◈A D R I A N◈

I flinched at her tone, especially when she addressed me as her dear son. I could almost see the sarcasm laid thick on her words.

Helga seemed a little flustered at mom's courteous but curt reply. She gave me a sympathetic look, having misunderstood mom's anger for maternal concern.

"Of course, Mrs. Davies. I'll leave you two to sort things out," Helga responded. She then walked towards mom and placed a comforting hand on her slim shoulders, "As long as the boy's fine now, the rest doesn't really matter, don't you think so?" Helga asked mildly.

I was grateful, knowing she was trying to help me out even if it was futile. Mom, on the other hand, must be feeling annoyed at Helga's meddling but her lips curved upwards almost mechanically.

"You're right," she agreed softly as she turned to the older woman. Helga returned her smile and slowly stepped out of the room and closed the door, leaving me locked in with a furious lioness.

Like the curtain falls at the end of a stage play, her smile slipped as soon as the door closed with a thud.

She whipped her head straight at me and hissed, "Why do you always, always have to make things so hard for me?" Her eyes narrowed into two evil slits and glared at me.

"I just--"

"I just needed five more minutes to close the deal. Just five more minutes. That's all I asked for but you just had to ruin it," she interrupted. Her red lips soured to a frown and the crease between her arched brows deepened.

My spun lies dissolved on my tongue when I realized that she didn't really care for any explanations on my part. All she wanted was someone to blame for her misfortune and that someone will always be me.

"If you could just stay put for a minute, God bless us a peaceful life," her fingers pinched the bridge of her nose as if she had a headache.

"And get beaten to death? Yeah sure, I'll tell God you said hi," I mumbled spitefully. Her lips pursed harder making her look positively like an angry vulture. She took a few threatening steps, her black pumps gave away a crisp clacking sound and pointed a slim finger at me.

"I would not tolerate that snappy attitude of yours so you best get that fixed or you're out of my house!"

I was so angry that I was shaking and I had to clench my fist to stop myself from doing something utterly stupid. Like digging my ribs out of my chest for having naive thoughts that maybe she would care even just a little when I laid in the hospital bed.

I took a deep breath and braced myself for yet another whirlwind of accusations. Having been living with her for sixteen years, I've learnt that silence was the fastest way to get her to shut up.

With my eyes fixed to the door, I tried my best to tune out her shrieking voice. Unsurprisingly, I find myself hoping to see that oil-stained jeans and scraggly chin pushing through the door frame.

Shit, I'm starting to miss him already.

✴

A day had passed and I hadn't even seen Logan's shadow. I guessed he must be livid after I told him to leave. To be fair, I would have felt the same way if I saved an ungrateful bastard and he told me to leave without even a word of gratitude.

Logan was right.

How did I managed to fuck up so bad? I've spent the whole night thinking about it. How different my life would be if I hadn't stole the sausage. When the dawn approached and the sky lit up in shades of pastel, I understood that even the darkest cloud has a silver lining.

And that silver lining was Logan.

The cops came when the doctor checked my vitals and started icing my chest to alleviate the pain. They began asking questions after the doctor gave the green light. I laid propped on a hard pillow with an ice pack on my chest, trying to relax myself with my shifty eyes casted down to avoid their penetrating gazes.

I know I said it would be best for me to go to the cops but all the horrible events that had happened proved my decision making skills sucked. Maybe it was time for a change of puppeteer to lead this play about my sad life.

Helga and the doctor excused themselves from the room, the ward suddenly turned into an interrogation room.

"I'm Officer Morris and this is Officer Montgomery. We're here for a few questions regarding your assault. Do you remember the assault? The attacker's face?" a middle-aged policewoman asked. She had a notepad and a pen ready to take down any important information. Unfortunately, I wasn't planning to cooperate.

I shook my head, not trusting my voice to carry on the pretence. My shoulders fell slightly just to show a good amount of helplessness.

"Hmmm, do you remember any features of your attacker then? Any tattoos or moles? Is he tall and buff or short and scrawny?" she frowned and tried again.

Yes! He has a hyena tattoo and a face of a demon with a wicked smile that can make you forget yourself!

How I wished I could scream that out loud. How I wished I could push him to the depths of hell and let him burn if only he didn't have a death grip around my ankle!

"No," I answered flatly.

She shared a look with Officer Montgomery, a man with a beer belly barely contained within the confines of his uniform, the buttons looked close to popping every time he took a breath.

He cleared his throat and said with a harsher tone. "You do know we can't help you if you don't remember anything."

I swallowed a gulp of nervous saliva, my stubborn lips remained shut.

"Silence will not keep you safe," he hinted with a knowing look.

Why did I have to be such a terrible liar? Anyhow, I needed to get myself out of this sticky situation fast. Any more prying and I will end up spilling my guts through and through.

Since I was such a terrible actor, I needed to do the real deal. I wrung my injured wrist under the blanket as hard as I can and the pain was quick to make me sweat in agony.

"Argh..." I groaned and curled like a shrimp.

Officer Morris jumped to her feet and hurriedly pressed the button above my head. A moment later, the doctor strode in to my side and asked, "What's wrong?"

"He seems to be in pain after we asked a few questions. He was fine until just then," she explained.

The doctor pressed a hand on my shoulder and slowly forced me to lay on my back.

"H-hurts. My ribs," I lied in painful gasps. My wrist felt like it was gnawed by a rabid dog. The pain forced me to take deep breaths which in turn provoked my broken ribs.

Talk about domino effect, I winced at my humorless joke when the doctor's cold fingers pressed slightly on my chest.

"I need both of you to leave the room now," the doctor ordered. Helga entered the room a short while later, pushing a medical cart. She shot a disapproving look at the two officers still lurking in the room.

"The patient needs medical attention now. Please leave," she iterated and hurried to the doctor's side waiting for further instructions.

Officer Morris had a defeated look while her partner still had his suspecting eyes on me when they exited the room. They probably would start to hound Logan, the only eye witness.

Just when I thought could finally breathe easy now that they were gone, what Logan might reveal to the cops had me twisted with worry.

Guess all I could do was to say 'Amen' and to cross my fingers that Logan's testament matched mine.

✈

Author's note

Yep, we're inching closer to 10k!

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{Song: Wrong by NAWAS}