WMMAP - [S1] Shelter You - (愛)してる

Final Chapter: The Garden Of Reunion

Lucas' POV continues.

I rolled out of my bed, white mattress, and a white blanket. Honestly, I had never in my life hated the color white so much before until I had to stay in this freaking room for so long—

Okay... Breathe... Lucas... Breathe...

So...

I brushed my teeth, glad that I didn't have to carry the goddamn IV drip with me everywhere anymore. And I ate breakfast. I wanted cookies though... It could make me feel a tad exuberant. Alive.

Everything went on as usual. Except...

"It has been a while..." I said, stroking my forearm that once used to cover with bandages. All the wounds were healed, only scars remained, barely visible.

And today is just another day of waiting...

In the wards of the infamous Arlanta Hospital, I stayed in. Though the exact date was lost and forgotten, it had been roughly more than three to four months. I wasn't sure. Though I never had to worry about the medical care payment rate. Whitey insisted on covering everything. Call it a flex maybe?

But the thing was, the doc never accepted it. He said it was compensation for being unable to move me to the VIP room. Not that I needed to be there though. Like... It's not every day you had the head of the department coming to check on you directly, right?

Now I knew what it felt like to have friends with strong connections and what the power of networks could do.

Still, I knew they were keeping me in this place longer than necessary because there were times when they caught me booking a flight to Obelia on my own. Once I was caught while trying to sneak out of this place too. After that, they kind of blackmailed me. But... I believed they meant what they said because they had already taken my phone away.

The doc said he would be mimicking what he had seen performed countless times by the asylum's former practitioners. That he would throw me on a nearby gurney, strapped my arms into the restraints, and prepared his instruments for surgery.

I turned pale as soon as I heard that. It was like telling a bedtime to a child. But the twist was it's actually a scary bedtime story reading to a grown-up adult. Maybe this dude was also a psychopath in disguise.

Anyhow, after Behaving nicely because I had no more tantrums to throw, I somehow managed to convince them both to let me have my phone back. One way or another, they agreed, but Whitey had this 'Strange' huge smile on his face. It's strange because the dude barely smiled that wide. It crept me out. As if he was planning something... Evil.

But whatever. As long as he promised to bring my car and my bike with me to Obelia.

Nothing out of the ordinary until a few weeks back, he suddenly told me that he had to leave for several days. He said his father needed him urgently back home, in Obelia.

Having the luxury of free time gave my mind a restless venture. I couldn't help but reminisce about the past. I felt a bit guilty whenever I recalled the incident that happened between Athy and the two of us. I swore I was acting on my instinct and he was pushing me to the edge too. It made me feel worse when I finally knew he was only doing what his father told him to do. Any father would want the best for their sons, right? My old man would want the same...

Not that I would admit it out loud, but, I had to hand it to him for standing toe to toe with his own flesh and blood. Now that I thought about it... he's really a good friend... Like a brother among our trinity. But sorry Whitey, you would never be able to hear me say that to your pupper face.