Besotted

My eyes felt light and it fluttered open, only to stare at a white ceiling and sounds of people chatting.

"Sang?" I heard my name being called and looked to my side to find Caleb looking down at me with worry in his face.

"Sang are you alright now?" he asked and held my hand as I nodded. He took my hand to his mouth and kissed it softly. I saw his eyes were red as if he was crying.

"What happened? Where am I?" I found myself asking with a croaked voice and he brought a glass of water to my mouth as he held my head and made me drink some from the glass. The chill water instantly, replenishing my dry throat.

"You are in the hospital. I brought you here after you collapsed near the door. Sang, you were poisoned. What did you do?" he asked and that instantly got my attention as I sat up not bothering about the IV drips.

"What?" I managed to say and looked around. Sure enough, I was in a hospital room and I looked at my clothes which were turned to a hospital gown.

"You were out for a day. Thankfully, the poison couldn't spread in your body because you brought to the hospital just when it started to affect you. How can this happen to you? What did you do?" he asked with worry-filled eyes and I sat there gobsmacked.

Out for a day?

Poisoned?

What did you do?

"What do you mean by what did you do?" I asked and felt my head throbbing. "Do you think that I poisoned myself knowingly?" I challenged and he just stared at me worriedly.

"No! I did not," I answered my own question when I saw his face. I made sure to enunciate each word as I told him that. "Do you think I am suicidal?" I snapped and he shook his head."No, I don't mean that. I thought perhaps you were angry and upset on me and I have stressed you to such limits that yo-"

"Nonsense! Don't talk nonsense with me. No matter what I am never going to end my own life," I shrieked and the door opened as I saw the cops entering the room.

"How are you feeling Ms. Carter?" one of them asked while the other two stood behind him. He was a tall well-built and had blue eyes as he stood there looking at me.

"I am fine, thank you for asking, officer,"

"I hope you can answer our questions. We were informed by the hospital about you being poisoned. The reports shows that you were given arsenic as a slow poison but with a high dose," he forwarded a report and Caleb stood up taking it from him. "Can you tell us who gave you this and why?" the cop asked as Caleb looked down at me.

"I don't know. I mean why would anyone give poison to me? I don't even have enemies. I hardly know anyone," I said not believing that I was poisoned.

"In that case, did you intake it on your own?" he asked and I shook my head no immediately.

"No! Not at all. Why would I?" I said and the cop sighed as he looked back at his colleagues and then back at Caleb.

"Who are you?" he asked and Caleb faced him.

"I am Caleb Theller. I was the one who saw her collapsing near the door and I brought her here," he told the cop.

"Where was she?"

"She was in her apartment,"

"What were you doing in her apartment? What relation do you have with Ms. Carter?" the cop looked suspicious and I felt my heartbeat raising thinking that they are going to suspect Caleb for something that he had not done.

"I am her boss. She works for me. Well apparently, I am her former boss. She had already resigned," Caleb told the cops and he took a step forward staring at Caleb.

"Then what were you doing in her apartment?"

"Excuse me! I can assure you, officer Caleb has nothing to do with this. In fact, he saved me" I butted in and the officer looked back at me.

"Of course he did. Who else lives with you, Ms. Carter," the officer asked and I shrugged."Nobody. I live alone," I said and he nodded. "Where are your family? We have to inform them,"

"I have no one in my family," I said and Caleb next to me holding my hand and the officer looked at our hand instantly.

"I see," he spoke and took a few steps back.

"Ms. Carter judging from my deductions let me inform you. You were poisoned with arsenic. That means someone knew you live alone. It was why they chose arsenic with high dose. You would have died in your apartment and nobody would have known. Thankfully, Mr. Theller was present so he brought you to the hospital on time. This has turned into an attempt to murder case now. We have to investigate and I hope you will cooperate with us," he said and I nodded as I looked back at Caleb.

"The report says you consumed the poison. What did you intake before getting back to your apartment?" I recalled, I went to the Visa office and had nothing to eat but I did end up eating near the roadside.

"I went to the Visa office and I skipped my breakfast. But I do remember eating a burger and a lemonade from a roadside food stall," I told him and I felt Caleb squishing my hand.

"By the time you returned it was already four in the evening. You did not eat anything the whole day?" he asked and I shifted in my position shaking my head no.

"Alright. I will send a team to the food stall for any evidence. Meanwhile, Ms. Carter, we still don't know if the poison was meant for you or you consumed it by mistake still, we would like to inform you that you need to remain cautious from now on and avoid meeting strangers or intaking food from outside. Also, I was informed that earlier you were always attacked by a man in your house," he asked and I nodded.

"He was a common thief," I said and the officer sighed.

"Don't underestimate a thief Ms. Carter. That thief has already been released out on bail. Your case seems very fishy to me. I am appointing a cop to stay near you until and unless I solve the case. Will it be okay for you?" he asked and I was about to say no when Caleb butted in.

"No! She doesn't have any problems. You can appoint as many as officers for her safety. She needs protection. I am going to hire a bodyguard for her too," Caleb said that made my eyes wide.

"No, you don't have to! Wait!"

"No! Sang. Can't you see? Someone is trying to kill you. Someone tried to poison you. The officer is right. What if I was not there? You. Yo-" he held my face and I watched as his eyes pooled up with tears, making me worried.

"But he said, I may have consumed it by mistake. I mean what if the poison was for someone else and I ended up having it. So many people come to eat on the food stall every day," I argued.

"As I said, we are not sure. We can't make any statements until and unless we investigate the matter. But in the meantime, I would like both of you cooperating to my investigation."

"Wait a minute. Why does Caleb needs to be in this case? He has nothing to do with anything related to me," I said as I pried my hand away from his hold not wanting him to be dragged into a case investigation because he had a reputation and if the media knew about it then there would be a huge problem.

"I don't mind. As long as I am able to help you. I don't mind cooperating with your investigation. If someone really tried to kill you then I need the person behind bars as soon as possible and for that, I am willing to do anything," Caleb said and the officer smiled as he wore his cap."Thank you, Mr. Theller," he said and nodded in my direction.

"Well then, I am appointing Matt Daniels to be outside your door for your security until and unless you are discharged," he said and signaled the guy behind him who nodded at me. Even though I didn't want anyone to be around me and accompanying me everywhere, still judging from my condition and people around me, I nodded reluctantly and Caleb smiled for the first time as he looked back at the officer.

"I am counting on you officer for Sang's security," Caleb stood up and they shook their hands before they parted away and the officer left while Matt stood outside of my door.

"What's going on now?" I mumbled but felt Caleb leaning down and hugging me as he kissed my forehead and rocked me in his arms.

"Don't worry. I am here. I will be here for you and I will protect you," I heard him speak.000