The Wish You Left Behind

Chapter 26: Just stay with me

YOKO

How can she kiss her and then let her go like that?

How? 

It was only a brief kiss, and yet —

Yoko rearranges her collar. Since when does the night breeze become this hot?

"I hate to intervene with your daydreaming or whatever it is, but — we should move faster."

A cold ice bucket must have poured onto her upon hearing that. She's too lost in the tingling feeling on her lips that she forgot who she's with.

Yoko pulls back her hand from the man's shoulder and stops. "You're insane if you think I'll come anywhere with you!"

"Miss, we don't have time for this. Just — please."

Sounds of footsteps interrupt them. Before she knows it, Sakda is pulling her down to hide behind a loose door. The man flattens his back to the wall and as though stops breathing. Yoko holds her breath as the sound of footsteps become closer and receded.

"Where did they go?"

When the men disappear, Yoko lets herself breathe. Beside her, Sakda sighs loudly. "I'm tired, you know. And everything hurts," he complains before looking at her.

Up close, the man doesn't look any better than Faye.

His cheek swelled, his lips became chapped, and both of his eyes were almost closed. "But I made a promise, you see. I agreed to bring you back to safety," he added.

"And since when does an outlaw's word count?"

Did Faye really think she'll follow this man.

When she's about to stand, Sakda grabs her arm gently.

"If it will help, you can have this," he said, giving her the gun."

A gun!

For goodness' sake!

Yoko feels her wrist almost give in at the weapon's weight.

She grabs it with both hands. When she lifts it to gain some bearing, Sakda freezes in front of her. Yoko stares at him confusedly until she recognizes the fear that flashes through his brown eyes.

Does he think —?

"You're crazy —," she muttered through gritted teeth, letting her hand that's holding the weapon drop on her side. "If you think even for a second that I will shoot you."

Sakda relaxes, if only a little. "I wouldn't blame you if you do."

Yoko gives back the gun to the man and looks back to where they came, ignoring his words. "And you're a madman if you think I will leave Faye just like that."

Before she can come back, though, the sound of police sirens erupts outside. Soon enough, uniformed men rush inside the abandoned building.

"Huh, finally," Sakda said with a sigh.

He places Faye's gun on the ground before putting his hands behind his head.

"On your knees!" One of the uniformed men ordered before seizing Sakda, twisting the man's hands on his back.

One man she recognized as Detective Kowit, helps her on her feet. "Did he hurt you?"

"No. No."

Her head is in shambles as another set of men enters the building, their guns lifted. Yoko did her best not to cower and pulled at the detective's arm. "Faye! We need to go to Faye!"

The detective talks to his radio before pushing her outside of the building. "We'll get to her," he said.

Everything happens like a blur.

About ten more cops entered the abandoned building and secures the perimeter.

When she brushes shoulders with Sakda on his way out, the man gave her one last look.

Behind the sound of police cars, someone hugs her tightly from behind.

"Sis!"

Yoko nearly cries out as she hugs her brother back.

"Big."

Faye!

"We need to go to Faye."

One police escorted them to a nearby patrol. "They got her," the officer said to them before talking to the handheld radio again. "We need to call the medic."

Despite the officer's insistence for them to go inside the car, Yoko stood her ground and waited outside as paramedics arrived and rushes inside.

She didn't even fully register Third, and the police dragged his accomplices out.

What caught her attention was the man's hands covered in blood.

Yoko's breathing hitch.

No.

She closes her eyes, calming her frantically beating heart. But her struggle with composure breaks as the paramedics come out with Faye on a stretcher.

Her side is bleeding. She limps forward, catching up to them.

"Faye? Hey! Wake up!"

A hand grabs her shoulder to hold her back. "She'll be fine. Right?" Big asks one paramedic, but the following words didn't register to her.

All she can focus on is Faye's pale face and blood-soaked shirt. She wants to hold her limpid hand, but she doesn't have enough strength to.

Before Yoko knows it, she's on the floor, catching her breath.

'Just stay with me, please —.'

It was a memory — but the words sound the same.

The same words she wants to say but couldn't — as her vision blackens.

Big's wide frame cushions her fall.