The hospital room was too white, too quiet, and smelled too much of bleach.
The silence pressed against Kyra's chest, heavier than the pain in her hand.
She was laying on the bed of the VIP wing, her left hand a heavy weight of gauze and throbbing pain.
The doctors had been efficient—terrifyingly so—moving with the kind of hushed urgency that only followed a phone call from a man like Xavier Thorne.
Power had a sound. It moved quickly and spoke in low voices.
They had flushed the toxins from her system, but they couldn't flush the memory of the tearing clothes or the look in Lucifer's eyes.
Every time she closed her eyes, she felt the "mint and malice" of the apartment.
Every time she opened them, she saw the black and gold card resting on the bedside table.
Xavier Thorne.
Now she just wanted to rest, to forget all memories of today.
As she closed her eyes and all those memories resurfaced like a movie, a tear silently rolled out from her eyes.
A soft knock at the door made her flinch, her heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird.
"Kyra?"
The door pushed open, and Ashley rushed in, her face pale and her eyes red-rimmed. Sam followed close behind, his brows furrowed.
Kyra looked at Ashley, she didn't look like the cheerful girl Kyra had spoken to on the phone; she looked like someone who had just seen a ghost.
"Oh my god, Kyra... the nurses... they told me what they found in your system," Ashley whispered, dropping her bag and rushing to the bedside. "Who did this?"
Kyra opened her mouth but no words could be spoken as she held Ashley's waist and buried her face in her embrace.
Ashley was startled for a second but as she looked at Kyra who was just silent, withdrawn, hiding in her arms, she sighed.
"Kyra...what happened?? Tell me, dear. I'm with you." Ashley said softly, as she stroked Kyra's hair and back.
As Kyra listened to Ashley's soft voice, she finally broke down all her guard and sobbed.
Kyra's sobs grew louder, raw and unrestrained. Ashley held her tighter, every sound cutting straight through her.
Her eyes teared up as she turned her head and looked at Sam whose eyes were also red-rimmed.
"Sweetie, Don't cry...it's okay...dear...it's okay..." Ashley repeated this sentences as she soothed Kyra, her own voice was nasal.
After a long while, the cries faded into broken sobs. Exhaustion finally pulled Kyra under.
Ashley put Kyra down and covered her with blanket.
She turned and looked at Sam, who gestured her to be quiet and come out of the room.
Ashley looked at Kyra and followed him as she silently closed the door behind her.
Ashley looked at Sam who was just silently leaning against the wall in corridor, she felt irritated.
"What should we do now..look at Kyra, something big must have happened. And the aphrodisiac..." As Ashley Said, her anger rose more and more.
The image of Kyra crying like a child burned behind Ashley's eyes, her eyes teared up with worry for Kyra and anger for that bastard.
"Hey ..do you think we should secretly investigate about what had happened with Kyra!" Ashley said, she knew that Kyra is too stubborn will not say anything easily.
"No, It will distance us with Kyra, you know, she is very self conscious and independent girl. If we do this and she found out,maybe she will be more broken." Sam said as he pinched the space between his eyebrows.
"Let's wait for her to wake up and yes message her parents that she is with you because of school activities." He said as he looked at Kyra who has finally fell asleep.
"I have already messaged her parents as soon as she called me, I knew that she didn't want her parents to know after last incident." Ashley said, her voice a little smug as she thought she knew Kyra best.
"Ahh..good, then you sit here. I will go order some lunch for Kyra, it's already 1 pm. " Sam replied ignoring Ashley smugness with slight amusement.
"Okay...okay, you go." Ashley said, while she entered the ward silently.
The rhythmic hiss-click of the blood pressure monitor was the only thing keeping Kyra anchored to the room.
Kyra jolted awake, the image of blood still flashing behind her eyes.
She tried to sit but the cuff squeezed her arm,the sheets were cool against her skin — real, solid — proof that the nightmare had ended.
Ashley heard the sound and looked up, seeing Kyra was awake and her forehead was sweating.
She hurriedly stood up and went to her, as she wiped her sweats.
"Kyra, look at me. Breathe. Just breathe."
Ashley said as she felt Kyra panicking,her knuckles white as she gripped Kyra's uninjured hand.
But still with the controlled force so she couldn't injure her hand by rashly removing IV drop.
The frantic shriek Ashley had let out on the phone had been replaced by a low, trembling seriousness and softness.
She had already brought Kyra a cup of lukewarm water, but it sat untouched.
After a long while, Kyra calmed herself.
"I hit him," Kyra whispered, her voice like crushed glass — not guilt, but disbelief threading through it.She looked down at the heavy bandages on her left hand.
The pain was a dull, rhythmic throb now, a stark contrast to the white-hot fire that had forced her to run. "Ash, I think I... I saw blood. So much blood."
"He deserved it,Kyra." Ashley snapped, her eyes flashing with a protective rage that momentarily masked her fear.
"The doctors... they told me the dosage, Kyra. If you hadn't gotten out when you did..." She trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.
She reached out, gently tucking a stray lock of hair behind Kyra's ear. "You saved yourself. Do you hear me? You got yourself out."
Kyra leaned her head back against the thin hospital pillow, closing her eyes.
The image of the shattered vase flashed behind her eyelids. "I thought I knew him. I thought he was... safe."
"That's what predators do, babe. They make you feel safe until you're cornered." Ashley sighed, her shoulders dropping as the adrenaline began to fade, leaving her looking exhausted.
"Now, listen you are not going to get back him no matter what happens..or how much he begs.. It wasn't your fault,dear." Ashley said again as she looked at Kyra, Knowing it was too much blow of her.
Kyra nodded weakly listening to Ashley's concern feeling warm.
'Look, Kyra I said no-one will always live in dark, even though everyone betray you there are still people who cares for you so from now on you will strive to become your own light,You Survived.'
Kyra heard her inner self whispering to herself softly and her eyes which still held a little sadness for Lucifer become clear.
"Well now tell me who has dropped you here...this isn't a regular ward...mm??" Ashley said teasingly, as she shifted the topic to improve Kyra mood.
Kyra listened to Ashley's teasing tone and thought of Xavier who was like a god and his little care and shook her head trying to get him out if her head.
"Just a stranger," Kyra lied softly, her heart giving a strange, traitorous skip. "He just happened to be there when I fell."
Ashley looked skeptical, her gaze lingering on the luxury of the private suite, but she didn't push.
She knew Kyra was fragile, held together by nothing more than gauze and sheer exhaustion.
"Rest now," Ashley whispered, pulling the thin hospital blanket up to Kyra's chin. "I'm right here. I'm not leaving."
"Well, Can you...you call my parents Ash, and tell them I will live with you tonight for school activity." Kyra asked as she hesitated feeling she has really troubled Ashley and Sam a lot.
Ashley listened to Kyra hesitation and felt angry as she laughed exasperatedly and said, " Kyra, why are you hesitating?? Don't you consider me your sister.. I'm so disappointed."
Ashley acted as she said, wiping her non-existent tears.
"No...no, It's just..just" Kyra tried to explain as she looked at Ashley who was acting sad.
Ashley listened to Kyra panicked explanation and scolded herself inwardly,
'You fool, you know Kyra is emotionally disturbed but still tried to make her sad '
She hurriedly said, "Oh! dear, I was just joking. I know, you didn't meant it. Don't worry, I have already messaged your family when I was on way."
"Ah... thankyou, Ash." Kyra replied, her tense shoulders finally relaxed as if a burden has been removed from her shoulders.
"Don't thank me again. Otherwise I will truly be angry." Ashley said as she tried to act fiercely.
Looking at Ashley who like a little lioness without fangs,Kyra laughed — soft, shaky, but real.
Ashley noticed her laughter and finally let herself breathe, feeling her mission had been successful.