As Long As I Have You // A. Ghale

Sleepy Head

"You're up!" I say, looking at Ajay, watching as he opens his eyes. I had my hand tangled with his, and had been that way for a while. 

"Yeah, and you're the luckiest man I know." Amita says, and sits up in her chair. Ajay begins to stir awake, and look around at the both of us, hovering over him.

"Sabal, Delilah and I searched for you for many hours in enemy territory. It's a good thing we found you before you froze to death." Amita told the man, and then I grabbed Ajay's hand and held on tight. I wouldn't be letting him go away for a long time. If ever.

"I've been watching you for three days, but you're awake now and you seem okay. I'll let Delilah take care of you for now. Focus on getting yourself better. There is still a war going on." Amita says, before getting up and leaving the homestead.

"You were right. He was a bad guy, who wanted me to deal with his problems for him."

"I would say I told you so, but that's a bitch move, so I won't." I tell him, earning me a laugh from my joke. Ajay found it funny, score one for me. I was happy to have him back home in one piece.

"Real funny, D." Ajay says, smiling back up at me. I hadn't seen him smile in over a week, and haven't seen him conscious in a few days. It was nice to talk to him with him being fully conscious.

"Real funny for being gone for so long, Ajay."  I retort back, and he only sighs. He must have seen some shit when he was up there, I was too afraid to ask. Some things are better left unsaid.

"Listen, I'm sorry. I didn't know what Willis was going to do. Durgesh Prison was like hell, it drove people fucking crazy, like psych ward crazy." Ajay tells me, looking like he remembered something he didn't want to.

"What do you mean?" I ask him, being vague when I ask. 

"I mean, talking nonsense and hurting themselves for no reason, people jumping out of the cells." I was shocked, but also not at the same time, he seemed upset about the event.

"Listen, whatever you saw up there, it's over now. You're safe now." I tell him, rubbing comforting circles around his shoulders. He looks like he saw some shit, but he clearly didn't want to talk about it.

"I know, I just need some sleep."

Sleep was something everyone did. We just weren't aware of it. Maybe that's why we do it; an escape from our problems and into a dream world of unrealistic expectations and realities. Maybe, just maybe, there would be a dream come true in our lives. In Kyrat, for everyone.