I hated hospitals.
The smell of bleach filled my nose and I wrinkled it, not liking the smell even a bit. The corridors seemed stuffy as families huddled in corners weeping and hugging each other. The walls so empty and plain reflected the lives of many people present here. The floor shined brightly, way too brightly as the workers kept wiping it even though it was more than clean. Nurses moved swiftly, only stopping to give sympathetic smiles. Doctors rushed all over the place, their faces twisted with tension.
My blank eyes drank in the scene without any emotion. I felt hollow and extremely guilty. My back pressed against the wall and my hands buried in my pockets, I knew I never wanted to come back to hospitals again.
“No! Please try. He can’t die yet. Just try one more time. I beg you, please.”
I blinked at the commotion. A young lady with a small boy in her hands wept uncontrollably as she begged an old doctor to save someone dear to her, probably her husband. The small boy sensing his mother’s distress, warped his hands around his mother’s neck and kissed her cheek lovingly in a way of comfort but that only resulted in the mother crying harder and hugging her son back tightly.
“I am sorry.” The doctor said in a low tone giving them a pitiful look. “We tried but it was impossible he had lost a lot of blood already.”
The mother shook her head. “No! What are we going to do now?” and she crumbled on the floor with her son.
Instantly two nurses helped her, saying soothing things. One tried to take the boy from her but the mother latched on him as if it was her only life line. “No no, don’t take him away too.” She cried, shooing the nurse away.
A younger lady joined them and lifted her off the ground. “It’s okay Cara, it will all be okay. Hush now.” She cooed and guided them out of the corridor.
I stared at them my own mind filling with memories of Kian. The way I had crumbled on the ground when I came to know of his death, the way I blamed the doctor because he couldn’t save my twin, the way I later understood it was my own fault and not the doctors, how Connor had consoled me and promised to quit smoking the very next day, the way Alicia kept blaming me and how I missed him every single second and wished he was with me instead of being several lives away.
Some people come in our life and leave but the memories stay forever.
We loved them a lot but I guess God loved them more.
“Joanna.” I blinked, suddenly realizing that my cheeks were wet from the tears that had unknowingly escaped.
“Hey Connor.” I rasped, my voice cracking from staying numb for too long.
He pulled me into a brotherly hug. “It will be okay, it wasn’t your fault.”
I let out a sarcastic laugh. “It’s funny how the last time I was here you had told me the same thing.”
“Because it’s true, what happened to Kian wasn’t your fault and nor is this.” He whispered, rubbing my back soothingly.
I took a deep breath and stepped back. “Any news?”
Connor shook his head. “They are still doing the operation.”
I nodded and looked around at the distraught faces of my friends. Janice was crying and had been for the past fifteen minutes while Dylan rubbed her back and cheeks lovingly. Brittany had just finished crying and she and Max were cuddled in a corner, a few tears still sparkling in her eyes. Alicia was at the corner talking on her phone. I vaguely remembered her saying she had to call her dad.
“Hey I got this for you.” An unsure voice rang from my side, I turned and saw and instantly buried my face in his chest.
“I missed you!” I mumbled, a fresh river of tears starting.
He let out a breathy laugh. “I was just gone for like five minutes.”
I looked up at his tired face. “It seemed like ages.”
He gave me his shy smile and kissed my forehead tenderly. “I missed you too, so much.”
I smiled back and took the coffee mug from him. “Thanks.”
“Anytime, why aren’t you sitting?”
I shrugged, somehow I didn’t want to sit so that when the doctor came to give news I could immediately rush over and meet him.
Bryan rolled his eyes and sat on the ground, pulling me with him. I sat down unwillingly but then he snaked an arm around my waist and I snuggled into his hard chest, shamelessly seeking comfort.
“He won’t die.” He kissed my forehead. “He’s not that weak.”
I sipped the coffee, welcoming its heat as it flowed down my throat. “He shouldn’t have come in between or pushed me out of the way.”
Bryan’s arm tightened around me. “You were frozen in place, even if you wanted to move, you couldn’t have been fast enough. He did what he thought was the best.”
I closed my eyes. “He shouldn’t have. I should be in his place, I should be the one on that bed while the doctors tear apart my skin.”
Bryan turned me around and settled me on his lap, my head resting on his chest. “Instead of being guilty you should appreciate what he did. You don’t get such friends in today’s generation.”
I nodded my head. “Yeah he’s special.”
“Special huh?”
I smiled, “Yes so special.”
“Should I be jealous?” Bryan asked jokingly.
I looked up at his face. “You have no reason to be. He doesn’t own my heart.”
I watched as surprise filled his eyes and then disbelief soon followed by delight. “Your heart is in a safe place, guarded by highly functioned Autobots.”
I chuckled. “Good to know. Keep Bumblebee closest, I love him.”
“Sure.” He chuckled and then sobered. “Keep mine safe too.”
I kissed him sweetly. “Definitely. It is guarded by the Avengers.”
We hugged each other for some time, enclosed in our own comfortable silence.
“What happened to Anastasia?” I finally asked.
He stiffened. “She’s in police custody along with the others. She’s asking for a lawyer and they may put her as a mentally unstable case.”
I snorted. “She is definitely a case of brainless species. I don’t care as long as she stays a hundred miles away from us and our friends.”
His arms tightened around my waist. “She won’t come closer to us now, I promise.”
I took a deep breath, expressing my deepest fear. “I don’t want anything to happen to him. I don’t think I can take it.”
“He will be fine, perfectly fine. You’ll see within days he’ll be jumping around us healthy as a horse and as irritating as a bee.”
I chuckled silently. “Yeah I hope so. I already miss him.”
Suddenly there was a commotion and we got up hurriedly as the doctor came near us.
“How is he?” I demanded, almost grabbing the doctor by the collar.
He cleared his throat. “We have successfully removed the bullet but there was a lot of blood loss. We had him unconscious as we performed the surgery and everything seems fine for now but we’ll only know exact details after he wakes up. He has been shifted to his room. So- ”
As if on cue a nurse rushed to the doctor. “He’s awake.”
The doctor smiled and nodded towards us. “I’ll do a quick check up on him and then you can see him.”
We waited impatiently as the doctor went inside the room. Janice came over and hugged me tightly. “He’s fine Joanna.”
I hugged her back equally tight. “Yeah, I am so glad.”
Bryan came behind me, patting my hair. “I told you so.”
We grinned and shook our heads, it felt as if a huge weight was lifted from our heads. He was safe and I couldn’t be happier.
The doctor came back and grinned. “He’s lucky he’s fine and is complaining about how pale the walls are. You can see him now just don’t stress him much.”
We laughed, that sounded like him. We rushed to his room and froze outside it. We looked at each other. “You ready?” Bryan whispered and I nodded and finally Connor twisted the door handle.
“Guys stop acting like you are entering a newlywed’s room. Just fucking come in.” A voice came from inside and I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. He would never change. And that made me real glad. I wouldn’t want him any other way.
We all entered and looked at our friend, draped in a white sheet that hid tubes connected to his body. Although he seemed a little tired, his eyes held mirth like always.
“You asshat, you scared us.” I sniffed out, running towards him.
He engulfed me in a hug and just then the door opened again.
Alan and Ian entered with donuts in their hands. “You couldn’t wait until I was back to wake up?” Alan scowled.
Logan grinned. “Nah, are those chocolate ones?”
Alan grinned smugly. “I asked the doctor if we could give these to you and he said a strict no.”
“What rubbish!” Logan exclaimed in horror.
Ian snorted. “He mentioned that you were a diabetic patient.”