped and looked at her. He was a spinning image of Ana. Sofia sat up straight forgetting that Bai Yoon was leaning against her. Bai Yoon fell sideways on her chair. He woke up and looked around wondering where he was. Sofia stood up and approached the bewildered man.

“Ana’s father right?” asked Sofia. The man nodded.

“What happened to Ana/? How is she?” asked En. Faizal.

“She’s resting now but the doctor wants to speak to you,” said Sofia.


Bai Yoon still looking sleepy walked up to them. Sofia led En. Faizal to Dr. Rama’s room with Bai Yoon following behind. She knocked on the doctor’s door. When she heard him called them to come in she opened the door. The doctor looked up at her surprised that she hadn’t gone back home.

“Doctor, Ana’s father’s here,” said Sofia. Doctor Rama nodded for him to come into the room. Sofia was about to follow him inside when the doctor stopped her.

“I think its best that I talk to the father alone. I really think you should go home,” said the doctor kindly. Ana’s father turned to both Sofia and Bai Yoon.

“Yes, I think you both have to go home. You’re both tired. I’ll handle it from here. If there’s any news I’ll give you a call,” said the father softly. Sofia was standing near the door and felt sad. She was hoping that the doctor would let them stay and tell them what was really wrong with Ana now that the father was here. Bai Yoon nodded to both the father and the doctor and pulled Sofia out of the room. The father closed the door behind them.

It was four in the morning when the two of them left the hospital. Bai Yoon had called his brother to come and pick them up at the hospital. His brother dropped Sofia at her house. Luckily for her, she had brought her house keys and didn’t have to wake her mother up to open the door.

After washing her face, Sofia crawled on her bed pulling the blanket over her. She didn’t realize that she was dead tired and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.