The Coma

The Coma
Meanwhile, Blade had parked his car a few feet away from the old building Damien had entered. He stayed hidden nearby, waiting for his cue to go in. He was fully prepared with weapons tucked into his waistband and boots.

However, he grew restless when his boss did not come out. Worry gnawed at him as he paced back and forth in the dark. Suddenly, he heard heavy footsteps. He ducked behind cover and watched the men emerging from the building, but there was still no sign of Damien or Lila.

The men strode toward the black van parked across the street. The engine had barely started when Blade moved to approach, but more men appeared. He slipped back into hiding and watched them climb into the van. A moment later, it sped off into the dark.

Quickly, he ran into the building, but the villa was locked and there were no traces of them outside or anywhere nearby.

“Boss?” he called out worriedly as he ran around the compound. He hurried to the back and spotted a staircase leading to the basement. He did not waste a second before rushing down.

“Help me, please! Someone out there, please help me!”

Blade heard Lila’s voice and quickened his steps. He cut through another corner and froze at the sight before him. Damien lay in a pool of his own blood, and Lila was crouched beside him despite being tied to a chair.

“Blade? Is that you?” she asked, hope rising in her eyes when she looked up and saw him.

“Please, you need to take him to the hospital!” she barked. It was only then that Blade seemed to regain his senses. He scrambled forward and began untying Lila.

As soon as he finished untying her, the two of them lifted Damien with all the strength they had. Blade hauled him onto his back and they hurried out of the basement, Damien limp and unconscious against him.

Within moments, Blade laid Damien in the back seat of the car. He and Lila climbed into the front and Blade immediately called the men at home, informing them of the situation and telling them to come pick up the car Damien had brought.

Almost an hour later, Damien was rolled into the nearest hospital with Lila and Blade rushing after the stretcher, but the nurses stopped them and told them to wait outside.

Lila watched the doors close and then she broke down into hysterical tears, drawing the attention of everyone in the waiting area.

“He wouldn’t have been hurt, Blade. He got hurt because of me. That man… that evil man, told him to take those hits if he wanted to save me. It was all because of me, Blade. It was all because of me,” she cried, not caring about the looks she drew.

Blade’s expression softened. Before he realized it, he stepped closer and pulled her gently into his embrace.

“I’m sorry, Blade. I’m so sorry,” she whimpered, sounding like something wounded and fragile in his arms.

Blade murmured soothing words, his hand moving in slow, calming strokes across her back.

Several moments later, the doctor walked toward them with a grave expression, his clipboard clutched tightly in one hand.

“Are you the ones who brought him in?”

Blade stood immediately. Lila rose too, her hands trembling. “Yes. How is he?” she asked, her voice barely stable.

The doctor exhaled slowly before speaking. “He took multiple blows to the head. One of them ruptured a blood vessel and caused a subdural hematoma. That is a bleed around the brain, and it puts dangerous pressure on it.”

Lila’s breath caught in her throat while Blade stiffened beside her.

“We managed to stop the bleeding,” the doctor continued. “But the trauma was severe. His body has shut down to protect itself. He is in a coma.”

Lila’s knees nearly buckled and Blade caught her arm.

“He may remain unconscious for several days,” the doctor said gently. “Possibly up to a week. We cannot give you an exact timeframe. The next forty-eight hours are critical. So his survival depends on how well his brain responds.”

Lila covered her mouth as a sob escaped. Blade tightened his grip on her arm, his own jaw clenched and trembling.

“I’m sorry,” the doctor added. “You can sit with him, but only one at a time. We will keep you updated.”

When he walked away, Lila broke down completely, collapsing into Blade’s hold as the weight of the words crashed into her.

“Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness,” she whimpered frantically, pressing her hands to her face as tears streamed down her cheeks.

Blade held her tightly, murmuring, “Shh… it’s going to be okay. He’s strong, Lila. He’s going to pull through.”

She shook her head against his chest, her sobs wracking her body. “I shouldn’t have let this happen… it’s all my fault!”

Blade’s jaw tightened. “No, this isn’t your fault. You couldn’t have known. Right now, the only thing that matters is that he’s still alive.”

She clung to him, her cries echoing through the sterile hospital hallway, every sob a reflection of the fear and guilt consuming her.

—— — — — —
Cheerful laughter and murmurs filled the camp as students gathered around the campfire, playing games and enjoying the night.

Tessa and Owen sat together as usual, but since the evening had begun, Tessa had not seen any sign of Asher. A pang of worry tightened in her chest, though she tried to push it aside, convincing herself that he had probably gone to sleep.

“Can you hear me?” Owen waved his hand in front of her face, noticing her distracted expression.

“Huh? Yeah,” Tessa replied, snapping back to the moment. She smiled and pretended to listen, but her thoughts were elsewhere.

Suddenly, she stood up. “I’ll be right back, Owen,” she said softly, and walked away, leaving him watching her retreating figure with a hint of curiosity.

Soon, she found him sitting on a fallen log near the toilet area and let out a quiet sigh of relief.

She turned to walk away, but his voice stopped her.

“I’m not feeling okay, am I?” he asked without lifting his gaze from the ground.

“What do you mean?” Tessa asked, tilting her head to look at him.

Asher exhaled and lowered his head for a moment before finally meeting her eyes.

“I’m thinking about you more than I should, Tessa. These days… I think only about you,” he admitted, his gaze locking onto hers with an intensity that made her chest tighten.