Chapter 25 - Stay

'Pain'

'So painful'

Alicia frowned in her sleep when she felt pain all over her body. She tried to move to make herself comfortable but unable to do so. Slowly her eyes fluttered open. It was night time. But with the dimmed light, she can see her surrounding. It was a place that she knew the most. Hospital. Never thought she would be staying in one of the most luxurious room where usually it was for celebrities or even high profile politician. However, she didn't have that much enjoyment to feast her eyes when her body was in so much pain and she can feel her face is swollen or probably something dislocated. Talking about dislocation, she remembered her right arm was broken by her own biological father. She tried to lift it up but it seems a bad idea when she groaned more. Her face scrunched up trying to distract herself with anything. It was then she notice her left hand was holding onto something. She immediately look to her left side and saw Tristan who have changed his suit and now wearing a casual long t-shirt with vest is sleeping by her side as he hold onto her hands tightly.

He look so worn out with obvious dark circle around his eye. Compare to the day where she first saw him at the back alley, he gives people thinking he's a calm and warm hearted. With the way he was holding her hand even in his sleep, she herself knows that the man before her won't harm her no matter what. He would protect her just like he did during the party. And it was her fault for straying away. The pain in his eyes when he found her at the balcony, she remembers it well. Unconsciously, she wanted to touch his face and moving her body closer to him forgetting her painful bodies. She gritted her teeth just to get closer to his face but the pain suddenly just became unbearable that she let out a big groaned.

Her groaned cause a stir to Tristan who fell asleep. He immediately open his eyes and woke up to find her sweating and her face are showing signs she's in pain.

"You're awake? What happen? Does it hurt? Don't move. I'm going to call a doctor." He asked anxiously with his red eye. She immediately grab onto his hand and hold it tight. Not wanting him to go away. She gasped and slowly try to take a deep breath.

"No, don't. Don't call doctor. I'm fine. I was just trying to make myself comfortable but forgot about my injuries."

Tristan hurriedly try to make her comfortable and adjust her posture. She almost fall off the bed. If it wasn't because he was putting his head next to her, she might have fall off already. As he try to adjust it right, she shook her head.

"No. I don't want. I want it like this." She said pleadingly.

"You'll fall off your bed if you stay like this."

"There's you." She said abruptly before her face turn red.

Tristan who finally understood felt a little bit elated. A hint of warmth crept upon his eyes as he sat back in his sit and move his head closer to her.

"Will this do?"he asked wickedly. Love seeing that blush on her face compare to the lifeless and pale face these past few days.

"Uhm." She nodded but ponders a little while.

"Won't you be uncomfortable?"

"If you know, then get well better." He said nonchalantly.

"How long was i out?"

"Five days." He answered solemnly. It was a long torturous five days. The doctors are in pitiful state as he kept harassing them. Going inside the private room are like going in for kamikaze battle.

"I was out that long? Didn't expect the injuries to be that bad." A trace of shocked plastered on her face as she mutters to herself.

"You almost died." He stated. The grim expression give her shivers.

"Oh, that. I forgot. No wonder it hurt so much when i move around. But, i'm alive. Truly, doctors are amazing people." She grinned. It's the reason why she wanted to become a doctor in the first place. Everything just seem interesting. The life's of people is in the doctor's hand.

"Then what about doctor who got themselves hurt? What would you call that?"

Someone just had to kill off her happiness. She shot a glare at Tristan who's still looking at her intensely.

"Doctors are human as well. They're not God. Humphhh!!!"

"You're right. Doctors are amazing." He caressed her head gently and she smiled happily. Forgot that she was supposed to be sulking.

Alicia start to play with his hand like it was the most natural thing. She flatten his palm before tickling it and then start poking it. Tristan felt peaceful and the beat of his heart are calmer compare to the previous days. Seeing her happy and smiling, daring to poke her fingers at his palm, he was glad to be the first person that she sees. His other hand caressed her bruise face gently before frowning.

"I look ugly right?" She asked easing the frown on his face. She didn't like to see it.

He took hold of her hand and kissed it spontaneously. She was stunned. Never expect he would do that.

"Yes, you do look ugly." He said seriously. She gasped before throwing his hand away and trying to turn her body away from him. However, she forgot she's a patient with injuries that cause her to be in pain with vigorous move.

"Ah...pain." She grimaced. Tristan start to look nervous again. He got up, wanting to call for a doctor. She braced the pain and grab hold on his hand again.

"Behave now. I'll call a doctor for you. I was supposed to inform them you're awake. And the doctor will give you something to ease the pain." He patted her hand try to release his hand from her grasp.

"No, i don't want you to go. You could just press that red button there. And i don't want any pain killer. It will make me sleepy again. Stay with me. Please. You said you will protect me." She knows she sound childish at the moment. But the thought of being alone is making her scared at the moment. She doesn't want to go through all that again. It's painful. She start trembling, hanging onto his hand.

Tristan immediately sit down and let her lay comfortably on the bed when she start trembling. Her eyes show fear and insecure. The calm fire in his heart start to intensified seeing her like this. It reminded him of the people that are now in his dark dungeon. They did this to her and he will pay 100 times more.

"Shhh...i'm here. I'm here. I won't go anywhere. I'll stay with you. Look at me. Love, look at me. I'm here right? And i will always protect you." He forced her eye to look at him and seeing her nodded as her eyes start to water, he kiss both of her eyes. He brought her in his arm carefully without moving her too much and caressed her head softly. Like lulling baby to sleep. She start to calm down and her breathing start to be normal again. He heard the door to the room open, he signal with his hand to let whoever it is to stay put.

"They want to locked me again. But i said they don't have the right to do so. He laugh saying i'm his daughter. I still refuse. Then he order his men to break both of my arm and leg so i won't run away again. I try to fight. I don't want to go. I was scared. So scared. The thought of never seeing Ralph, my parent who adopted me, sister in law and my friends is frightening. They want to lock me up. I don't want to go back there. I don't want... You're not there. You said you would protect me. I'm scared. So scared." She start wailing not caring her tears will make a mess on his shirt. Ignoring the kisses that he gave on her temple a couple of times. She just continue on crying not knowing there's other people enter the room.

Tristan felt like someone ripped his heart out when she cried like that. It made him realize how he had failed to protect her that night.

"I'm here now. I'm sorry if was late. But i'm here now. They will never hurt you any longer. Do you believe me?" He asked. Without pausing, she nodded her head.

"Uhm. I believe in you. I always do." She said in between her sobs. His heart was aching. She still believe in him even though he had failed to keep his promise back then.

"Go to sleep now so you can recover quickly. I'll always be here next to you." He coaxed her gently. She no longer wanted to protest. Probably because she's still in a recovery process and after all that crying, she start to feel sleepy. The gentle caressed on her head is really helpful as she welcome her peaceful sleep.

The moment she start breathing evenly, he knew she already fell asleep. He then made the people waiting in front of the door enter the room as he sat there with Alicia's head on his arm as her new pillow. His other hand is still in her hand, holding it tightly even in her sleep.

Rachel was the first one to enter the room. Following along are Ralph, Delilah and their parent. They all heard what Alicia said just now and they too are affected by it. Mrs Xander and Delilah already had tears in their eyes as they made their way to the bed. Watching over Alicia who's sleeping comfortably on Tristan's arm.

"Look if she open any of her wound. She have been moving around way too much just now." Tristan said when Rachel is looking into her charts.

"This girl. She knows she can't move around too much. Her broken rib is still in the process of healing. She will make herself in danger if she keep on moving. Do you want me to restrain her?" Rachel sighed but there's gentleness in her tone. Alicia herself is a doctor. Alicia would know better on the do's and don't.

"No. She said she doesn't want any pain killer. Do you have any other way to reduce her pain?"

"Aside from laying still? No. Keep her from moving around again. It must have been painful for her to move that far." Pointing at the way she sleep on Tristan's arm. Tristan held his thoughts.

It didn't take long when they finally left Tristan with Alicia again. But they would come again tomorrow morning since Alicia is awake now. For tonight, they leave it up to Tristan. They all knew Alicia sees Tristan as her safe haven at the moment which is why they can't do anything about it. In the past it was Ralph. Now, with the new incident it was Tristan. Thinking of what Alicia cried out before she went to sleep, they look grimly when they left the hospital.