Chapter 19: What truth does

JESSICA'S POV

BANG.

The shot rang like a crackling thunder and the squishing sound passing through the air.

Victor's body jerked back, as he stumbled onto the crate behind him. He looked down at the blood blooming red on his side. Not fatal — but enough to stagger him.

I froze. The realization I had shot someone pressing on me.

My chest heaved. The gun trembled in my hand. “I.. I.. didn’t mean to…” he said in between grunts

Victor’s face was a mask of disbelief… and something that broke my heart: hurt. Not just from the bullet. It was from me.

“I wasn’t going to hurt you,” he muttered, clutching his side.

He didn't mean to hurt me? My actions were reflex I admit. For a while, I stared blankly at his almost lifeless self when his grunt was the only thing that uncuffed me out of my reverie.

I placed the gun on the floor, guilt gnawing at me.

“But maybe now… maybe now you’ll understand just how dangerous this truth is,” he whispered, collapsing to his knees.

The truth… the truth made me hurt someone.

I rushed to him, panic clawing at my throat. “Victor…” I called twice until there was a response — short

His eyes fluttered. “Tell David… ”

And that was it, he fainted. Silence took over. My guilt enlarging in it's coast and I, staring blankly at his body.

What have I done?

I was slowly walking away when he coughed blood, I turned back, he still had life. I check his pulse, it still raced. I took out the phone with me from my pocket and rang David. He wasn't picking.

“Ah shit!“ I cursed. I couldn't call the ambulance, I'd be questioned. I thought of what to do, but it was really hard. Finally, my mind clicked the answer.

I had to contact a cab to stay meters away — almost a junction but fatter than. I stared at Victor in his casual wears and with a grunt, I tried to carry him on my back but couldn't walk so I took his left arm and rested it on my shoulder as I moved with every strength in me, out of the warehouse and to the junction.

The driver rushed to the door not without staring or moving backwards in fear as his eyes were fixated on the bloodstains on my body and the gushing blood on Victor's stomach.

At the backseat, I took the handkerchief with me and pressed it on the spot of the wound. Time was running by, not waiting and David still hadn't picked his call. I was worried, what if he found out?

We got to the hospital and the nurses placed Victor on their stretcher while they pushed him into an emergency ward. I stood outside, panic surging through me, tears falling from my eyes. I only wanted to save two brothers and now, what I have done.

I took out my phone to call David once more, but it only rang. I paced the hospital's emergency hallway, fear gripped me.

What if he dies?

David had warned me and I was too stubborn. Guilt pricked me like a needle and all I could do in the situation was press my palm against my mouth to muffle my tears.

“Where's he?“ I heard the voice — urgent, it came in with panting breath. I turned to look, it was David. His voice rang with fear and so much urgency that I began to stagger backwards. He was walking towards me even till I hit the hospital's wall, there was silence against two worlds — a battle between us — the intruder and the man himself, all I heard were a panting breath, obviously from running.

He didn't answer the call, how did he get here? My subsconcious questioned but there was no answer. Tears filled my eyes threatening to fall, it's been two hours and all I heard were the nurses instructions and their machine beeping.

His stares were piercing, I looked down feeling guilty and all I heard was —

“Why shoot him?“

I raised my head up to meet his gaze. His eyes — they weren't full of anger — just disappointment.

I was lost with words that I didn't know how to explain the situation..

He wasn't angry I left to meet Victor but that I shot him.

“He… we were talking, and then he saw the gun's handle, he was going to take it, I thought I was going to die.. David”

I stuttered I shuddered at his touch once he wrapped his hands around my arm to tighten them.

I winced in pain — “David.. you're hurting..ahhh” I cried but he wasn't listening.

“You should have known before shooting him!“ His voice rang loud that it was the only thing that echoed in the hallway.

His eyes snapped red as though it were flaming in fire, they were too sharp that I couldn't look back — I shut mine, my guilt wouldn't let me look on and then I fiddled with my fingers.

The ward door opened wide — as if alarming me of whatever fate it brought. A surgeon walked in, onto us. She stared at me first and then to David.

“The bullet hit a vital spot, it was almost had to take it off, however it was successful.“

I sighed in relief, at least guilt wouldn't take me on for the rest of my life. But David, he wasn't having that crap.

He hissed. “So how's he now?“

“We're supporting him with multiple machines as he is in coma but also, we're hanging on he survives without spinal issues.“

My breath hitched, a lump forming hard in my throat, the words — I couldn't quite take them in. My gaze shifted to David, he had almost felt relieved, but with this, he loosened his grip around my arm while he staggered backwards. I saw him swallow hard — whatever lump he had form in his throat.

“So… now, what's the next as he's in coma? You'd go kill him!?“ He yelled once the surgeon left us, holding my clothings tight like some criminal, well, maybe I was… at least right now.

And as David backed away,

I saw fear in his eyes — and it dawned on me, Victor would definitely not let this go.