Gillian pressed her hand against the window, staring through her soaked lashes at Edison lying unconsciously on the other side of the ICU room. Several layers of bandages wrapped around his head, his face was unusually pale; he looked eerily at peace in his deep slumber. The only sign of life was from the machine next to his bed that registered his heart wave and beeped in unison with his heartbeat.
Charlene stood next to Gillian, placing a gently grip on her upper arm, helping to support her fragile body.
Nicholas leaned against the wall; running a hand worriedly through his hair while Steven angrily paced back and forth, ready to knock someone out.
Silence and tension filled the room as they each worried for Edison.
After what felt like an eternity, Nicholas broke the silence. "Why didn't Ed turn on his phone? I kept calling him. I found out from one of the guys that Shawn had sent some men after him."
"His phone was out of batteries," Gillian replied numbly. Too many emotions were washing over her.
Her eyes became blurry once again as she stared at Edison's unconscious body.
What she would give to see Edison's grin again.
"Who is Shawn? And why did he send his guys to beat up Ed?" Charlene asked; her eyes rested on Steven then Nicholas.
"Shawn is the leader of a powerful gang but it's his sister, Yumiko's idea to send those guys to attack Ed. She's obsessed with him and didn't take it very well when he turned her down," Nicholas explained.When the last word left Nicholas's lips, Steven abruptly stopped his pacing and headed toward the door. Instantly Nicholas jumped from the wall and blocked Steven's path. "Where are you going?"
"I'm going to get the guys and even the score for Ed," Steven declared angrily, hands clutched into tight fists.
"Have you forgotten what type of person Shawn is?" Nicholas threatened. He had to stop Steven before another friend landed in the hospital or worse.
At the very moment, Kenny burst into the room dissolving the tension between the two, "I just heard about Edison. How is he?"
This time Charlene was the one that answered, "The doctor said he's in critical condition. His right arm and skull are fractured, his left arm is broken, and there's internal bleeding. The doctor said if he doesn't wake up within 48 hours, he's not going to survive."
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Step by step, Gillian made her way to the grassy yard that patients normally occupied during the day and took a seat on a nearby bench. She had been staring at Edison through the ICU window for hours she couldn't bare it anymore. They were just arguing hours ago, now he lay motionless in the hospital bed.
Engulfed by darkness and silence, her body slowly began to tremble and tears spilled from her eyes.
What if Edison didn't make it?
She shook her head, wanting to shake away the thought.
He's going to be fine.
He has to be.
She could still recall vividly the images from earlier in the day. Blood was everywhere. The blood streaming from the top of Edison's head had covered half of his face, staining the white t-shirt that he wore, creating a pool beneath him.
Her heart torn apart as she helplessly watched his agony.
Thank God someone had called the police.
"Still thinking about what happened?" A deep male voice interrupted her thoughts.
She looked up to see Nicholas slowly heading toward her with a lit cigarette in one hand. Once again, her eyes diverted to the ground below.
"Are you alright?" The gentleness and concern in his voice was unmistakable.
"I'm fine. Not a scratched to me," Gillian chuckled sardonically, "Ed protected me with his own body. All I did was watch him get beaten up. He could have gotten away if he didn't have to protect me." Her sobbing became more evident.
Nicholas felt a hand twisting his heart as he saw Gillian tormenting herself but no matter how tempting, he refrained himself from putting an arm around her, because she belonged to another, she belonged to his best friend. So instead, he took another drag from his cigarette and looked away, focusing on a patch of grass far away. "Don't think that way. If they didn't get him this time, they would have just tried again. Ed loves you. He would willingly exchange his life for you if that's what it takes."
Gillian wanted to believe that Edison had protected her out of his love for her but as she recalled all the times when Edison took her places, told her stories, all in effort to help her recover their past memories, her hope began to fade. "The person he loves isn't me. It's the Gillian from two years ago. The one that shared all the wonderful memories with him."
Gillian's statement caught Nicholas off guard, immediately bringing his eyes on her porcelain face. "Don't be silly, there is only one Gillian."
"That's not true, I'm nothing like the Gillian that Ed loved. I'm not spunky or witty. And, I don't remember anything from our past. What if I never recover my memories?" Her heart worried frantically.
"You two will have new memories together," Nicholas assured, surprised by Gillian's insecurities. "You may think you're different but I don't think so. You're more matured and soft spoken now but you have the same defiant spirit. You were a fighter then and you are a fighter now. Don't give up so soon. Ed needs you."
Gillian remained unconvinced. "But will Ed be happy with me if I never recover our memories together? He really cherishes those memories."
"It's not the memories that he cherishes, it's you. He doesn't want you to remember the past. He wants you to remember him. He wants you to remember how much he loves you and how much you loved him. He's afraid of losing you."
The words hit Gillian hard, her beautiful eyes suddenly lit up with hope. "Really?"
"Ed was devastated when you broke up with him after your parent's deaths. He searched everywhere for you. There hasn't been a day that has gone by the last two years that he doesn't think about you," Nicholas paused to observe Gillian's reaction, satisfied to see her face glistened with understanding, "Everything he is doing now is to hold on to you. Whether you remember the past or not, doesn't matter."
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