"J-Jovian..." Calista's voice trembled as she reached her hand out towards him, her eyes filled with a mix of fear and hope. Blood trickled from her mouth, and her body shook with each ragged breath.
Jovian, still reeling from his own pain and the horrific sight of his sister, staggered to his feet. His vision blurred, and he could feel the cold sweat running down his back. "Calista, hang in there," he gasped, reaching out to steady her.
Calista's hand gripped his arm with surprising strength. "What... what's happening to us, Jovian?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Jovian swallowed hard, trying to keep his own panic at bay. "It's that Stand... the one inside you. I managed to pull it out, but it must have released something into our systems."
For a moment, they were both silent, each lost in their own thoughts and fears. The sun was high in the sky, casting harsh shadows on the ground around them. The sounds of the bustling beach and nearby streets seemed distant, almost unreal, as if they were in a bubble of their own misery.
Suddenly, Calista's grip tightened. "We need to call Uncle Jomilio again. He might know what to do," she urged, her eyes wide with desperation.
Jovian nodded, fumbling for the phone in his pocket. His hands were shaking so badly that he almost dropped it. He dialed the number with clumsy fingers, his breath coming in short, painful gasps.
As the phone rang, Calista leaned against him, her body trembling. "What if... what if he doesn't answer?" she whispered, her voice cracking.
"Don't think like that," Jovian replied, trying to sound confident. "He'll answer. He has to."
The phone rang and rang, but there was no answer. Jovian's heart sank. He glanced at Calista, seeing the fear mirrored in her eyes. "Come on, Uncle Jomilio," he muttered, willing the phone to connect.
Just as he was about to give up, a voice finally came through. "Jovian? What's going on? You sound terrible," Jomilio's gruff voice was tinged with concern.
"Uncle Jomilio, we need your help. There's a Stand attacking us, and Calista is really sick. I managed to get the Stand out of her, but we're both infected with something," Jovian explained in a rush.
There was a pause on the other end of the line. "Stay where you are. I'm coming to get you. Whatever you do, don't move," Jomilio ordered, his voice firm.
"Okay, hurry," Jovian replied before ending the call. He looked at Calista, trying to muster a reassuring smile. "He's on his way."
Calista nodded weakly, her eyes closing for a moment. "Thank you, Jovian," she whispered.
They both sat down on the pavement, leaning against each other for support. The minutes ticked by painfully slow, each one stretching into an eternity. The sound of their labored breathing was the only thing that broke the silence between them.
Suddenly, a voice cut through the tension. "Can you guys shut the fuck up?" it called out, startling both Jovian and Calista.
They turned around to see a boy, estimated to be around 17 years old, standing a few meters away. He had light blue eyes and a brown mullet. His physique was impressive, with a defined six-pack and a necklace dangling around his neck. A tattoo of a heart with a knife going through it adorned his chest, visible through his unbuttoned waistcoat. He wore long, grey pants and black sneakers, and a pink rock star hand sign was stitched into the left side of his waistcoat.
"Who are you?" Jovian demanded, trying to sound more confident than he felt.
The boy ignored the question, instead pointing towards a bus stop about 10 meters away from them. "There's a hospital down there, 'bout 1-2 kilometers," he said nonchalantly.
"Stay back! Or… you'll die… I think it's contagious…" Jovian warned, his voice strained with pain and fear.
The boy seemed unfazed by Jovian's warning. He simply pointed again towards the bus stop. "The bus is pulling up now. Will you go?" he asked, his tone calm and composed.
Jovian glanced at Calista, who was struggling to stay conscious. "We don't have much of a choice," he muttered. "Come on, Calista. We need to get to that hospital."
With a Herculean effort, Jovian helped his sister to her feet. They stumbled towards the bus stop, each step a battle against their weakening bodies. The boy watched them, his expression unreadable.
As they reached the bus stop, the bus pulled up with a hiss of air brakes. Jovian helped Calista onto the bus, collapsing into a seat beside her. The driver gave them a concerned look but said nothing as he closed the doors and pulled away from the curb.
The bus ride started uneventfully, the rhythmic hum of the engine providing a temporary sense of normalcy. Jovian kept a close eye on Calista, who was slipping in and out of consciousness. He checked the phone, noting the time. It was 10:15 AM.
Jovian felt a sharp pain in his own chest. His vision blurred momentarily, and he had to grip the seat in front of him to steady himself. He could feel the infection spreading, a burning sensation coursing through his veins. The enemy Stand was relentless.
"Hang in there, Calista," he whispered, brushing a strand of hair from her forehead. She moaned softly in response, her eyes fluttering open for a brief moment.
As the bus made its way through the city streets, Jovian's mind raced. He needed a plan. The enemy Stand was still active, and he couldn't be sure if it had truly left Calista's body. He needed to find a way to neutralize it completely.
The bus hit a pothole, jolting Jovian back to reality. He noticed the other passengers giving them wary glances. Some had moved to the back of the bus, clearly uneasy about the siblings' condition.
Jovian's thoughts were interrupted by a sudden, sharp voice. "You two look like you're about to keel over," the bus driver said, glancing at them through the rearview mirror. "Do you need me to call an ambulance?"
"No," Jovian replied quickly. "We're fine. Just need to get to the hospital."
The driver nodded but didn't look convinced. "Alright, but if you start puking all over my bus, I'm kicking you off."
"None of that will be happening." The boy with the mullet said in a cold tone.
"Do your thing, Cherry Bomb!" The boy said once more, summoning a red entity, similar in height to the Stand that was attacking Jovian and Calista.
The Stand poisted bright red fur. It looked like a cat, but it was standing on two legs. It was similar in height to the Stand that was attacking Jovian and Calista. It was muscular and wore a red belt, and red pants.
"I'll enter your blood stream." He said, pointing at Jovian.
"I know we've known each other for around 1 minute and 36 seconds, but what's your name?" The boy asked once more.
"Jovian Joestar... And my sister's name is Calista Joestar." Jovian replied.
"Nice. They call me Maxwell Silver."
Meanwhile...
"I thought he told me to meet him here..." A person said, standing next to the bus stop.
To Be Continued!