WHEN CARL AND NATALIA ARRIVED, she immediately called Akiva's older brother, Dio, after the call from Leigh. Dio didn't hesitate to go for her younger sister, still wearing his grey silk pajamas and a knit cardigan. He first saw Leigh sitting near the corner, staring off into space.
Natalia instantaneously runs towards Dio, "I know Akiva wouldn't want me to call you but, I don't know what to do anymore. We were just--"
"Hey, hey, calm down. It's okay." Dio said as he hugs Natalia.
A doctor in his early forties wearing a laboratory coat come out from a room. When Leigh noticed the doctor, he quickly headed to the doctor. Natalia and Dio followed him.
"We already stopped the bleeding, but her head is severely fractured, and she needs an immediate operation." The doctor said.
They couldn't hold the heartbreak longer when they heard that Akiva is in a terrible condition. Leigh shook his head in disbelief while Natalia fell to one of the empty seats as more thought whirled inside her head.
"I can't lose her, not her." She mumbled as her tears raced down her cheeks. "I can't lose Akiva."
Dio kneeled in front of Natalia, "You're not going to lose Akiva, okay? Everything's going to be okay. She'll be fine." He said, then pat her back.
Dio knows how much Akiva means to Natalia. They were seven years old when they first met. Natalia was hated by their other classmates, while Akiva likes to be alone. They started being friends after they become a partner in their physical education class, wherein their group won their first award, 'Best in Teamwork,' and realized that they had fun being together. Akiva is the only best friend and a sister Natalia has.
"Sir, we need you to sign a surgery waiver." An immaculately dressed nurse in her mid-thirties said.
Before following the nurse, Dio looked at Leigh once again. He is now walking towards where he was seated earlier.
"Leigh," Dio called out his name. Leigh stopped walking in the meantime. "I think you can leave now."
Leigh continued walking and sat near the corner again. He crossed his arms at his chest before glancing at Dio.
"I'll leave when I need to or want to. You don't need to reprimand me." Leigh said.
Dio turns his back and proceeded to sign the waiver for Akiva's surgery and paid some of her hospital bills. After that, he went out of the hospital and received a call from his wife.
"What happened to Akiva? Is she all right?" She asked. "Papa can't sleep. He is worriedly sick about Akiva and you."
At that moment, he doesn't know what to say. His father is already old enough to make him feel anxious and stressed out. He doesn't want to lie nor tell the truth.
"How about Mama?" Dio asked, knowing the answer. He heard his wife sighed.
He sniffled quietly, tears threatening to spill from his eyes. Even though he doesn't know what happened to Akiva, he blames himself for it.
"She didn't even regret kicking her out, what do you expect from her, Dio?" His twin brother, Zio, said as he grabbed the phone from Dio's wife. His resentment festered in him.
"Akiva isn't in good shape, Zio," Dio said before a deafening silence surrounds them.
Afterward, the call ended. Dio walked into an empty wooden bench. He sat and closed his eyes. For the first time again in his life, Dio wanted to fulfill the promise Akiva once believed. He wanted to be by her side and make her feel she'll never be alone again.
"Natalia is with Carl right now, grabbing some drinks, I think," Leigh said as he sat beside Dio. He leans his back against the chair, getting a chance to let his head rest for a moment.
Leigh looked up at the sky, while Dio, decided to open his eyes. After a leap of silence, Leigh decided to talk to Dio as if they already knew each other for a long time.
"We all know that we always let her down," Leigh said as he plays with his fingers. Dio didn't bother to reply, so Leigh continued. "We always tell her promises that we know to ourselves that we can't carry through. Then, we make her feel bad for being disappointed about it, and we leave her."
A pang of sudden guilt struck by them. Leigh exhales deeply before talking again.
"Now, here we are again, wishing we could cadge a second chance from her for the nth time, ruining her peaceful life without us, and making the same mistake we already did to her," Leigh said.
"Then, why did you go back after two years?" Dio effortlessly asked as if it wasn't a big deal for anyone. "Why are you here again? Are you cadging for a second chance?"
"Begging for a second chance after two years?" Leigh asked. "Yes."
Leigh already knew what Dio would ask him. He chuckles as he looked at Akiva's serious older brother. Dio furrowed his brows, bends his head to his right like what Akiva always does.
"A chance to say--" There was a pause. There was a thought or something that made him stopped from what he is about to say. He smiled bittersweet as he shook his head.
"I think we should go back in," Leigh said, then stood up. Curiosity surrounds Dio, but he didn't bother to ask.
As they walked, Dio confesses, "I hired someone to look out for--"
"Akiva. I know." Leigh said. Dio wasn't shocked at all. "I also look out for her. The difference is I don't hire someone to do it for me. I do it myself."
LEIGH WOKE UP because of the ear-splitting noise. He remembered after Carl and Natalia went home, Dio and him slept outside the ICU where Akiva is. Some nurses and doctors are shouting and runs as fast as they can to the ICU.
"CODE BLUE!" A nurse shouted. Leigh directly approached the Akiva's doctor.
"What's happening?" He worriedly asked, hoping his thought was wrong. "Please, tell me. What's happening?" He repeated while holding the doctor's arm.
"Sir, Dr. Lim needs to go now," The nurse said. "You can ask him later."
Leigh suddenly stood blankly, staring up at the terror before him. His hands were shaking. His breathing was shallow.
"What happened?" Dio, who just woke up, asked.
