Chapter Eighty-eight

Chapter Eighty-eight
Kacy
It's so dark here. I can't see anything but the great void, as if I'm underwater—a million meters deep from the surface. I can't breathe; bubbles are coming out of my mouth. I can't think of anything. My mind's empty. I don't know where I am and how I ended up being here.
Suddenly, there's light coming from above, as if pulling me out of the water. The light devoured me. I opened my eyes and saw Francis standing in front of me. He looked so worried.
"Good grief, you're finally awake," he said. "How are you?"
"Where's Bryan?" I asked.
"He's in the ER. He's badly wounded. But he's still alive. That man's so tough, and you're so tough too. You've been shot with multiple bullets..."
Francis's words made me remember what happened. Bryan was kneeling on the stairs, and the masked man was standing behind him with an axe. He was chopped. There was so much blood. One of his hands and legs was cut, and he was barely walking. I can't imagine what he looks like right now. Just hearing that he's alive isn't so reassuring.
"I have to see him..." I tried to stand up, but my body felt numb. I can't even feel my legs and hands. "What's happening to me?"
"You're still weak. You should rest more," Francis said. "Don't worry about Bryan. The doctors and nurses are taking care of him."
"How about those guys?" I asked.
"I've called the police. They are taking care of it. They have arrested those men, but the masked man had escaped. I didn't really want to call the cops, but I had no other choice..." Francis said, sitting down in the chair.
I don't know if I should be glad or sad with what Francis is saying. After everything we've gone through, that man is still alive. But I'm thankful for what Francis did. If it weren't for him, Bryan and I would have been dead already.
"Thank you," I said, tears streaming down my eyes.
"You don't have to thank me. I just did what a friend would do. You're the one who did it. You risked your life to save Bryan," he replied, handing me a handkerchief, but I can't raise my hand to take it. "Let me wipe them for you."
Francis wiped the tears from my face. I felt so pointless in my condition. I can't even wipe my own face. "I'm sorry," I said. "Sorry for causing you so much trouble."
"It's okay. You and Bryan are my close friends, and I'm here if you need me," Francis said.
"Thank you so much."
"You're welcome. Now go back to sleep. I'll be here watching you. You don't have to worry about anything," Francis said.
I closed my eyes and went back to sleep. I hope I'll get well soon so that I can see Bryan again and take care of him. I'm afraid that the masked man would come again while I'm asleep. I know he's not an ordinary man. He's strong and powerful. With these thoughts I fell asleep.
When I opened my eyes again, Francis was sitting on the chair beside me. He's sleeping. He must be so tired watching over me, so I didn't wake him up. I felt guilty for causing him so much trouble, but no matter how troublesome and stubborn I've been to him, he never cut me off.
My whole body was still aching, but I could move my hands a little bit. My throat felt dry. I should go get something to drink. I tried my best to stand up and ended up falling down on the floor. My back hurts like hell. The sound woke up Francis.
"What are you doing?" Francis asked in an angry tone, but I know he's just worried. "You shouldn't have tried to stand yet. You're still weak. I already told you to take a rest and just tell me if you need anything."
"I'm sorry. I just don't want to become a burden to you, so—"
"So you tried to do things on your own?" He cut me off. "You've never really changed, Kacy. Even in that situation you're still so stubborn. Come on, get up." He helped me get back to the bed. "I told you to tell me when you need anything. You're not a burden to me, Kacy. I'm doing this as a friend. Friends are there to help each other."
Francis's words cut like a knife. Perhaps I've always been this independent woman who rarely asks for anyone's help. I didn't realize I'm already hurting my friends, the ones who care for me. I'm so selfish. Tears are falling down my eyes as I think about it.
"Don't cry," he said. "I'm not mad at you. I'm just worried that something would have happened to you. You're still recovering from your wounds. You need to rest more."
"Thank you," I said in a hoarse voice.
"You need water?" he asked.
I nodded. Francis got me a glass of water and helped me drink. "Slowly," he said. I drank the water slowly and wiped my face with the back of my hands.
"Next time, if you need anything, don't be shy to tell me. You can wake me up if I'm sleeping. Between us, your condition is much worse, so it's okay for you to cause me such a tiny inconvenience. Got it?"
"Um." I nodded like a little girl trying to behave after being scolded by her mother. "How is Bryan?"
"The doctor said that he's stable now. But he needs a lot of time to rest and recover. He had lost one of his hands. Thank God we arrived here before he could run out of blood," Francis replied.
I sighed with relief. I'm so grateful that after everything, Bryan and I are still alive. We've been through a lot of things together, but it's still not the end. As long as that enemy is alive, we can't live a normal life. I don't know what we have done to deserve all of this.
"That's why you need to get well soon, so that you can see him and take care of him," Francis added.