Flower He Couldn't Pluck

CHAPTER 52

"Mr Vazquez?" Both of the speakers turn to the direction of the voice. King immediately stood up, "Is she... okay?" He asks. A strange feeling is piling up inside him.

He started to feel guilty for caring for her too much, for allowing himself to open his heart for her. How could he make such a mistake?

"The bullet didn't hit any vital organ, she's out of danger, for now." A sense of relief leaps over him. He wanted to run and hold her into his arms, he wanted to cry and apologise.

King felt himself dividing into two. One side of him yelling at him, shaming him for letting things happen this way. Letting Andrew escape, and letting the vengeance of his family slip away. The side reminded him of the people he called family, the people he literally forgot for Rose.

But the other side, the weak one, is fighting the evil in him. Arguing that he felt at home with her, he felt happy like he used to be around his family. This side begged and screamed to let him go, let him get out of the vicious trap he's fallen into. To let him be happy without feeling a weight too heavy on his chest.

"Mr Vazquez?" The doctor calls for him for the third time. "You need to fill a form, and when is the girl's family arriving?"

Family? He thinks. He even fantasised about thinking of himself as someone she calls her family.

But unlike him, she has a family. People who care for her, love her and make her happy. People who would be worried for her.

"I'll follow you, and I've informed her parents, they'd be here any minute," Harry replies. The doctor nods before both of them leave while talking about procedures and bills, leaving Dylan all alone.

His gaze falls on the door of the hall where Rose is lying unconscious.

DYLAN'S POV

"Hey, join me?" Matt yells, removing one of his headphones. He's again playing this stupid game.

"DUDE, COVER?"

"No, no, behind you, there's one at the blue top!" He shouts. Must be yelling at his comrades. I shake my head in disapproval while closing his door. He and his stupid video games.

~

Watching my mom as she makes dinner for all of us and my dad helping her. Aren't they just the happiest couple in the whole world?

~

"It's your dad's birthday, Dylan," I hear my mom's sweet voice. A smile leaps on my face, "I know, I know, I'll be back in an hour!" I peck on one of her cheeks before heading out.

~

"DYLAN!" Matt comes running towards me, he pants for a while before continuing, "Bring the chocolate cake, the old man hates it." He chuckles evilly.

~

"Dylan," A spark hypnotises me the moment my name leaves her mouth. Closing my eyes, I kissed her deeply.

I gulp, remembering the first time I kissed her.

How can I do this? How can I allow myself to this extent?

I peek through the window into the hall, there I see her. Surrounded by so many pipes, god knows what it does.

Reflexively heading inside, I study her face which is half-covered in an oxygen mask. Her eyes are closed. I sit beside her while observing her chest slowly rising and falling.

She never belonged in our world.

"Please wake up," Words leave my mouth naturally after my hand stretches to caress her cheek.

"It's become an addiction, Rose..."

"You made me feel like my old self, and I-" I inhale sharply as I feel my eyes getting watery.

"I never thought I would ever be like that again."

I hear muffled cries and shouting coming from a distance.

"Rose?"

"Where is my daughter?" Familiar voices reach my ears. Her parents have arrived.

A continuous trail of wails outstretches right after they get bashing in.

"Rose!"

"Oh, my child," Her mother whispers softly as her tears repeatedly stain her cheeks.

"What happened?!" She yells, her gaze falling on me.

"You? What have you done to our daughter?" Her dad asks desperately.

"Oh, Rose," I watch as her mother gently holds her face into her hands.

"The last time she was all bruised," She mumbles, her eyes fixed on Rose.

I recall the last time I got her home from the forest, they all were panicked.

"Shot?" Her voice shakes. I watch as Fredrick gets a hold of his wife, tears are dripping down from both of their eyes.

"My Rose got shot? How?"

"It's our only child, would you stop hurting her?"

"What are you doing to her-"

"Saara, calm down-"

"It's our daughter, Fredrick, how can I calm down?" She bashes him before her attention again shifts on Rose. I watch as she breaks down, holding her hand.

"My sweet child,"

"Look at her, look at what happened to her." She cries.

"And it's all because of this man, he's the one hurting her!"

"What is this noise?" I turn my head to the familiar voice.

"Doctor-"

"You need to leave the patient alone, please I request you to get out." He cuts her off bluntly.

"When is she going to wake up?" Her dad asks, his voice is shaking too.

"We can't tell anything right now, but you really need to leave the patient alone."

"Everyone, please, wait outside." He announces.

I watch as both of them leave the hall, their wailing is still very audible.

"What do you mean you can't say anything right now?" I implore.

He sighs, "It's not just the wound, Mr Vazquez,"

He meets my eyes, "Recovery takes time when the patient is traumatised, and in her case... Has she-"

"Has she gone through something lately?" He questions and I stand with my eyes only getting wider.

Words didn't form, I couldn't reply.

"We'll try our best."