Mean Looking Sweetheart

CHAPTER 28

The darkness subdued gradually and Avery felt a burning pain in her chest, as though both of her lungs were on fire. Her throat felt dry and lips patched. She opened her eyes completely and blinked in disbelief, for being alive. She was pretty sure, she drowned the last time she was slightly concious. She touched her nose and felt tubes going into her body, through it. It was a nasal cannula to deal with her malnutrition, perhaps.

She looked up and saw the warm sunlight coming inside her hospital room, from the window right beside her bed. Filtering through a white, gently fluttering curtain. She closed her eyes and felt the wind caressing her gently. Giving her a warm welcome to the world again.

She sat up and leaned forward, getting a peek outside the window. There was a huge cherry blossom tree right outside it. The pink of it bursting through the whites of sky and all her surrounding. The beauty of it all made her throat soar and eyes damp. She felt like she didn't want to die or kill or do anything filthy. Just be one with this beauty, be one with the peace.

She closed her eyes and sighed, relaxing every muscle in her body. She did not stiffen up when the door was opened and Tsuda walked in. He always gave a mean aura, something scary around him. Even when he was laughing and playing around. But at this moment he looked resigned. Like he was too tired to be here, but couldn't help being near her.

He sat down on a chair beside her bed. "You died. Not almost, you actually died. If not for the CPR.." He said, while looking at the tiles in front of him. She observed how he had dark circles under his eyes and he had grown a stubble. "Why did you do it?" He asked, his voice helpless.

"I... fainted. It was unintentional." She said in a plain voice, making a point to him. That was, for him not to seek comfort in her, not even in her voice. "Then why did you starve yourself to the point you faint?" At his question she clenched her teeth. And who's fault do you think it was?

"Please tell me, why did you do it?" At his persistent asking, she stated in an emotionless voice. "It was poisoned." She looked outside the window, turning away from him. "WHAT?!" He shouted. "Yes, everything. Every time." He narrowed his eyes at something in his mind.

"Why are you so shocked? Like you weren't the one who wanted me dead." She scoffed out. "Do you seriously believe I'd do something like this?" He asked in a small voice. Like his life depended on her answer.

"Answer this if you want me to believe in you." She stated, while turning to him. "Did you kill my parents? Or did you not?" He looked at his feet for a long while, but eventually he looked up. "Yes, I killed them." Her blood boiled at his voice and eyes. Because they clearly held no regret.

"What did they do to deserve it?" She asked. "I don't even know who they were, I was simply given the contract and I looked it through." His casual attitude while saying this made every cell in her body burn with rage. "Then I must thank you for saving me." He was expecting shouting, curses, physical outburst from her. So it was an understatement that he was totally shocked.

"Because I will not die until I kill you. With my own to hands. That's a promise." She said it with her eyes locked with his. He was silent looking at her eyes, maybe he was measuring the hatred she had for him or maybe he was desperately searching for an opening, any crack he could find to get a life again. Get her again.

She understood his gaze and felt nauseated over the fact that he destroyed her in every way possible, with no remorse and was still looking for a way to get back to how they were.

"Good, then kill me. But do you think you will be able to do it in this condition? Eat well and be healthy..." He got up and fixed his coat. Before leaving he stopped at the door for a second and completed his sentence. "I will pray for your success." With that he didn't return for days.

Avery did not let a single tear slip from her eyes anymore. She ate the hospital food diligently and once she gained some energy, she started exercising to strengthen her muscles again. Soon enough, she became famous in the ward for doing hand stand push ups on the foot rail of her hospital bed.

In these few days Avery was introduced to someone very odd. A man in his 50s with a tight tongue and a tough glare. Yes he almost never spoke to her aside from greetings and always glare at her. At their first meeting he came to her hospital room with a bouquet and a meal box in his hands. He introduced himself as Kei and he was someone trusted by Tsuda to care for her while he was away.

She could feel his hatred in her guts, by the way he always glared at her. But she chose to ignore him. She was assured the food was organic with no poison in it and it tasted good too. So she chose to ignore the brooding man. He would stand by her bed till she finished her meals and would leave.. or she thought he did. Once she got out of her bed, an hour after he left and peeked out from the glass on the door. He was sitting obediently outside the room in waiting chairs by the wall.

His eyes were normal then, he looked up at her on the glass and the glare was back again. But he stood up to inquire any need of hers. It had been like that for a while and she was now sure the Kei guy was with her all the time. If she considers his age, he would be more like a uncle to her.

He came into the room and asked, "Is there anything I can do for you today?" She looked up and was greeted with the same glare, she glared back. "No thank you." He nodded and left. She would glare at him all the time too now. He came again at evening to say the same sentence again. This time she replied with, "Yes, I want you to let me get out of here." He shook his head, "I can not do that." She rolled her eyes and said, "That's what I thought."

He kept standing there awkwardly, she sighed after a while and said,"It's suffocating here." He listened to her attentively and nodded. He walked towards the window and opened it for her. She broke a smile at that. "Not that. I mean can you take me to a nearby park? I feel like I'll have this room in my nightmares for years to come now." He glared at her and left without saying a word.

What is wrong with these people? She thought and was about to lay down in her bed when he came back inside. "We can." He said and held a coat up for her. She couldn't help but smile again. She was given a mobile phone too on the way to the park to keep for good. She was thankful for that atleast. With this she would contact Archer and ask for backup weapons or anything she needs.

She sat on the swing feeling fresh air for the first time in a while. Kei sat on a bench far away eating a bento from his lap. Such an odd guy, She thought. The days went smoothly until she was better than ever and was discharged. Tsuda came that day with a bouquet and a box of chocolates to congratulate her on her discharge and she didn't as much as look at him.

Kei was there to see her off and only said one thing. "Don't get sick again." She looked one last time at Kei after getting in the car with Tsuda. Hoping he at least didn't hate her now, but the glare was still on his face. But as odd as he was, he waved at her. She looked up front in confusion. "What's with that frown?" At Tsuda's question she couldn't help but ask. "Why does he hate me so?" Tsuda laughed at her. "Why would you think he hate you?" She replied without looking at him. "He's always glaring at me." Tsuda shook his head with a smile.

"No, it's the opposite, infact he likes you, alot. He brought flowers for you the first time he met you, didn't he? He was told to only care for your meals but I've heard he stayed till very late at night, outside your door. And when I told him you cannot go outside he fought with me for your sake. He likes you a lot, in my opinion." She was listening to him and didn't realize she was smiling midway.

"But why the glare then?" She asked. "It's his way of keeping his affections in check, maybe. He looks at you the same way he looks at his daughter." She felt shy at the same time embarrassed at her stubborn glares at him, all this time. And deep down she wished they could meet again.