Revival

chapter 43: what's home?

KIIARA
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"I have news on Gabriel Vasco."

I lightly push Nina and Nile who were asleep on my shoulder. Nile wakes up but Nina still stirs.

He gets up immediately when he sees the doctor.

"Mr.Vasco is out of surgery, we were able to get the bullets out but his leg is injured and so is his left arm though his arm isn't as extensive as his leg. He cannot walk on it, and he will be monitored for a week for infections or further complications."

"How many bullets?", Nile asks.

"He was shot three times. One in the arm and 2 in the leg. He is lucky we did not have to amputate his leg."

Nile sighs heavily, rubbing his eyes. "Thank you, when can we see him?"

"We are still monitoring him as he hasn't been fully concisious since this morning. When he can communicate-"

"No, we just want to see him."

"I'll have to get back to you on that sir."

"But he will be okay, right? Any long-term injuries?", I ask hopefully. I know Nina will want to know when I tell her.

"Miss those things are subject to change as it hasn't been 24 hours since the operation, but right now the chances for long-term injuries look slim. "

Nile sighs and rests his head on my neck. I snake my arm around his back to draw him closer.

"Thank you, doctor."

"You're welcome, miss. Good night."

The door closes and I sigh as well.

Thank God he is okay.

I hear sniffling and I look at Nile till both of us look behind. Nina was up, silently crying.

"Nina", I sit on her side and hug her, just as Nile comes and kneels in front of her.

She was softly hyperventilating. "I h-heard her. I just couldn't say anything." Her sentence ends with her weeping and I pull her closer to me.

"Then you heard that he is fine. The surgery went well."

"He got shot three times. Three."

"I know love, I know. Gabriel is a fighter."

She laughs amidst her tears. "I know he is. He's fought for us constantly and I've been the one pushing it away."

She inhales a shaky breath. "I feel so bad, Kiiara. I f-feel so bad. He's been fighting for us since day one and to almost lose him t-today makes me realize that I don't want to lose him that way. He's made for me and I pushed him away because I was self wallowing."

I hand her some water because she was barely getting her words out. She takes a beat to drink and breathe before looking at me. brown eyes red and sad.

"I love him, Kiiara." She turns to Nile. "I love him and I made it so difficult on him."

Nile puts his hand over hers and just looks at her.