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"Are you two really okay?"Loid anxiously asked after the catastrophe ended as both you and Yuri are standing in the doorway.
You earned a couple of bruises and probably internal bleeding as the male next to you was covered in his own blood from head to toe.
You would've made a snappy remark at his damfool question but you swallowed them instead, not in a mood to start meaningless bickering when all you need is a trip to the hospital.
Meanwhile, Yor is standing next to your cousin, face flushed red in embarrassment or still in her drunken state or even both.
It looks like she is almost sober after Loid gave her three cups of water once she lets you go, causing you to fall flatly to the floor. Fortunately, the male Briar was there to act as a cushion.
In simple words, you fell on top of him.
"Thank you very much for your concern."You grunted at the pain, making Yor look down in guilty. Noticing this, you exhaled a sigh.
"Mrs. Forger, there's no need to look like that. I'm fine."
Loid places a hand on Yor's shoulder, giving it a light squeeze of assurance."If you need any help, my door is open for you."
Giving him a nod was all you could do before turning your body around, heading towards the door of your apartment with Yuri following you from behind.
"Go to the hospital."You finally spoke up, unlocked the door, and took a step inside. "If you passed out here, do you think I would let you stay—"
thud!
"I don't like that sound."
You heard something hitting the floor and yet, you slowly close the door.
Only to reopen it for a moment to drag the unconscious body into your house, eyes glance around to make sure there is no one watching your steps.
You grabbed his hands and pull him inch by inch into the apartment, stopping when he’s just far enough inside for you to be able to close the door and — practically — throwing him onto the couch.
You retrieve his suitcase from outside the apartment, then shut and lock the front door. But the thought of him puking in his sleep had you rethinking your decision.
Floor, someone like him should stay on the floor.
"If you puke, I will kill you."You threatened, only to find yourself looking like a fool for saying that to a drunk yet an unconscious person.
Seriously, how does a person even get this drunk?
When he’s comfortably asleep in the middle of the living room, you leave him there to look for some bandages.
You noticed that his bleeding has stopped for a while. He could do with some sutures. Should you give him a stupefacient?
Curse you Hippocratic Oath.
You will patch his wounds. And that’s all the help he’s getting from you.
"I think I still have povidone-iodine in the cabinet—"
The thought of it makes your heart drop.
Your body feels heavy as you glance at the cabinet, your trembling hand reluctantly holds the wooden handle to tug it open.
Yes, you are scared of what is going to happen.
You were a doctor, a surgeon doctor. A title that you discarded a year ago after the recent spy hunt. After the sight pile of bodies of your fellow spies and comrades, you don't want to experience it again.
Just a whiff smell of that chemical, the traumatic images of the bloodied bodies on the floor of the corridor, waiting to be saved, flooded your mind. A mix of dried and fresh blood covered every part of the walls in the operation room, mimicking a look of a torture room instead.
Whenever you walked between them, there would be a sound splash. Not from the water leaking due to how old the building was but from the freshly wounded soldiers and spies.
It's suffocating.
It probably took you some time to heal from the aftermath of war but the latter spy hunt only worsened your mental state instead.
It seems like you are still on the battlefield.
The battle that will never end and you couldn't run away or escape here alive.
It's because of the SSS officer, right?
If he's gone, everything will go back to normal, right?
In the end, your inner thought wins. Your hand grabbed a hold of the kitchen knife near you before marching towards the living room. Where the defenseless SSS officer is.
Yes, he should die like others.
Instead of succumbing to the urge to stab him like you intended to—you ended up weeping next to him.
The sound of a knife cluttering on the floor echoed throughout the room when your grip loosened.
You feel the muscles of your chin tremble like a small child while trying to swallow down the whimper from escaping, yet failed miserably.
"Just why...?"Your voice cracked for the first time, and tears spilled freely forth like water from a dam, cascading down on your face.
"Why do you have to kill them?"
Kneeling on your knees, you are begging him for an answer that you won't receive.
"Why do you have to kill my friends?"
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You cried for a good five minutes until you felt a hand gently wipe the tears off your cheeks. "Why are you crying?"
The sudden broke of silence made you snap up your head to look at the source of the voice. With the only light coming from the moon through your window, you saw the way his scarlet eyes stared into yours, that's filled with an emotion that is akin to endearment.
His voice was low and gentle. But there is this vulnerable expression on his face. "Are you hurt?"
He held your hand and brought it to his chest. He squeezed it tightly but surprisingly it's not enough to hurt you. You stare at him silently, allowing him to keep hold of your hand until your rational mind return.
"Do you want to take a break?"He continued, keeping the conversation going even in his half-conscious state. As if wanting to keep you a company.
You stayed silent. Even if that was the case, how is it any concern of his? He will forget this conversation the next morning.
But, deep down, you somehow like this calm and collected side of his.
"It's okay to take a break, you know?"
"Yeah."That's all you could say in a tone of whisper after a long pause. He play with your fingers a little bit more and you didn't make any attempt to pull your hand away—when he would tug it back again.
"Can this be the part where things start getting better?"
You hummed, eyes now glossed with new tears and offered a weak smile in return. Because you didn’t know the answer either.
"I hope so."
Your eyes closed and drifted off into a light sleep.
It won't hurt to take some rest and breathe again.
