Loving Paralyzed Men
The arrival of Sofia

"Dimaaass.." shouted a woman in the voice of the curtains that opened violently.

"That's Sofia!" exciting Dimas.

The curtains were open, featuring a woman dressed in glamour, with her manor-dresses, hair very neatly arranged, and long, taut hand-to-hand nails that had been painted glittering, shimmering, the sign that the hand never worked.

"Dimaaass?" say Sofia again." Do you know who I am? Can you hear my voice?"

"Everyone in this hospital can hear your voice Sofia" Dimas replied.

The socialite-style woman moved her branded bag over her chest and hugged the bag tightly while standing away from Dimas.

"My disease is not contagious" Dimas said.

"You look creepy Dimas." Sofia replied.

"Thank you, Sofia. You're always entertaining."

Sofia nudged Akira with her shoulder, "Why is she here?"

"I asked him to come here."

"really? Not likely. Of course you're lying to me now."

Akira did not want to be part of their conversation. Sofia always demeans Akira in terms of social status. Dimas had to have a chat with his sister.

"I'm sure you both want quality time together" said Akira then pulled the curtain and walked out.

"Dimas, Dimas... Why do you have to bring that woman into your life again? Does this syndrome drive you crazy?"

"I feel weak Sofia. Please don't start again."

"I'm just upset Dim. He called and told me that you had this strange disease, and I had to rush to this town. I never expected to meet that woman here."

Dimas did not want to remind Sofia about his rush that took five days, even though the distance from their hometown to the city where Dimas was treated now only took an hour by air.

"His name is Akira, and he's my wife."

"not anymore. Not since he dumped you."

"Don't be too melodramatic my dear brother."

"It looks like Akira doesn't look good, just look at the circular black mark under his eyes. She's still a woman from the lower class."

Dimas forced himself to remain patient.

"He accompanied me all day and night for a week. I don't know how he did it? I don't know why he did it either."

Sofia patted Dimas's back.

"Sweetie, he needs money. You're the one who told me."

Dimas groaning. "Yes right, I told you about it, and I told you that I was going to be a sponsor of her fashion show, and then I was going to divorce her. I said that at a time when I was feeling depressed when you were nagging me about living free. Now I've changed my mind."

Dimas silently condemned his stupidity and promised to no longer tell Sofia anything related to Akira.

"You know, I'm telling you this fact because I love you Dimas. Really."

"Of course Sofia....... Now, I'm so tired, and I can't breathe. L'm.... I want to sleep."

In the lobby, Akira calls Oma Lydia and tells her that everything is fine. Akira also told me that he had called Dwi Harris, and the results remained the same. No one wants to sponsor their business. Akira Fashion remains in bankruptcy.

Akira goes to the library that is in the hospital to better avoid meeting with Sofia. He read whatever he got about GBS. Akira then reads about the ventilator, which worries him even more. What Dr. Jerry says is also in the book. Ten percent of GBS patients die, while forty percent experience permanent paralysis.

Akira tried to fight his tears so as not to come down. He closed the thick book he read aloud. A loud voice echoed in the library room.

'Will he be healed? Or will he have paralysis? Or even the worst he would die?'

Akira shook his head loudly, dismissing all the worst possibilities that would happen.

After ten minutes, Akira tried to regulate his emotions, washing his face with water and wearing thin makeup to make it look fresher. She also straightened her hair.

Akira then reentered the ICU room. But when she opened the curtain, Sofia immediately blocked him.

"Dimas says don't bother her, she wants to sleep" Sofia said, "I'm afraid she's in a coma" she continued.

"Why don't you call the nurse if you're scared like that?" ask Akira.

But Sofia just fell silent, making Akira smile then slowly opened the curtain.

"Dim, are you in a coma?" ask Akira.

"No. I just want to avoid my brother." replied Dimas.

Hearing Dimas' words, Sofia decides to leave and promises to return in a few weeks. After the door of the ICU room closed Akira spoke, saying,

"That's so sorry you Sofia. His sister is sick..."

"My condition . . . . . . . . was very uncomfortable." Dimas' eyes showed him feeling very unwell. "I. . . . . I can't breathe. Too much energy . . . . . . to breathe . . . . "

Dimas's heart rate was visibly weakened from Akira's device. Akira quickly rang the bell to contact the nurse.

One hour of sleep can't open your eyes at all. The therapist comes and goes every thirty minutes to check your breathing and blood samples. When a nurse working the night shift came along, she began to attach a thin plastic hose to Dimas' nose.

"This is Mr. Dimas' oxygen tube" he said, "to help with your breathing."

Throughout the night, Akira sat by Dimas' bedside, looking at him, waiting with a sense of urgency, holding his hand. The silence of the room was disturbed when a patient entered the ICU.

After a while, the commotion that had occurred in the room next to Dimas was already quiet. No more busy nurses and doctors.

Akira tried to open the curtains that blocked to glance at the next room. Akira looked very surprised to see a plastic pipe attached to the mouth of the patient to get into his throat. The patient's chest turned red and a loud voice sounded as the patient breathed.

Akira becomes frightened by Dimas' condition.

'Will Dimas be like that?'

Akira's tears welled up, but were quickly wiped away when Dimas' voice sounded.

"Ventilator" said Dimas weakly.

Akira turned his body towards Dimas.

"Yes. I think, it looks like he's got, umm sort of an operation."

"Does . . . . . look terrible?" dimas' voice begged Akira to deny the creepy thing he saw.

Akira can't tell the truth. "It looks like an operation using advanced technology. Don't get too born. You just need to lie down, and let the hose help you breathe."

They then chatted for a while, before Dimas finally closed his eyes, trying to breathe calmly. Several times he opened his eyes, and Akira always said, "That won't happen to you Dim."

Fatigued, Akira finally fell asleep by putting his head beside Dimas while still sitting on the bench. Her unraveling hair hit Dimas's arm.

Feeling her hair being rubbed off, Akira finally woke up.

"Dimas?"

Seriate......