Chapter: Three Days of Silence
(Keifer's POV)
I remember the sirens.
Then lights.
Then hands pulling Jay away from me.
And that was the only thing that made me panic.
"Don't touch her like that," I snapped, trying to stand.
Big mistake.
The world tilted violently, and someone forced me back down.
"Head injury," a voice muttered. "Keep him still."
Jay wasn't moving.
That was worse than anything.
She had collapsed in my arms after the adrenaline wore off. One second she was shaking and crying, the next her body just went limp.
I think that's when I stopped feeling pain.
Section E arrived like a chaotic rescue squad.
I don't even know who called who.
But suddenly—
Ci N was yelling.
David was arguing with a paramedic about riding in the ambulance.
Blaster looked like he was about to throw up.
Rory and Erdix were pale but steady.
Aries.
Aries looked murderous.
He didn't say a word.
He just stood beside Jay's stretcher, jaw tight, eyes dark.
If Ram had been conscious, Aries would've finished what she started.
They loaded us into two ambulances.
I tried to sit up again.
"Jay?" I demanded.
"She's unconscious but stable," the nurse said. "Shock and exhaustion."
Shock.
That word stabbed deeper than the rod did.
Hospital – Night One
White ceilings.
That beeping machine sound.
And a headache that felt like someone split my skull open.
When I opened my eyes properly, I was already in a hospital bed.
Bandage around my head.
IV in my arm.
Annoying.
I tried to move.
Pain reminded me I wasn't invincible.
The door opened softly.
Aries walked in.
He looked like he hadn't slept.
"She's awake?" I asked immediately.
He stared at me for a second before answering.
"No."
My chest tightened.
"What do you mean no?"
"She fainted hard, Keif. Doctor said trauma response. Her body shut down."
I looked away.
Of course it did.
Three days.
That's how long she stayed under observation.
Three days that felt like three years.
The Family Arrives
Kuya Angelo came first.
I've never seen that man look scared before.
But when he saw Jay lying there with IV lines and a pale face—
Something in him broke quietly.
He didn't cry.
He just sat beside her and held her hand like he was afraid she would disappear.
Tita Gemma arrived with bags.
Food.
Blankets.
Comfort items.
She didn't leave the room for hours.
Tito Rachel handled paperwork, talked to doctors, arranged private security outside the hospital room.
They didn't ask questions immediately.
They just stayed.
That's when I realized—
Jay isn't alone in this world.
She has people who would burn cities for her.
And I respect that.
Section E Invasion
By day two, the hospital corridor looked like a school cafeteria.
Ci N tried sneaking snacks in.
David got scolded by a nurse for laughing too loud.
Blaster kept whispering conspiracy theories.
Denzel brought flowers and forgot to remove the price tag.
Mayo argued with the vending machine.
Eren recorded a "hospital vlog" until Aries threatened to break his phone.
Rory and Erdix were the only calm ones.
They sat quietly near the wall.
Watching.
Thinking.
Everyone came.
Everyone.
Except Yuri.
No message.
No call.
Nothing.
And I noticed.
Day Two – She Wakes
I was allowed to sit beside her that afternoon.
My head still throbbed, but I didn't care.
She looked smaller in a hospital bed.
Too small.
Her fingers twitched first.
Then her eyes slowly opened.
Confused.
Unfocused.
Then they found me.
"Keif?" she whispered.
Relief hit so hard I almost laughed.
"I'm here."
She blinked a few times.
Then panic flashed.
"Ram—"
"It's over," I said gently.
Her breathing quickened.
I leaned forward slightly.
"You're safe."
She searched my face.
Probably checking if I was lying.
"You're hurt," she said, noticing the bandage.
"Occupational hazard."
That earned the tiniest, weakest glare.
Good.
She's still her.
Tita Gemma rushed in when she heard movement.
Tears.
Soft scolding.
Kisses on her forehead.
Kuya Angelo stood behind them, silent but protective.
Aries appeared at the door.
He didn't come close at first.
He just looked at her.
"Idiot," he muttered softly.
She managed a tiny smile.
The Conversation I Didn't Expect
That night, when everyone else stepped out for dinner, it was just us.
She looked at the ceiling quietly.
"I couldn't stop," she said suddenly.
I knew what she meant.
"You were defending yourself."
"I didn't feel like myself."
Her voice was small again.
"I felt… empty."
I stayed quiet.
"I saw blood and something inside me just snapped," she continued. "What if that part of me is dangerous?"
I leaned closer carefully.
"You're not dangerous."
"You didn't see my face."
"I did."
She looked at me slowly.
"And I wasn't scared of you."
That mattered.
I could see it in her eyes.
She needed to hear that.
"You're not your trauma," I said quietly. "You're someone who survived it."
She didn't respond immediately.
But her hand moved slightly.
Reaching.
I took it.
And she held on.
Day Three – Reality Creeps Back
Doctors cleared me first.
Mild concussion.
Rest required.
Boring.
Jay needed one more day for observation.
Aries stayed overnight.
Kuya Angelo rotated shifts with Tita Gemma.
Tito Rachel dealt with legal matters.
Section E was banned from visiting after Ci N tried to ride a wheelchair down the hallway.
I sat beside her bed again in the quiet afternoon.
"You noticed he didn't come," she said softly.
Yuri.
"Yes."
She stared at the blanket.
"Do you think that means something?"
Yes.
But I didn't say it.
Instead, I asked, "Do you want it to?"
She didn't answer.
And that told me everything.
Discharge Day
When they finally removed her IV and said she could go home, the tension in the room eased slightly.
But something had changed.
Not just in her.
In me too.
I don't feel scared anymore.
I feel alert.
There's a difference.
Ram was reckless.
But Yuri is patient.
And patience is more dangerous.
As I helped Jay into the car, she moved slower than usual.
Still weak.
But standing.
That's enough for now.
Before closing the door, she grabbed my wrist lightly.
"Don't leave me alone again," she whispered.
That hurt.
Because I never meant to.
"I won't," I said firmly.
And this time—
It wasn't just comfort.
It was a promise.
Three days in that hospital showed me something clearly:
She's stronger than she thinks.
But she shouldn't have to be strong all the time.
And if the world keeps testing her—
They're going to have to deal with me too.