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THE ONLY BRIGHT, VIBRANT THING in the entire hospital wing where Christian was recovering were the pristine roses Pilar clutched to her chest. Her mother always told her to never visit a friend empty handed, and like everything her dearly departed mother said, Pilar viewed this as gospel. She knew that Christian did not care much for flowers, but he would appreciate the thought and be entertained by the fact that they were dyed such an animated blue color. The florist was shocked that Pilar wanted anything other than pink, but blue was his favorite color and they were to ease his pain not hers.
Pilar, Ander, Samuel, Lu, and Carla were cluttered by the window, hoping to see Christian after his motorbike accident. Pilar and Ander were perched on the windowsill while the others either leaned against the wall or paced back and forth. Carla seemed to be the most nervous of them all; she was the one who was pacing the corridor like a cage animal. Samuel just appeared angry and worried about his dear friend. Christian was a lot of things, but they all cared for him and they all knew he did not deserve what had happened.
The repetitious sound of Pilar's nervous tapping against the windowsill echoed throughout the dimly-lit corridors, matching the dull rhythm of the fading beeps of nearby heartbeat monitors and the quiet shuffling of nurses' shoes. Ander cocked his head to the side and gently took her tapping hand in his, ceasing the unnecessary, additional noise. She squeezed his hand once and then again when Carla's father approached them.
"I've come to see Christian," Teo spoke assertively.
Carla's pacing ceased as if she were savoring his words, trying to understand his intentions.
Lu spoke first. "They told us that they won't tell us anything new until tomorrow."
"You must have spoken to the wrong person," Teo responded, causing all the girls to raise a brow. "I'm going to have to talk to him alone. I think I can help him. His parents have agreed. You—"
"Can we go in after?" Samuel quickly interrupted.
"It'll be a long conversation, and it's late."
Pilar stood up and squeezed Ander's hand once more. He's trying to stall.
Teo did his best to steer the conversation towards feigned parental concern and generous compassion, but when the people he cares about are involved, Samuel is relentless.
"I'm not moving from here until I can see Christian," he asserted, punctuating his sentence with a firm step forward.
"Maybe I didn't make myself clear enough, kid. Come back tomorrow."
Samuel wrung his hands and his patent brand of quiet determination took over. "Listen, you must have a lot of friends here, but you don't own this hospital. Not yet. You don't decide who can stay and who can leave. And I'm staying. Did I make myself clear enough?"
Carla took a step towards Samuel, a small smile playing at the edge of her lips. "I'm staying, too."
"All of us." Pilar and Ander said together, mimicking Carla and stepping beside Samuel.
Pilar glanced over at Lu and gave her a look somewhere in between pleading and encouraging. Lu reluctantly moved closer to Pilar in solidarity.
"And so am I," she paused, linking her arm with Pilar's. "I suppose."
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.
Pilar, like Samuel, knew better than to believe Teo Rosón's caring in-law ruse. Once he swiftly exited Christian's hospital room, she let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding.
"Champion," Christian rasped. "Look after Samu and the princess for me, okay?"
"Don't worry about me."
"I will."
Pilar placed the flowers on the table beside him and gently kissed his forehead, careful to avoid any of the stitches.
Christian did his best to glance over at them. "I like the blue."
"I knew you would," she whispered back.
He groaned lightly and wiggled his fingers as an invitation for her to take his hand. Pilar, of course, obliged and delicately held his hand in hers.
"Princess," he began roughly. "It's a shame you're more into girls, because if we were a power couple, those fancy assholes wouldn't know what hit them."
Pilar laughed weakly and nodded. "Those fancy assholes would have dropped their expensive glasses of Dom Perignon had we walked into the club together."
