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Chapter 9 - A poem for the commander

Okay, here's the translation of the provided text into English, aiming for a balance between accuracy and capturing the emotional nuances:

The sterile white of the hospital room felt silent, broken only by the rhythmic ticking of the wall clock.

Aretha, propped up in the patient bed with pillows for support, sat leaning back. Her face, though still pale from the shoulder wound hidden beneath neat bandages, held a faint smile.

Her short, loose hair added to her simple yet elegant appearance. She seemed at peace, and her eyes sparkled with a small secret known only to her. Wisnu sat beside her.

A soft knock echoed from the doorway. Aretha smiled, lifting herself slightly. "Come in," she called, her voice gentle yet filled with spirit.

The door opened, revealing Dimas and Razak entering the room. Behind them, three more men followed: Rian, Fahri, and Reno.

The five men were members of Naufal's team, taking the time to visit Aretha after completing their duties. Dimas, with his signature mischievous grin, immediately approached Aretha's bed.

"Well, look at that, her face is glowing even with an injury," Dimas teased, his tone playful. He drew closer, settling into the chair available next to Aretha's bed.

"Is someone's heart all aflutter? Carried by the handsome commander and kept company for a while in the hospital," Dimas smirked, making the others laugh. Razak, seated in the other chair, smiled and shook his head at Dimas's antics.

Aretha blushed, briefly covering her face with her hand. "Oh, Dimas," she protested softly, unable to hide her smile. "Stop teasing me."

Razak joined in, smiling knowingly. "We've already prepared a special gift if you elope to the wedding with Naufal." He smiled meaningfully.

Aretha chuckled, her eyes sparkling. "Don't say that, Razak. Naufal is just our team leader."

"But you like him, don't you? Where's our commander who's the target of every policewoman in the office?" Rian, another member of Naufal's team, asked, trying to divert attention. He leaned forward, joining in on teasing Aretha.

Aretha giggled again. "He stepped out. He got a phone call earlier. Didn't say who it was from. Maybe from the office, or maybe from his mother."

"Ah, most likely his mother," Razak said, raising his eyebrows meaningfully. "The woman he adores the most."

Fahri, another team member, added, "Is he single or already has a girlfriend? Being so handsome, surely he's not unattached?"

Reno, who had been quietly observing, chimed in, "That's right, Fahri. Ah, I hope he's still single, so he can be with Aretha."

Aretha blushed again, this time even more deeply. "Stop teasing me. I'm still focused on recovering from my injury." She glanced down at her bandaged shoulder.

Dimas, always good at reading the room, immediately changed the subject. "How's your wound feeling, Aretha? Is it very painful?"

"It's a bit better, Dimas. The doctor said I can go home in a few days." Aretha smiled in relief. "Thank you all for visiting. You've all been so kind to me."

"You're welcome, Aretha," Razak replied. "We're happy to visit. We hope you get well soon."

"And get married soon too," Dimas blurted out, making everyone laugh. The atmosphere in the room became cheerful again.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Naufal entered, his face looking slightly tired yet still friendly. "Oh, it's quite a crowd, I see?" He approached Aretha, smiling gently. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm alright," Aretha replied.

"That's good," he took out his vibrating phone, reading the name displayed on the screen: Sinta. "I'm heading back to the office. Let's go, Wisnu."

"Alright, thank you, Bang," Aretha replied, smiling.

Naufal nodded, then glanced at his other team members. "Thank you for visiting. Take good care of Aretha. Oh yeah, the files are on my desk, Dimas?"

"Yes, sir, they are."

"Ok," Naufal walked out while answering the phone, "Yes, dear..."

For a moment, the room felt silent after Naufal and Wisnu left. A silence that felt heavy, filled with unanswered questions.

Razak looked at Fahri, raising his eyebrows. "Did I hear that right? He answered the phone and said... 'Yes, dear'?" Razak said, his voice a whisper.

"Hush," Dimas nudged Razak's shoulder. "Keep your voice down."

Razak looked at Aretha, who was smiling faintly, a smile that was difficult to decipher. There was something hidden behind that smile.

"Hopefully that smile isn't a sign of disappointment," Dimas whispered, more to himself than to Razak. He observed Aretha carefully.

There was something different about Aretha today, something more than just physical recovery. There was an unease that was implied in Aretha's sparkling eyes.

Rian, Fahri, and Reno exchanged glances. They felt the same way too. Something wasn't right. The cheerful atmosphere that had been felt earlier had vanished, replaced by a heavy silence.

A silence filled with unanswered questions. Before they knew it, they had been in the room for an hour and excused themselves to return to the office. There were many piles of files that were their homework today at the office.

After the team members left, the silence felt even more piercing. Aretha felt suffocated. She reached for a small book from the bedside table. She opened the page marked with a pink paperclip. On that page, there was a poem written by hand in dark blue ink.

The poem was not just verses of words, but Aretha's outpouring of feelings that had been suppressed all this time. The verses of the poem painted her admiration for Naufal, his strength, his hidden gentleness, and the love that grew secretly in her heart.

As Aretha's fingers touched the poem page marked by the pink paperclip, a wave of feelings washed over her. Not just memories, not just words written on paper, but a flood of emotions that she had been damming up all this time. Initially, there was a gentle sense of emotion, like a breeze caressing her face.

She remembered the moments when she wrote the poem, moments where she secretly admired Naufal, from his courage in leading the team to his gentleness hidden behind his firm demeanor.

Each line of the poem seemed to bring Aretha back to those times, reviving the throbbing of her heart every time she crossed paths with Naufal, Naufal's faint smile that could make her day brighter.

However, the deeper she read, the heavier the feeling she felt. The verses of the poem that painted her hidden love for Naufal now felt like a knife stabbing her heart.

The words she wrote herself now seemed to be a reminder of the impossibility of her feelings. The image of Naufal just talking on the phone gently saying the word "dear" hit her hard.

The faint smile that had adorned her lips faded, replaced by an expression full of doubt and pain. Would her love only be a secret that was buried forever? Would Naufal ever reciprocate her feelings?

The lines of the poem that had previously felt beautiful now felt bitter, like a pill she had to swallow. She felt hurt, not because of the pain in her shoulder that still ached, but a much deeper wound, a wound in her heart.

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