Consequences

Chapter 46 - That Drug

Xander pushed open the door, the creak of its hinges cutting through the heavy silence of the room. His breath caught in his throat as he saw Kylie's eyes open, their glassy sheen reflecting the harsh fluorescent light above. For a moment, he froze, the world narrowing to the sight of his sister - alive, breathing, and somehow, against all odds, awake. Relief crashed over him like a tidal wave, so powerful that his legs nearly gave out beneath him. He moved forward, unable to tear his gaze from her pale, fragile form, every emotion he had suppressed now clawing its way to the surface.

"Kylie!" The word escaped from him in a hoarse whisper, thick with the emotions he had held back for far too long. He closed the distance between them in a heartbeat, his hands trembling as they found hers, gripping them as if they were his lifeline in a storm. "You're awake... Thank God, you're awake."

Kylie's lips quivered in an attempt to smile, but her tears betrayed her, spilling over in silent rivulets down her cheeks. "X-xander... I-I m-made i-it," she murmured, her voice barely a thread of sound, yet it resonated deep within him, wrapping around his heart with a desperate tenderness.

Xander swallowed hard, the lump in his throat nearly suffocating him as he nodded. His lips curved into a faint smile as tears welled up on his eyes. He reached out with trembling fingers, brushing a stray lock of hair from her damp forehead, the motion almost reverent.

"You scared me, Kylie. You scared the life out of me," he confessed, his voice cracking under the weight of his fear and relief.

He bowed his head, pressing his forehead against the back of her hand, needing to feel her warmth, to reassure himself that she was truly here, that this wasn't some cruel illusion.

But as the initial wave of relief ebbed, it left behind a gnawing unease. Something wasn't right.

The doctor- where had he gone?

Xander's eyes flicked around the room, his instincts on high alert, every nerve in his body tingling with suspicion. The curtains fluttered softly in the night breeze, drawing his gaze to the open window. His pulse quickened as he registered the absence of the doctor who had been there moments before.

"Kylie," Xander began, his voice edged with a sudden urgency, "where's the doctor? The one who was just here?"

Kylie's brow furrowed in confusion, her eyes glazing over as she struggled to recall. "He... he was here. He was Liam..."

Xander's blood turned to ice. "Liam?" The name slipped from his lips in disbelief, the syllables heavy with a dread he couldn't quite shake. "Kylie, no. That's impossible. Liam... Liam's gone."

But Kylie's eyes, though weary and dazed, held a conviction that sent a shiver down his spine. "No, Xander. It was him," she insisted, her voice a fragile wisp of desperation. "It was Liam. He was here..."

Xander's heart thudded painfully in his chest. He wanted to believe her, to cling to the hope that their brother was somehow alive, but the rational part of his mind refused to entertain such thoughts. "Kylie," he murmured, forcing a calmness into his voice that he didn't feel, "You're disoriented. You've been through so much. It's just the meds and the trauma... Liam couldn't be here."

Kylie's grip on his hand tightened, her eyes wide with a mixture of fear and pleading. "I know it was him, Xander. I'm not imagining it."

His gaze drifted back to the open window, the curtains whispering secrets he couldn't quite decipher. An ominous chill settled over him, the certainty that someone had been here-someone who shouldn't have been. The room that had moments ago been a sanctuary now felt like a trap, every shadow hiding a potential threat.