"Scarlet, please wake up." There was a whisper and no matter how much I tried, I couldn't see who it was. It was a female voice and a faint recognition passed through me saying that it was Lily.

Where was I? Why was she sobbing? I heard her sniff again. "I know it is going to be tough for you, but you need to know that we are all there with you."

"Lily, come on now." It was James. He sounded gruff and his voice was filled with emotion. "You are literally crying on her face. You should come here when you are okay."

"How can I be okay when my best friend is like this?" I heard Lily shout.

I tried my best to open my eyes to look at her, to tell her that I was fine despite the pain I endured. But my limbs felt heavier than usual. I couldn't even shake my head let alone talk to her. I felt exhausted as if I were sedated.

"I know, baby." James said, and I could imagine him pulling her into his arms to console her. I felt relieved. I hated to see her cry especially because of me.

"I want my girl back with me." Nick hiccupped and I could hear him rub his nose. "I had told her everything... literally everything... But she didn't even give me a clue."

"Nick, we all know why she did what she did." James said, trying to console both of them the best he could. "Please don't blame her for the sins she didn't make."

James was a guy who always came to my rescue even when my own friends played blame games with me. He was like an elder brother who constantly looked after me and I was eternally grateful for him.

"I miss her." Lily whispered while I heard James sigh.

"We all do, Lil." He said. "She's very strong and we know it. She's going to make it even if the doctors say otherwise."

Doctors? Was I in a hospital?

That was when the old memories came back to me. The race, the fights, the stabbing... everything. Suddenly, my head started to hurt more than I could bare. My breathing became ragged as I felt a sharp pain shoot up in my head.

And then, at that moment, I saw Ashley walking towards Dad with a knife in her hand. Her eyes were dangerous and mad as she went ahead with the knife stabbing my Dad over and over again. When her work was done there, her eyes landed on mine, just before I fainted.

Again.

---

Loud shouts woke me up. Someone was shouting and for a second, it was hard to understand where the hell I was. A part of me thought that it was back from that night where I was shouting and begging Ashley to let my people go while she could kill me.

"Haven't I told you enough times already?" The person raised his voice. He slammed his hands on the walls and a loud thud was heard. "I told you to tell me if anything was bothering you. But you never did! I blame it all on you, Scarlet Stone!"

"Luke, calm down." Another person suggested and my mind wobbled again.

Was Luke shouting? At me out of all people? He hardly showed any signs of emotion let alone anger. He was a guy who kept things to himself rather than sharing it out. Now, what had happened?

"Don't tell me to calm down, Daniel." Luke almost screamed again. "She was the one with whom I was training every fucking day! Not you!"

"Luke..." I could almost imagine Dan running his hands on his forehead. "Come on, buddy. No one knew anything about it."

"She resembles my little sister, Dan, who if I may add died of leukemia. Just like my sister, I couldn't protect her." The hospital stools screeched as he sat on it. "Look at her, she looks awful now. Those stitches... will they make her look like before? God!"

"The doctor says it will all heal with time." Dan said, as calmly as possible.

"Fuck the doctor!" Luke shouted again. "All the doctors do is lie! She was so beautiful now, it is all marked with stitches."

"Luke, you are overreacting." Dan sighed. "She will come back to normal, just see. It will be as if none of those things happened at all."

"But those things happened and we, having more experience in the field, let it happen to her!" Luke's voice broke in the end.

Was he crying? My broken heart cracked again for the guy who was now shouting at the world and then at himself for letting me play with my fate.

"Fuck us all!" The door was shut with a loud bang.

"Don't mind him, Scarlet." Dan sighed and with his voice, I could tell that he was suffering more than anyone else. "It's been difficult lately. Without a manager and all."

No manager? What happened to Calvin?

"After the... incident, Calvin... he was arrested for attempt to murder... for Casey's." Dan said as if he read my mind. "And Ashley, she's in prison too... for murdering three first degree murders, Scar! Three. I still wonder how you dealt with it all."

There was a long stretched silence at the other end as I wrapped my head around it. "Sorry, I'm just dumping my frustrations on you. I'm taking care of the tracks now, considering all others left and only I remained."

I pondered over the fact that he was now a manager and I was really happy for him. But the circumstances over which he had become one was pathetic.

"Hey, but Luke might stay. He has the hots for you." Dan tried to lighten the mood in the room. "You just saw, didn't you?"

I tried my best to smile and let his worries down, but I couldn't. I had not only ruined my life but had taken down the lives of others along with mine. Many had quit the tracks because it had a black mark on it. Dan was managing everything alone in there and I wondered if there were any racers coming under our banner after that night.

"Don't worry about me, kiddo." I heard Dan say and I could only imagine him smiling sadly at me. "I'll be fine. Besides, I'm sure you'll come around to help me out, won't you?"

I wanted to nod my head at him, tell him that it was all over now and we had a chance to start fresh. Exhaustion was taking over me and I felt myself disappear from this world once more.

"I'm sorry, Scarlet." Dan continued. "I had promised you to take care of Ed but look at me now, sitting here pathetically telling you all my sob story when it should have been me in your place."

I wanted to cry at his words.

"You have lost your parents in this shitty race, honey." Dan whispered. I could tell that he was crying. "And I know it is not easy dealing with all that alone. I want you to survive, Scarlet, but I also want you to know that if you don't want to, it is okay."

I heard him sniff.

"It... it's okay."

---

"Wake up, wake up, sleepy head." I smelt flowers around me. Was I in a meadow? They were fresh and I felt myself smile. "God, you are not a morning person, are you?"

The friendly voice was too hard to recognize and I wondered who it was. I could feel the mattress dip on the bottom left corner, and I wondered if the person had put his legs up for support.

"Brian, legs down." Was that Robert muttering? There were movements near my left ear with a plastic bottles and liquids pouring down. "You wanted to tell her what the matter was. Just get it done and out."

"Relax, man." Brian said, I could still feel his legs up. I wanted to chuckle at their conversations. I never thought those two could get along together. "It's still seven in the morning. We don't want to wake you up earlier than that, right Scar?"

I could almost tell that Robert was rolling his eyes at the guy.

"See, she agrees." Brian said coolly and I heard Robert groan in pain. "Thanks for the juice. I really needed it."

"Fuck off, Brian!" Robert shouted, more annoyed than angry. "It was for her and your stupid ass couldn't grasp that?"

"Oh, as if she is going to wake up and swallow your eateries." Brian said, making slurping noises as he drank. "Shit! Sorry, I didn't mean it like that, and you know it."

"Just get your say out and leave me alone with her." Robert said.

"Fine, don't twist your panties for that. Jesus!" Brian muttered. I felt the mattress' weight being lifted off. "Okay, Scarlet. I'm here for business."

Business? What business did I have with him?

"I know it is still early for that, but I have to go to the court and I just thought you should know it." Brian continued. He picked my hands in his. "I don't know if you remember, but I'm going to repeat it all over again, I don't know, a thousand times if I have to, but you should know this."

"You are beating around the bush here, man." Robert roared at him. "Visiting hours are only four in the morning and you are pretty much wasting away my time with your bullshit."

"I'm her friend and I get to be with her as much as I can." Brian retorted back.

"And I'm her boyfriend and I get to be with her the most." Robert said and my breath hitched. Did he say boyfriend? When had I agreed for that post? Had he even asked me that? "I'm only letting you in because of your case."

"Scarlet would have loved to meet me, either way." Brian said, much to annoy my said boyfriend. "Did she mention to you that we were good friends before the accident?"

"I can't! I thought I could, but I can't!" With that, I heard the sneakers pad on the tiled floor before the door was shut.ⁿ

Brian chuckled. "He gets easily offended. You should know that, Scar. It might come in handy one day."

I was really liking his company so far. Unlike my other visitors, he didn't cry or pressurize me into anything. With him, I didn't feel like I had to try too hard to make him feel okay. He made me want to laugh along with him and I wondered if it was a good thing.

"Anyway." He shuffled something that I heard like paper and I felt him stand in front of me. "You had asked me to come to the game that day. I knew that something was not adding up when you and Robert were not in speaking terms."

I still remembered that night. No matter how much I tried, a sharp pain always made its way to one side of my head just before everything became dark around me again.

"I had come by the tent to give your flowers as good luck but ended up video recording the events that happened especially when Ashley came into the room." Brian continued. It seemed as if he was narrating the scene for the thousandth time already. "Well, my parents are lawyers and probably snooping was in my blood."

He chuckled at his own joke. But I didn't think it was funny.

"So, when things spiraled out of control, I came with the police. And, my parents took up the case." Brian huffed before he continued. "That woman is crazy, I'll tell you, and it was proved recently. She's going to the institution and then straight to prison, Scar."

My mind relaxed as I heard his words. A part of me wondered if she would come to hunt me down. I felt a hand being placed on top of mine.

"So, don't be afraid to get up, Scarlet." Brian's voice had become desperate. "Everything will be taken care. You have us all. Lily, James and even that gay guy circles around this hospital like a vulture hoping that you will get better."

I head him chuckle. "I don't even have to start about Robert." He said. "He's so possessive of you and mind you, very overprotective. I can see that he loves you, Scar. More than anyone ever can and you deserve it. Every ounce of it."

His lightly squeezed my hand in his. "I'm sorry for everything, Scar. I know what I did doesn't come close, but a part of me thinks that helping you now would make it all okay."

I felt a soft kiss placed on my forehead. "But I want you to wake up and tell me that it won't." I felt his voice break. "At least for that, wake up, Scarlet."

---

Gentleness was the first thing that I felt as someone caressed my palm. A smooth circle was drawn around it and it helped me relieve my pain a little. Tenderly my arms were lifted up and an affectionate kiss was planted atop it.

I wanted to let out a sigh of relief, but nothing came out. My palm was held in another pair of arms, against something that pricked my skin.

"Baby."

One word was enough to understand who it was. One word was all it took for me to get back to reality. One word was abundant to make me want to struggle to open my eyes to just look at him.

"Robert." I wanted to say. I wanted to pull him in and scold him at the same time for making me go through this shit when he could have dodged it for me. 

With him around, my whole belief system wobbled, yet I couldn't let him go free from me. He had created immense pain for me, but he was the only one who could bring solace in times of my need. He was the vast oasis to my deserted island even if he was only a mirage.

"Baby. Please..." At his words, I wanted to cry but the tears didn't oblige. "I don't want to lose you. You are the only one for me. Please stay."

How could I stay back when there was nothing left for me? It was suffocating to feel things but not do anything about it. I wanted to kick my feet and push him away, but my hopeless limbs couldn't comply with my brain.

"I know I fucked up bad and I said things I didn't mean." He said. I could feel his breath fanning on my hands as tears fell on it, cooling my burning skin. "I want you to wake and scream things at me. I won't even stop you. Please, baby."

There was desperation in his voice and I couldn't deny it. His voice broke at every syllable making me hate myself for not waking up to console him. The effect he had on me was undeniable and like an iron pulled towards the magnet, I was drawn to him involuntarily... irrevocably.

Even when I knew he was bad for my health.

"I need you." His voice was very low, like a soft whisper during a summer breeze. "Everything that happened between us wasn't a lie for me. I meant it when I said I love you. I still do. I love you."

I loved him too. Even after everything he had done to me, I still couldn't think of anyone else in his place, holding my hand like he always did.

If I thought about it, he always made sure to catch me even before I fell. He had made me stronger in a way and I couldn't imagine my training days without him. No, I hadn't forgiven him for the things he had done to me, but I couldn't let him off the hook either.

He was as precious to me as I was for him.

"I'll wait for years together if you promise to wake up in the end." He kissed my palms again, holding it on his lips a longer than the last time. His soft lips that once had fondled me trembled beneath my skin.

I knew he was hurting. Unexpectedly, everything he had done to me seemed insignificant as I felt him quiver. It hurt me more than the pain I was already in, if that was ever possible.

I tired my very best to wake up, to wipe his tears... to do something that will put him to amity. It hurt like hell, but I kept on going.

A sudden knock on the door, crashed my resolve. I heard the slippers scrabble on the floor, as someone neared us.

"Ratan, son, come on." Mira's voice was as gentle as I remembered. "It's time, we should go."

No! I don't want him to go. I want him to hold my hand and talk... literally anything. I would be okay if he were with me, no matter what he did, though it was for my own doom.

"No, she needs me, Ma." Rob's voice was barely a whisper. "And I need her. Just look at her! I can't leave her like this, especially when I was responsible for all of this to happen to her."

Rob's whole body shook, and my inner confidence fell into a bottomless pit. My hands slipped from his and it collided into the mattress.

"Ratan..." I heard him sob like a child. "It is all going to be okay. She's going to be okay. You have to be patient."

"I don't... I don't know if I can." Rob said. "It's been months since she is here... and..."

Months? I had been just a dead meat for months together while I felt like it was only a few hours? Did that mean that I wasn't going to survive?

"Yes, honey." Mira said. "But you have to know that the doctor is doing the best they can and Scarlet is taking the medicines well."

"But..." Robert started, but Mira had bet him to it.

"I know." It was barely above a whisper, but I heard it. "The chances are slim."

"I don't want to lose her, mom." Robert sobbed. "I love her too much for that."

"I know, I know." Mira was saying just as the darkness to me to its humble abode.

After all, the darkness was my new home now, considering how my chances were already slim.

---

A/N: The End!

I want to leave the rest to your imagination! What do you think?

Thank you so much for the patience and support for this story. Without you it would have been a tough task.

Okay... There will be one epilogue to wrap things up. To give answers to all your questions. Don't hate me already!