Explosion of Colors

Mellow

Gulf awakens to a chill in the air. He can't help but feel a sense of annoyance creeping in, realizing how accustomed he had become to waking up with Mew's warm body pressed against his every morning. Now, without it, he finds himself shivering in the cold.

His mind feels hazy, and the room is enveloped in darkness. He senses pain, aching in various places, accompanied by the soft beeping of machines. Someone's presence is comforting, their hand gently holding his.

It takes him a few moments to gather the strength to open his eyes. As he does, he's met with the sight of a blindingly white ceiling, causing his sensitive retinas to squint.

He blinks, trying to adjust to the brightness. With great effort, he turns his head to the side, only to find Lilly seated in an awkwardly positioned chair. Her hands are tightly clasped around Gulf's left hand, and her head is bowed down.

"Lil?" he attempts to say, but his throat is too parched and unable to form the words correctly. However, he manages to make some sort of noise, causing her to look up. The first thing he notices is that she is injured; her face is scratched and there is a long line of stitches on her arm, causing Gulf's heart to ache with worry.

"Lil?" he tries once more, this time more clearly, and reaches out to her before realizing she is already holding his hand tightly. "Wha--" After swallowing, he croaks out, "What happened to you?"

This causes her to break down in tears, gripping his hand so tightly that he winces.

Something terrible must have occurred, he panics, as he recalls the few times he has seen Lilly cry, all before she turned thirteen. He attempts to move closer to her, to offer comfort, but the pain inside him shifts from numb and distant to sharp and throbbing.

His bandaged left side catches his attention as his right hand moves to the source of pain. The realization hits him as the pain intensifies with the movement.

There seems to be a missing link he needs to figure out. The last memory he has is of driving on the highway, with Lilly stopping him from changing the blaring music on the car radio.

"Lilly?" He grips her hand with his unharmed one, feeling his own weakness. "What happened? How long was I out?"

Lilly sobs harder, her tears smudging the black makeup under her eyes. "I-I need to inform the doctor that you're awake," she stutters, releasing his hand and hurrying out of the room.

Before the door closes, someone catches it, and Czii enters, her eyes widening in surprise at his wakefulness.

"Hello," she whispers, taking the seat that Lilly had vacated.

Gulf desperately reaches for her, his hand knocking into hers as she does the same. He clings to her fingers as if they hold all the answers. "What's happening, Czii? Is Lilly alright?"

Czii smiles weakly, looking tired as if she hasn't slept and has been worrying a lot. "She's fine. Her injuries were minor." She pauses. "You were in a car crash. I don't have all the details, but the other driver was drunk. He got pretty banged up." Her eyes darken and her voice turns sharp as she mentions the driver, clearly feeling he got what he deserved. "You..." She grips his hand tightly, as if to confirm he's really there and alive. "You got cuts on your side and they removed about thirty pieces of glass from your hand. But you're okay. You will be okay." Her eyes glisten.

Gulf lets his head fall back against the pillows. Mew must be freaking out, he thinks, feeling guilty about it even though there is no point and it isn't his fault. "How long was I out?"

Gulf's heart sinks at Czii's words. "What do you mean he's not here?" he asks, his voice filled with concern. The pain in his side is becoming unbearable, but he pushes it aside, focusing on Mew instead. "Where is he?"