Chapter 35: Chapter Thirty-five

To the hurting people, you’re not alone. There are billions of human beings in this world who all feel the same emotions every day; face the same challenges you’re confronting right now. Whenever you’re feeling pain, never think you’re alone. Please think of the times when you were happy. Use that to fuel your desire to achieve that happiness once again.

“Rachel…”

I’d had that dream once before, but this time, it was real. I dreamt of pain and death, witnessed it over and over again, the same reaction coming from me. Crying. Screaming. Dying inside. More screaming. The cycle plays repeatedly like someone’s favorite playlist, except the songs are shuffled. I would dream of people dying in a car crash—there are even times I would be in it. By the time I would wake up, I would blankly stare at the ceiling, wondering what happened, since the dream would end abruptly once the car crashes against a tree or another car.

Due to that, one thing stuck to my mind. I would never allow that to happen to my family or to anybody close to me. I would grovel the ground and scream out to the heavens until they answer my pitiful cries. No matter what.

“Rachel…wake up.”

But… What happens if I find myself in that predicament? What if I was the one dying, and not them? Would they do the same thing for me? Will they even think I’m worth it?

Would Mom and Dad do it? Would Harvey do it? Francine? Patton?

Would…Chad, do it?

“Rachel.”

Gasping, I opened my eyes but quickly closed them as something bright shone down at me, assaulting my vision. Readjusting my eyes in the light, I figured I wasn’t in my room. To be exact, I was in the hospital. A warm hand grabbed mine; I stared at it and traveled my eyes up the arm, to the face of the owner. Harvey gave me a toothy grin and waved.

“Hey, sis.”

“Harvey…” I shot up from and hugged him tightly. Instead of being annoyed like he usually felt whenever I squeezed him too hard, Harvey hugged back with equal fervor. Unknowingly, tears streamed down my face as the memories began rushing back. Quite colorfully.

“Sis, don’t cry…”

I pulled away and scanned every inch of his face. “What happened? Did they hurt you? Are you all right? Harvey, please answer—Ow!” I yelped indignantly, hand rubbing the sore spot on my forehead that Harvey flicked. “What was that for?!”

“You kept rambling, sis.” He shook his head in amusement. “I’m all right.” I bit my lower lip to stop it from quivering.

“So… That means, the men…”

Harvey nodded. “The police caught them before we could even leave the building. I’m more worried about you, though—you were almost caught by the explosion!”

Well, at least those bastards are caught. They might have tormented us that night, but they’ll probably be behind bars for years. A lifetime, if best.

Suddenly realizing what he said, Harvey shut his mouth. “I’m sorry, you still must be terrifie—”

“I’m fine, Harv. Really.” I smiled at him in reassurance, hoping that he would just let it go because seriously, I was fine! “No need to worry so much.” After wiping my tears dry, I scanned the white-walled room in search of my parents. “How long have I been out?”

“Well, you were rushed here around ten. You’ve been asleep for eleven hours.”

It’s a bit crazy, I was thinking I’ve slept a lifetime! Then, as if knowing who I was looking for, Harvey pointed to the door.

“Mom is with Dad, they went outside. One of the policemen arrived to ask them questions.” I stared at my brother’s face for a few minutes and pinched his cheeks.

“Harvey, I suddenly realized that you’re not supposed to be in here. Did you sneak inside?”

“Hey, it hurts!” He winced, pulled my hand away, and massaged his red cheek. “And no, I didn’t. I happened to ask one sweet nurse who told me that if I behaved well, she’d let me stay.” Harvey huffed proudly and banged his fist on his chest. “I am Harvey Maxwell, so I have a way with the ladies.”

I rolled my eyes and ruffled his hair, intending to mess with him. “Yeah, yeah. You have a way with women and I have travelled to Mars,” I deadpanned. Frowning at my words, Harvey heaved a sigh and scratched his head.

“Fine, if you don’t believe me, I have no problem…”

Silence painted itself around the room. I directed my gaze to the needle taped to my hand, and watched as the IV fluid bag slowly emptied itself, the clear liquid sliding down inside the hose and into my veins. Lifting my finger, I internally winced at the state of my arms. Both had scars and some were covered in Band-Aids. Just touching it was enough for me to remember the feeling of having broken shards of glass grazing my skin.

I was so close… So close to losing my life. But here I am right now. Still alive and kicking.

The television across from the bed was turned off, its remote lying on the nightstand. The urge to turn it on and watch something was strong. In fact, it would probably blast the news, where a newscaster would energetically tell the events that took place last night. I stared down my hospital gown, feeling very naked in it. I hope I’ll be released soon! I don’t want to be in this ugly thing forever.

The purple clock ticking on the wall was making itself known; all the souls that were taken and wounds healing it had witnessed. Joy and pain.

“Sis, do you like—and I mean like—Chad Montgomery?”

I went still at Harvey’s odd and sudden question, but I wasn’t surprised that he would ask. He heard—knew that Chad liked me. It would be pointless to say he didn’t. He witnessed it firsthand. But me? I’m not so sure… Not sure whether I like him or hate him.

“I-I don’t know, Harv,” I admitted softly. “I don’t know.”

I pretty much accused him of planning the whole thing, only to know that he didn’t have any part in it. Guilt began eating me away as I remained seated on the bed, wondering how Chad felt when I accused him. He’s obviously hurt, but he didn’t let emotions hinder him from rescuing Harvey. He even got beaten up.

“Harv…” I mumbled almost incoherently. However, this caught his attention. “Where’s Chad?” Is he all right? A bunch of other questions were swirling in my head but I wouldn’t dare voice them out loud. How would even Harvey know? He’s just a kid, a smart tyke in fact, but still a kid. He probably wouldn’t even want to know—

“Chad? He’s dead,” Harvey responded bluntly, but when he saw my shocked expression and that tears that were building up in my eyes, he chuckled nervously. “I was just kidding! He’s in his room, a level below ours.”

Before ringing for a nurse, I flicked him on the head this time, not paying attention to his whining. The door clicked open and a nurse came in with a smile.

“Good morning, Miss Maxwell. I’m Petra, your nurse.” Her gaze shifted to Harvey and then she smiled. “Hello, you’re not causing your sister any trouble now, are you?”

“No, Ma’am.” Harvey grinned widely, causing the woman to giggle and turn to me.

“Is there anything you need, Miss? Are you hungry?”

“Thank you, but no. I was wishing to visit a friend who was admitted the same time I was last night. His name’s Chad Montgomery and I want to visit his room,” I explained while gesturing to the door. “Can I please go? I just need permission.”

The nurse continued to smile. “Yes, of course.” It was when she took the folded wheelchair on the side that I got off the bed, mentally hissing. Sheesh, the floor’s cold! Discomfort probably evident on my face, she gasped.

“Oh Miss, please wait! You have to use a wheelchair.”

“I can walk very well,” I chuckled softly. “I don’t need one of those.” Seriously, I have two legs. The moment I use that and someone takes a picture of it, I’m sure people will freak out. I don’t want to appear dramatic and all. I have two legs that still function!

Much to my surprise, she went along with it, but that was before she handed me a pair of slippers. “Please use these, Miss. I’d bet my whole salary that the floor is freezing!” If she only knew it was.

As she was taking the metal pole where they hooked the IV fluid bag, I watched with raised eyebrows at Harvey, who continued to gape at the woman. Then, I smirked. Well, well, well! Do my eyes deceive me? Silently pulling him close, I whispered into the boy’s ear.

“Is this the nurse you told me about? The one who was very sweet and all?”

Flustered, Harvey backed away and covered his red face. “S-stop!” I fought back a grin as the nurse helped me off the bed, but just before I stepped out of the room—feet now protected from the cold pristine floor—I shot him a smirk.

The image of the sputtering boy’s face was left behind in my room as I followed the nurse, who was kind enough to let me visit. We approached the woman behind the desk and inquired about Chad’s room number.

“Chad Montgomery?” A sudden blush tinted her cheeks and I couldn’t help but move my eyes to a nearby wall, shooting daggers at it. Unlike Harvey, it was Chad whom I was worried about being around with ladies. He just escaped from a psychopath last night and now he’s wooing these nurses?

Unbelievable.

“Yes, my patient here needs to see him.” Hearing this, the woman shifted her gaze from Petra and stared at me. I gave her a passive gaze in return, not wanting to hear whatever words she might use to describe Chad.

“All right, he’s in…” The woman trailed off, eyes scanning the computer before her. A frown befell on her face. “That’s funny…” Curious, I went near and tried to see what was odd on her computer.

“What is it?”

Just before she could answer, someone else did. “Chad Montgomery was released a while ago.”

Turning around, a doctor wearing a neutral expression stared at us with his passive eyes, hands inside the pocket of his white laboratory coat, a stethoscope hanging around his neck.

Released? I furrowed my eyebrows at him in question. “He was released? This morning?”

The doctor nodded silently. “Seven in the morning, to be exact.”

“Why would you release him so early?” I asked, slightly irritated at this doctor’s lack of expression. “He was beaten badly! He should be treated and have bed rest.”

“Which is why I decided to bring him home, let a professional doctor take care of him. But I’m happy you care for him, darling.” I went still at the familiar feminine voice, not expecting her to be here right now. Not when her son was at home. Rebecca Montgomery smiled at me, approaching slowly with a certain aura around her. Her comment made the doctor purse his lips in displeasure at the insult.

Is it just me…or does she look like her son’s life wasn’t endangered last night?

“Mrs. Montgomery…”

She placed a hand on my shoulder, smiling very sweetly. “Dear Chad’s at home right now, being taken care of by our family doctor. You can visit him whenever you like, darling.” Her expression suddenly turned serious. “I’m sorry… What happened to you yesterday was horrible, absolutely horrible!” Tears began to cloud her vision and soon, soft sobs escaped her lips. Lips that reminded me of what happened when you shot a person.

“It was indeed… Horrible,” I muttered under my breath as the woman continued to cry, patting her shoulder to calm her down. “But at least we made it out alive. Your son… Chad was very attentive. If it weren’t for him, we wouldn’t have escaped that building alive.”

This cheered her up. “I always believed that Chad would someday save someone he loves.”

Now that’s awkward. A nervous chuckle and a pat on the back was all that the blonde woman needed before composing herself.

“Rachel, darling, you’re free to visit Chad anytime. I just wanted him to recover quickly and I believe he will when he’s at home.”

I nodded, before shooting her a grin. “I’ll try to visit him once I’m discharged from here.” With a small wave, the woman said her farewells and walked away without another word.

“Petra, send Miss Maxwell back to her room,” the doctor ordered, and walked off, not waiting for a reply. Nodding eagerly, she sent me back to my room, where Mom and Dad were already waiting. But instead of greeting me with smiles and such, they threw me angry stares.

“Rachel! Why are you out of bed? You shouldn’t go and wander when you should be resting!”

“Your father’s right, dear. Why were you even out? Harvey, you should’ve insisted she stay!”

Harvey, busy grinning at the nurse, failed to hear Mom’s words. I stifled a laugh at this and sat down on the bed as Petra returned the metal pole to its place. I must look weird just smiling widely at them, feeling happy that I’m with them once again. Safe and sound.

“Why are you smiling so much, sis? Did your trip to Montgomery’s room—?”

“He’s not here anymore,” I quickly answered, a slightly faltering smile. “He’s been discharged and was sent home under the orders of his mother. However, he’s being treated by their family doctor.” Probably knowing this, Mom and Dad remained silent.

“Oh? Is that so?” Harvey mumbled.

Petra excused herself, but gave Harvey a pretty smile before she walked out the door. This made Harvey’s cheeks go red.

Once the door clicked shut, silence enveloped the whole room. The only sound that was audible was the sound of us living. Breathing. Dad shifted his gaze from me to Harvey, then back again. Expression turned solemn.

“Rachel, Harvey… I’m sorry if I lack something as a father.”

Eyes wide in shock, I watch as Mom rubbed his shoulder in a comforting way. “Damon, it wasn’t your fault—”

Dad shook his head, cutting Mom off. “Helen, I practically sent them to their demise! I was blinded by rage, wanting to capture those maniacs, but I wasn’t able to think that they’d predict our plans.” His eyes began to waver.

“I thought I lost you both… I-I can’t imagine living… Continuing to breathe when you two are gone.”

“Dad, we didn’t know what the outcome would be. Don’t blame yourself. We’re here right now.” Turning to Harvey, the boy nodded at Dad and smiled.

“Don’t worry, my children. I can promise you that this won’t happen again. Ever,” Dad said with a sort of finality in his voice. “I have contacted my lawyer and he’ll start right away with the case. He thinks that he’ll be able to wrap this up quickly and without hassle.” That was, indeed, something good to hear.

“Dad,” I began. “Harvey mentioned earlier that the police came by. What did they say?”

“They sent someone to inform us that they’d interrogate you, Harvey, and Chad Montgomery before the trial.”

Mom turned to Harvey with a sheepish expression on her face. “Harvey, my boy, we sort of…hid this from you to protect you,” she explained carefully. “We didn’t want you to be bothered and we thought it would hinder you from your studies. I hope you’ll forgive us.”

“You guys tried to hide your burdens from me… Well, I kind of knew it from the start.” At this revelation, Mom and Dad stared at Harvey with wide, surprised eyes. I, too, was in shock. Shock because we were practically flying from our seats trying to hide it from Harvey.

But, we hid it so well! He couldn’t have!

Harvey laughed at our expressions. “I have to say, you guys all look funny right now!” Immediately composing ourselves, I cleared my throat. “Harvey, you’re not…playing one of your jokes on us, are you?”

Harvey shook his head, “Nope. the moment you guys were all forcing smiles on your faces, I knew something was up. I was thinking that someone was threatening our business, or one of our enemies was gaining the upper hand. I didn’t realize it was that bad until I got kidnapped…”

“Harvey…” Heart sinking at the sorrowful look Harvey had on his face, I motioned to him with open arms. I fought back a few tears as Harvey sobbed in my arms, a child truly scared after facing what was almost the end of his life. “There, there. It’s all right now, Harvey. Those men are going to jail and will be there for good. Please stop crying.”

But much to my annoyance, my own waterworks started to fall too. “Don’t worry, Harv. You’re not alone in this battle.”

You have me.

***

It’s been four days since the incident.

I got discharged two days ago and I was very happy to receive that news. Being at the hospital had taken its toll on me and it would’ve affected my life if Francine—with Patton, of course—didn’t come visit me every day.

Mom and Dad were busy filing charges and meeting with Dad’s lawyer, wanting to put the people who almost killed us behind bars. Harvey, who was eager to go back to school, was told to stay put at home for the time being. Chad, much to my annoyance, remained silent in his abode. He never tried to call or text. Just silence.

Tomorrow, we—the victims—will be interrogated. Which means I must notify Chad about this and have him come with us.

Unless, of course, he’s been notified by his mother. Which probably explains why I saw her in the hospital around that time.

Dad’s lawyer had the utmost confidence that they would be able to put those men behind bars in less than a month. Dad only hoped and prayed that he would be able to do so.

After a few hours of merely staring at the ceiling, I stood up from my bed and got dressed. I lingered at the mirror and gazed at the Band-Aid on my eyebrow. It reminded me every time how I got it. Shaking the memories away, I grabbed my coat and car keys.

I might as well visit him… Tell him that he needs to attend the interrogation. That’s a good excuse to see him!

Percy and the rest of the men who were shot that day were given days off to recover fully. Those who were shot dead were to be buried whenever their families wanted. Dad was sure to give them his condolences and told them he’d give them financial support—which they declined. They accepted their loved one’s death and would continue remembering them.

Bidding Henry farewell, I went to the garage and got into my car. The engine roared to life, and just as I was about to leave through the gate, I spotted the bodyguards in their own cars following behind me. Shaking my head, I took my time heading to the Montgomery household, going over my rehearsed lines that I’d be (hopefully) reciting perfectly to Chad.

But once I got out of my parked car and stood in front of the door, I found myself losing confidence that I was trying to build up. All the lines I practiced now flew out of the window. It didn’t even help when Felix, their butler, opened the door and expected me to come inside.

Swallowing hard, I entered the house.