Fated Collison

4. Guilt

Kelvin

I slumped on the bench in front of the hospital. Grass and small bushes surrounded it. I threw my head back and stared at the sky. Though the rain stopped, it was still clouded just like the guilt clouded my chest.

As my eyes were stinging, I let them close. The image of the girl appeared in front of my closed eyes.

Opening my eyes, I sat straight and raked my hand through my hair in frustration.

How could I face the girl when she opened her eyes? What if she didn't open her eyes?

I shook my head to clear the silly thought. Yes, it was a silly thought. I couldn't let the thought come into my brain again. She would definitely open her eyes and she would be fine. She should be fine.

"Kelvin," I heard Mike's voice. I looked up to see him walking towards me. He was wearing a white t-shirt and black track pants. The messy hair and black slippers told me he rushed to the hospital as soon as he heard the news from John. His gaze studied my blood-stained clothes as he approached me.

He sat next to me and stared at me. For the first time since we became friends, I didn't know what to talk to him about. Though it had only been a year for our friendship, we became close. He was jovial, and it didn't take much time for us to become close. No matter how busy we were, we took every other Saturday to play tennis.

I fixed my gaze on the ground as I tried to speak, "I..."

"Say nothing, man. I understand." His words made me smile a little. As Jessica described her husband, Mike was so understanding. But he couldn't understand that I did a terrible thing.

"It was my fault." I finally managed to say.

"It wasn't your fault. It was clearly an accident."

I shook my head. "No, you didn't see the girl. She begged me to save her child, but I couldn't. I don't know whether she can survive after hearing her condition."

"She will definitely survive." A familiar voice came from behind. Mike and I turned to see Jessica. Even she was in her pajamas. She came to us and crouched before me. Her blue eyes stared into mine as she repeated, "She will survive. And... I convinced Rose to go home. You need to go too." I shook my head. I couldn't leave until the girl woke up. "You need to rest."

"Yes, man. Go home, take a shower, and get some sleep." Mike added.

"And... don't worry. We will watch over her till you return." Jessica gave a slight nod.

I glanced between Mike and Jessica. They nodded once again with a warm smile, trying to comfort me. Even though they were younger than me, they were good at comforting people.

I nodded, and their smile grew.

When Jessica met me a year back, seeking help from a therapist. I never thought we would become friends. Because as a therapist, I never tried to become friends with my clients. I would try my best to solve their issues and bid a farewell. But Jessica had introduced to me her friend Rose as we used to stay in the same neighborhood. Eventually their boyfriends-now, their husbands had become my friends too.

Rose and John approached us. We stood, and it looked like we made a circle. There was a saying—Friends become family. Looking at the tired faces of my friends and them standing by me when I needed the most, made me realize it was true. Friends become family.

***

"Aren't you going to wake up?" I said, looking at Cia, who was in a deep slumber. I was sitting on a stool next to her hospital bed.