Triangle. |Stray Kids

Twenty-Four.

Lilly was in a coma for a month.

For her, she was passed out for a day or so as inside of her mind, she relived a single day and witnessed its happenings. So, she thought that was how long she passed out. Never she expected that she took that long to come back from her long sleep. That explained the extreme fatigue and soreness in her body along with her medical condition.

She wasn't hibernated. She was really in a coma due to the cardiac arrest she experienced. Her condition wasn't the best and the doctors had to keep close eyes on her and recheck her condition more often than other patients, especially with Lino giving them the 'Save her or you'll kiss your medical career goodbye' look. The boy was never the kind who would use his background or his family name and power, but she was his Lilly, his best friend and he would do anything for her. So, to spare the drama, the doctors paid extra care to Lilly's case and never dared to tell Lino that it was questionable if she would make it back to life or not.

But Lino knew. Although he was a pediatrist, he knew that much and didn't dare to tell Chris how she was hanging to this life by a very thin thread. He knew his friend wouldn't be able to take it well. He was already blaming himself day and night. Chris was thinking he was the reason she was in that state.

If he didn't throw a tantrum and leave her house, if he didn't sulk away and lock himself up with his negative thoughts, if he didn't let himself get weak from thinking too much and giving up to how their bond was manipulating him since he was away from her, if he didn't go the field, the evil spirit would've never possessed him and Lilly would've never sacrificed herself to save him.

That's how Chris spent that month while Lilly was in her coma. He became far too weak to even be able to handle his work. His sleep was long forgotten and his meals were the last thing he thought about until he became as weak as a falling leaf. Lino was aching for his friend's state, and for the first time, he was the supporting rational one. He had to be strong to support his friend. But he wouldn't have been able to do that if it wasn't for his Mia who never left his side. She also was one of Lilly's regular visitors while she was in her coma. And the few meals that Chris had, were always forced by Mia who watched the strong compromised boy she knew, turning into a weak lifeless one.

When they were starting to lose hope, when Chris was on the verge of breaking down, especially with the pain he was feeling in his chest that wasn't his, Lilly opened her eyes. When they thought she would take too long to recover, she surprised them with her speed of healing. Chris and Lino watched as she regained her healthy skin tone again and started losing the dark circles around her eyes. They inspected her closely as her breath began to even again and she was less panting and gasping after talking a few words. Her muscles were back to normal and the wires attached to her were lessening one by one.

In a span of one week, Lilly was discharged from the hospital after strict instructions on resting and not to do any harsh exercises, and to come back to her examinations. In a span of another week, Lilly could move freely around her house without feeling extremely tired from just going upstairs. She would still feel tired, but it wasn't to the extent of feeling like she might pass out anymore.

As she was regaining her strength, Chris too was looking more like a living person. Although he was always by her side as she was recovering, and even moved back to stay with her in her house, he was silent most of the time. It's not like he was the talkative type from the beginning, but he looked more silent and distant in Lilly's eyes.

He was helping her all around, taking care of her, and sticking by her side, but never they talked about them and how their relationship will go from now on. Lilly got that he wasn't open to talking yet, maybe wasn't willing to forgive her and that he needed his time so, she stayed as silent as he was, which made them seem cold to each other.

It was slightly after midnight when Chris came back home from a long tiring day of interrogating a suspect. He sighed in relief once he stepped inside the warmness of the house. The closer he is to her, the more settled his heart gets. As his daily routine, he went straight upstairs to check on her. She would always be asleep by then but he would have a look at her to be assured she was all good and stable in her bed.

Chris slowly opened her door and peeked inside. His eyes widened and he jolted when he didn't find her in her bed. He kicked the door fully open and turned on the lights to make sure of what he saw but she wasn't really there. He rushed to the toilet, knocked twice, and stuck his ear to the door. When he heard nothing, he opened the door to find it empty. He checked her studio room, his own room, and even her parents' room that no one dared to enter, but she was nowhere around the whole house.

He started to panic, especially when he tried to focus on the emotions echoing through his chest that had some tightness and sadness among them. Those were hers. She was restless too. Calling Lino didn't help at all as he knew nothing about her whereabouts. Last time he called her was two hours before and she told him she was heading to bed after taking her medication.

Chris's brain was going in every direction. Where could she be? She wasn't perfectly recovered yet. What if she was doing something stupid? She was already acting weird since she woke up. She was strangely silent and didn't push him to talk which wasn't a very Lilly thing.

Chris rushed back downstairs, pulled his jacket and keys, ready to leave the house and start looking for her wherever he could. He was just stepping out when he stopped. No. That didn't feel right. He felt she was close by. His heart was telling him she wasn't far from where he was. Just then, Chris's eyes landed on the door shielding the stairs to the rooftop.

To where all the chaos began.