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Nunie slowly opens her eyes again hours later. It's the early morning of the next day, the sun barely rising over the horizon, and her lower back is aching in pain. She grimaces, realizing the mask putting her to sleep is finally off and she can breathe freely. Her abuelito is asleep in the chair to her right, head tilted back against the wall, snoring loudly, and outside Nunie can hear the chatter of her abuelita and someone else's voice she can't recognize. Kai and Crimsley are gone now too. She moans lowly in her throat—the pain almost too much—she rolls over onto her left side, coming face-to-face with Jay.
He's still wearing the same clothes he left in, but Nunie can make out the faintest splotches of blood on his tracksuit, streaks on his face, and his hands.
It's everywhere on him. He's caked in it.
He's breathing heavily, head hanging low—he doesn't realize Nunie is awake yet until she tries to reach out to him. The movement in his peripheral causes his head to jerk up, wild eyes snapping onto her frame. His face is guilt-stricken, and he looks almost broken, cheeks sunken in, and eyes a bit watery.
"W-what happened?" Nunie croaks, her throat dry.
Jay doesn't say anything—just stares at her, face knitting up, as if he's physically holding himself back from telling her the information she so desparately seeks.
"Tell me, Jay." She pleads. "Please, I-I—I know s-someone got shot, so, please—" Nunie chokes out because all her anxiety is rising again and the monitor to her right starts beeping alarmingly fast. Jay scoots his chair closer, so he's sitting right by her side, holding her hand in his. He kisses it gently, holding it to his forehead, and Nunie would think he's praying with the way he holds her so desperately as if she's the last thing keeping him sane—tethered to this earth. His anchor.
"You have to calm down, Sana." He mumbles to her. His voice is so quiet, Nunie strains her ears to hear it.
"I-I c-can't—I have to know—" Nunie whispers to him frantically, even though her heart swells with warmth as Jay holds her hand up to his cheek—his bloodstained cheek. Nunie feels like her heart is aching just staring at him, and her lip wobbles as she fights back tears.
"It's okay, mama, dormir (sleep)." Jay says, and she's weak to him—following his command.
✧
It seems as though Nunie is fading in and out of existence each time she wakes up. She stares up at the white ceiling helplessly, her abuelito asleep beside her. Jay is gone, and she wants to cry out for him, but all Nunie can do is lay in the hospital bed motionless. Her face is matted with tears and the pain in her lower half is prominent now, but Nunie can't even bring herself to scream. She lays there until another contraction rips through her body, and she whimpers loudly, her abuelito stirring as her abuelita rushes into the room.
