TËSSÃ ãñd DARÆY: A Love Written with fire

Daræy stepped out of the doctor's office, his mind still racing with everything he had just learned. Claustrophobia. He never really thought much about it before, never considered how terrifying it must be for someone like Tessa to feel trapped, like the world was closing in on her. And yet, she had been suffering through it all this time. Alone.

Joshua was waiting for him in the hallway, holding a clean set of clothes. "Here," he said, handing them over. "You look like a drenched rat."

Daræy scoffed, grabbing the clothes. "Thanks, man."

"Don't mention it. I also got us some food," Joshua added, holding up a plastic bag. "You should eat something."

Daræy hadn't realized how hungry he was until the smell of warm food hit him. His stomach twisted, reminding him that he hadn't eaten all day. He changed into the dry clothes, then followed Joshua to the waiting area. They ate in silence, the only sounds being the occasional rustling of wrappers and the low hum of hospital machinery in the distance.

Then, the waiting began.

Hours passed. The world outside grew darker, quieter. Joshua eventually stretched out on the sofa, arms crossed over his chest as he drifted into sleep. But Daræy stayed awake. He sat in the chair next to Tessa's bed, eyes locked on her still form. The steady beep of the heart monitor was the only reassurance he had.

Midnight came.

A soft rustling broke the silence. At first, Daræy thought he imagined it, but then he saw it—her fingers twitching. His breath caught.

Then, a whisper. Weak, barely audible.

"…Daræy…"

His heart slammed into his chest. He shot forward, gripping the edge of his chair. "Tessa?"

Her eyelids fluttered, and then—finally—she opened them. Those dark eyes, dazed and heavy, met his. For a moment, she just stared, confusion clouding her expression. Then, her brows furrowed slightly, as if she was trying to piece everything together.

"You're awake," he breathed, relief washing over him so fast it almost made him dizzy.

Tessa blinked slowly. Her lips parted, but no words came out. Her throat must have been dry. Daræy grabbed the bottle of water from the table and quickly opened it. He slid an arm under her back, carefully lifting her just enough to bring the bottle to her lips. "Drink," he said softly.

She took a small sip, her gaze never leaving his. When she finally spoke, her voice was hoarse. "...How long?"

"Since this afternoon."

She frowned, trying to sit up more, but he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, stopping her. "Relax. You need to rest."

A deep sigh escaped her lips, and for a while, she just lay there, staring at the ceiling.

Then, in a barely-there whisper, she said, "I hate this."

Daræy hesitated. "...The hospital?"

She swallowed. "Being like this. Being...weak."

He clenched his jaw. He hated it too. Not because she was weak—because she wasn't. But because she had to go through all of this alone. Because he had been too blind to see it.

Before he could say anything, the door opened, and the doctor walked in. She took one look at Tessa and nodded approvingly. "You're awake. Good."

Tessa didn't respond, just stared blankly ahead.

The doctor turned to Daræy. "She's exhausted. She needs more rest."

Daræy wanted to protest—he had just gotten her back, and now they wanted to put her to sleep again? But he knew better. Instead, he nodded.

The doctor adjusted the IV and spoke softly to Tessa. "You're safe here. Just rest for now. We'll talk more in the morning, okay?"

Tessa gave the smallest nod.

Daræy exhaled as he watched her eyes flutter shut again. The relief was overwhelming, but he knew this was far from over.

Tomorrow, they would talk. Tomorrow, he would make sure she never had to go through this alone again.

Morning arrived quicker than expected. The exhaustion from the previous night still lingered, but there was no time to dwell on it. After freshening up and eating, Daræy and Joshua waited as the doctor came to complete Tessa's checkup.

Since Tessa was claustrophobic, they needed to be sure she was mentally stable after missing her test. The doctor decided to take her into the XR Room, also known as the Phantom Zone—a space where any environment could be projected to create a sense of familiarity and safety.

The walls shimmered as the projections adjusted, immersing them in a vast, open galaxy. It was breathtaking, but the real purpose of the room was not beauty—it was control. It was safety. It was to make sure Tessa didn't feel trapped.

The doctor sat across from her, speaking gently. "Tessa, I need to ask you some things. How long have you been dealing with this? How often does it happen?"

Tessa shifted uncomfortably. She didn't like talking about this, not because she was ashamed, but because she had always handled it herself. She didn't need anyone to worry. She was strong. Or at least, she had convinced herself she was.

"This doesn't happen that often," she finally admitted, her voice steady but distant. "I always knew how to handle it."

"And do you remember how it started?"

Silence.

Tessa's brows furrowed slightly, her fingers clenching the fabric of the hospital blanket. She tried to recall, but nothing concrete came to mind. It was always just there, lurking in the background, something she had learned to live with.

"I don't remember," she finally said.

The doctor nodded. "And yesterday? Do you know what happened? Do you remember why you fainted?"

She did. Of course, she did.

The rain. The test. The failure.

The weight of it all suddenly pressed down on her chest like a ton of bricks. Her breathing quickened. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears. Her vision blurred.

No. No. No. Not here. Not now.

Her body tensed as she slipped into another panic attack, the walls of the XR Room closing in around her despite the projected vastness of space. The doctor and the medical staff moved quickly, attempting to calm her down using professional techniques. Deep breathing. Grounding exercises. Reassuring words.

But nothing was working.

"Tessa, try to breathe—"

She couldn't. She was spiraling.

Daræy watched, his jaw tightening. The galaxy around them—endless stars, swirling nebulas—it wasn't helping. It was making it worse. He thought fast, grasping at anything, and then it hit him.

"The ocean," he said suddenly. "Change the screen to the ocean."

The staff hesitated for a moment before the room shifted. The galaxies faded into an endless stretch of water, the sound of waves crashing gently filling the space. A sea breeze that didn't really exist seemed to sweep over them, and almost instantly—Tessa stilled.

Daræy exhaled in relief. So that was it. That was why she was in the rain that day. She wasn't just standing in it for no reason.

The tension in her shoulders dropped, but then—tears.

She broke down, sobbing.

And once she started, she couldn't stop.

"What an awful child I am," she choked out between gasps, gripping her own arms like she was trying to hold herself together. "How do I even tell my mother? What if I fail again?" Her voice cracked, filled with pain. "I can't. I can't. I'd rather die."

Daræy stiffened at those words.

She kept crying, spilling out everything she had been holding in.

"I just wanted to help my family. I wanted to be better. I wanted to be someone. But I can't even do that right. I'm so tired… I'm tired of living like I don't matter. I don't want to keep being a nobody. And then this happens—" Her sobs deepened. "If only I had a better phone… if only I had enough transport, this wouldn't have happened. I would've made it. I would've—"

She couldn't stop crying.

And nobody stopped her.

Not the doctor. Not the staff. Not even Daræy.

Because this? This was what she needed. To let it out. To not be strong for once. To be free rather than caged.

Daræy sat there, watching, listening. And for the first time, he understood.

So this was the hell she was going through.

This was the burden she carried.

This was the fight she had been fighting alone.

And this was what he had called dumb.