il mio primo e ultimo amore

Post-Surgery and Iced Americanos

The room is dimly lit, with stale air hanging heavily, harsh fluorescent lights lighten the dull grey walls of the waiting area.

In one corner, the 3 men and Maria are pacing, their throats heavy and sighs erupting momentarily from each one of them.

There's occasional wincing as they hear a whole lot of curses and shouting from the room ahead of them.

Guards stand outside, awkwardly darting their eyes around as the four drown in embarrassment.

Everyone knows who they are, and everyone witnessed how they were tongue-lashed by the Capo himself, just a few minutes ago.

Rage practically, consumed their eerily calm Capo-like a wildfire threatening to devour sanity.

However, they could only mutter silent pleas to God with blood on their hands of some dirty bastards who they just came back from disposing off.

Maria was trying her level best to remain calm, however she can't help as her eyes burn and how her hands tremble.

She's been through a hellish ride in life, but nothing is compared to this nerve-wrecking waiting.

The visceral intensity of a man caught in the grip of rage; she just witnessed it.

There are no words, only sighs and mutters and tapping of shoes.

This is worse than hell, Marco subconsciously thinks.

I am alive

That is Cha Young's first thought.

Her eyes and ears are just taking a whole lot of time to function again and it's getting unbearable.

And then suddenly, she's hearing beeping sounds, the machines, she thinks tiredly.

But, once her hearing gets a little better, the beeping's gone and it's changed with a whole lot of curses and shouts and Cha Young gets startled, eyes crack opening and she winces in reflex.

She lets out a yelp, because the wince causes searing pain in her shoulder.

"Signora!" She hears a panicked voice, but it's replaced by another voice in a just a moment.

"Cha Young-ah!" This sound also seems in panic but it's loud.

Cha Young blinks a few times so her vision gets clear and oh-

She sees Vincenzo's face in her line of sight, a little blurred, but handsome.

She also notices blood smears on his cheek bones.

She forgot for a minute that money and blood both grow on trees for him.

But wait-

His eyes are brim red and he withdraws a little but his cold hand is on her mane as he mutters a distinctive prayer.

She would like to stretch her body a little, like that one cat who lazes in the sunlight, all cozy.

However, it's impossible because her shoulder and half-back is numb and if she moves, she is going to feel pain.

There's a little more shouting but Cha Young pays little to no attention to it as a nurse checks her IVs with steady but trembling hands, and shallow breath.

She looks terrified, Cha Young thinks.

She feels bad for her, but when she tries to open her mouth, it's like her mouth is filled with a cactus plant.

She shuts her mouth.

After a while, she sees the staff moving out and then hears a long-resigned sigh.