(White's POV)

I woke up in the corner where I drank all stupid the night before. They told me something happened to him, but they didn't tell me anything other than he was in the head doctor's room.

The aftermath of the party was fairy clean, apart from food and wine glasses scattered around. I saw blood making a trade up to a room across the stage. I followed it. The door was wide open.

I've been here before. This is where we keep the pregnant cadets. They usually give birth here. I thought someone did, considering the pool of dried up blood on the bed, but I knew that I would've heard about it the night before. Then I remembered, I put Lloydie here. Was that his blood?

I remember I laid down for the rest of the morning in my bed, I had the worst hangover. I woke up again at around two, still sleepy and confused. Nobody was telling me anything. The soldiers, especially Sauveterre's soldiers, were silent. Some cried, others just quietly went through the day.

"Excuse me," I asked one of the soldiers. "what's going on? Where's Sauveterre?"

They looked troubled. "He's in a coma, sir."

I ran to the doctor's room and there he was. I almost didn't recognize him at first. I was barely able to see him because he was drowning in tubes and machines. I didn't know why his hair was white. It was blinding in the light.

Dauphiné couldn't look me in the eye. I sat next to him. He was always so put together. His hair was always brushed, his clothes were neat, and he always smelled very nice. But this time, he was a mess. His hair was so frizzed up that it looked like he was wearing a red crown. His eyes were bloodshot and dark underneath. His clothes were messy and covered in blood.

"...Dauphiné, what the hell happened?"

His voice was timid, as if he was a kid in trouble. "He was dying. We thought he was sleeping, and he was bleeding out." He stopped to take a shaky breath. "He died, but they're saying they were able to resuscitate him. He has to stay in the coma for now. He can heal faster."

I looked at Sauveterre. He looked so tiny in that big bed, I wanted to save him. To scoop him up and just magically make him all better again. Dauphiné didn't let go of his hand.

"White, it's my fault."

"..N-no.."

"He spoke to me before. He told me he was dying...I thought he was just being silly..." He hid his face with his other hand. "I murdered him..."

"You didn't. How could you have known? It was dark, we all pretty tired-"

"He asked me not to go." My body got tense. I saw his hand shaking. "He asked me not to leave him."

I didn't know what to say. I didn't blame him, and I still don't. Dauphiné cried, now his whole body shaking. I didn't comfort him. I just kept staring at Sauveterre.

"Sauvet, can you hear me?" My voice was jumpy. The hair on my arms stood up. "I know that you're really sick right now. Wake up soon. Everybody's worried, Dauphiné's crying for you." That made me tear up, I don't know why. "We're all super worried. We're all thinking about you."

-

I stayed with Dauphiné for that night. He didn't speak to me, he didn't speak to anyone for that matter. Nurses came in every hour to take notes, give him these large shots, and do something to the machines.

I had my guitar with me, I played a few songs. I knew he liked those really old music from the 60s. I played those songs for him, even if I didn't know how to make it sound good. I became really emotional after I played a Carpenters song. He sang their all time under his breath, either Close To You or Rainy Days and Mondays, I think. It used to be annoying to me, now I would've paid all the money for him to sing one again.

"I promise to never call you Tubby again, I know you never liked it..." I wiped the tears from my eyes. "I'm sorry for that stupid stuff I did in camp. I'm sorry for not being there with you. You must've been so terrified that you had to talk to the walls for comfort. You were probably miserable. There's no doubt you were in pain. If you wake up, I'll never let you feel like that ever again."

I didn't realize that I made Dauphiné upset, I should've known. He was crying into his arm and excused himself to go to the bathroom. It was the first time he had left Sauveterre alone. The room was freezing. It felt tight.

"Sauveterre," I asked him. "do you feel that?"

I heard a woman's chuckle. I looked over my shoulder yet saw nothing. Well, hopefully, it was nothing. I thought, for a spilt second, I saw a chubby lady just looming over me. But hey, I was still recovering from that hangover, so I really don't know.

-

After that hour, I knocked on the bathroom door. I heard the water running and scribing.

"Dauphiné, you've been in there for an hour. What are you doing?"

He didn't answer me. I just went in. We did that a lot. Besides, most of the cadets were guys. Dauphiné looked nuts. He was scribing his hands so hard and so fast that I saw the soapy water begin to turn red. I turned it off and asked him what was wrong with him.

"White! White! There's blood on my hands!" He put his raw hands in my face. "It's not coming off!"

I only had a glance of his hands. They were bright red and there a bit of skin breaking, but he was acting like there was blood dripping off of him.

"What are you talking about? You have a cut." I tried taking his hand so I could give him a bandage, but he wiggled away and grabbed me by my arms. His eyes looked insane and he was shaking like crazy. He kinda reminded me of those crackheads back in Columbia.

"I killed him! I left him!"

"Da-"

He suddenly hugged me and yelled, "White!" I probably looked shocked, certainly felt like it. "I should be the coma! Not him! I should be dead, I really should!"

"Now you stop talking like that! If you're dead and Sauveterre wakes up, what's the first thing he'll do?!"

He started crying and I did too. I felt so bad for him. It hurt to see him like that. It hit me then, how much everything changed. Just two days ago, Sauveterre was happy, Dauphiné was happy, and that bastard was friends with us.

I can't even to describe how much I hate him. I can't even use his name, I refuse to write it down. He ruined my friends. He ruined everything.

-

On day two, Dauphiné was talking to someone outside. They asked him the measurements for Sauveterre's coffin. I heard him yelling at them to piss off. Felt pretty bad for them. They were just doing their job.

I was napping by Sauveterre's bedside after the other left for a minute. He was already getting a bit better, not that much, though. I heard someone wrestling with the machines. I woke, and this guy with red eyes was staring at me like I caught him in the tarro de galletas.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" I grabbed him by his collar. He was a big guy but I didn't care.

"N-nothing!"

Dauphiné ran just as I punched him in the nose. "TELL ME!"

"Ok! Ok! I was trying to unplug the machines!"

Dauphiné grabbed him and threw him in the wall. Now I see what Sauveterre was talking about. He was beating him so bad that I had to stop him. I dragged the guy by his blond hair to Cortéz and told him to discharge him. Dauphiné was calm by the time I came back. He was kissing Sauvet's pale hand, weeping and apologizing for getting so angry.

----------------------------

(François' POV)

On day three, White and I were the only ones with him. A few of his other friends and soldiers came to see him, but they weren't allowed to really stay for long.

I don't want to talk about how I felt. It's not about me. All I will say is that I caused him to be in that coma. I don't deserve his forgiveness, I'm lucky his heart is so big.

Kim, somehow, found his way to Sweden. Someone tracked his moves, an angel, and gave them all to me. I was furious, and for once, I was grateful to have my crazy bitch mom's genes.

Before I did it, I bathed Lloyd. I missed his voice, I missed his smile. I took it away. I put him in a clean nightgown and cradled his head for a while. His body was broken, I was sure his spirit was too. I would've killed myself during that time, I really would've. But the thought of my family and possibly Lloyd having to bury me kept me up at night.

Speaking of them, my grandmother called me just before I left.

"Bonjour, Çois. I heard about what happened. How are you doing?"

I didn't know what to say. I smelled bad, my hair was tangled, my eyes were sore, everything hurt. "I'm doing the best I can. I'm watching over him. He's still in the coma."

"I'm so sorry to hear that, sweetheart. I know how close you two are."

"Me and him are dating now. He was my boyfriend." I got goosebumps. "I meant is, not was."

"That's lovely! I'm sure he'll be just fine, just give it time!" She has a positive outlook on everything, I still can't believe how her and my mother are related sometimes. "Is he kind to you?"

"Of course. He told me he loved me before he-" I had to stop. I couldn't cry, I didn't deserve to cry anymore.

"Oh, don't worry about a thing. I'm sure you're doing great. You're a good young man, you're so strong and considerate. It makes me proud that your brother has such a good role model." I wanted to scream. "He says hello and he sends you lots of kisses."

"T-thank you, grandma. I love you, but I gotta go do something really quick."

"Alrightly, take care."

"You too."

My eyes hurt from rubbing them so much. I knew what I had to do, he had it coming. The bastard was hiding in the woods. It was surprising, considering how cold it was in Sweden. I hid amongst the dead trees. He looked injured and he was limping around, good.

I shot him point blank in the stomach, just like he did to Lloyd. He turned around, but I don't know if he saw me or not. He screamed before I lit a match and threw it at him. I made sure he saw me now. He looked me in my eyes. People look so strange when they're on fire. He ran around like a madman, screaming for water.

"FRANÇOIS!" He cried, his voice dying out as his eyes melted out of his head. "HELP ME!"

I decided I had enough of hearing him squel and shot him in his head. His brains sprayed the trees. I put the fire out before walking back. I swore I saw a little boy holding something as I left, but I didn't care. I just left.

------------------------------

(Nobody's POV, third person)

The man with the red eyes was dropped off at the Doh house. Limping and still black and blue, he knocked on the door. Val answered and turned as white as a sheet.

"Please let me in. I nee-"

"What do you want?" Ho was already by his son, holding onto him and leading him away from the monster.

"Dad-"

"My name is Ho, Hunter."

Hunter whimpered, "Stop being ridiculous! You gotta let me in!"

"Why should I? You hit my daughters and made your brot-" he paused, collecting himself. "Just get out of here, I never want to see you again!"

Valentino was about to close the door before Hunter slammed it back opened and yelled, "Damn you!"

Ho covered his ears with his fingers. His son embraced him, guarding him for the beast now struggling to get in the kitchen.

"Not so loud, you asshole! Dad doesn't like shouting!"

"Shut up, fag! Look, you gotta help me escape! They're after me!"

"Why's that, bitch?"

"Because I tried killing Lloyd!" They both froze. "He's getting too much attention there so I tried to unplug his life support but this redheaded jerk beat me up!"

Valentino punched him across the face. He was a man now, muscular and towering over the savage. Hunter went down like a ton of bricks. He was finally in control. All those times he would hit, call him and Lloyd names, make fun of his sisters, make Haruki cry, and all those other horrible times came back to the surface.

"Father, I'll be back soon."

"Dad, don't let him! Please!"

Ho stared at Valentino, teary-eyed. "Whatever you do, don't be too loud. Your aunt and uncle have to rest."

Valentino tossed him outside and beat the shit out of him. All the time he made feel worthless marked Hunter's bruised face. The time he hit Susu gave him a broken nose. When he made his brother leave made his bones break. When he would yell or steal from his father or aunt and uncle earned him pulled hair. When he would treat Sarah like shit gave him a bloody lip. When he tried to kill Lloyd, he was beat unconscious and had his eyes swollen shut. After twenty minutes, Valentino went back in to change his clothes, he didn't like blood. He then drove him to the police station and just left him by the door outside in the cold, not knowing if he was still alive or not.

He came back home to see his father weeping in the dining room. He grabbed one of his fidget tools and hugged him tight, hard touch makes him feel better. He touched his long hair, noticing more grays than before. Ho doesn't really age, he still looks like he's twenty-something despite being well into his fifties. He doesn't talk when he's upset, so his son didn't bother.

After a few minutes of back rubbing and hair stroking, he asked, "Father, would you like to watch TV with me?"

"Yeah..."

---------------------------------

Marie woke up and checked on Beom. He was discharged yesterday night. He needed medication and lots of rest, but he would be just fine in the long run. The family doctor came over to see her this afternoon and said she kept fainting from all the stress. His advice: take it easy and no worrying.

Yeah right.

She quietly crept into Lloyd's room. She kept it the same way he left it. The english books from three years were on the floor, his pictures of his friends were still there, even his teddy bear sat by his pillow patiently waiting for him to come back. She only changed a few things. She cleaned up the dishes there and recently got rid of the pictures of Mulligan, his face disgusted her.

She laid in the bed that was too small for her. She thought of him in the coma. What would he think of them now? If he wakes up again, how would he take his father's heart attack? She sometimes wondered how different things would be without the war. Lloyd would've finished school and would be in the best college in the world. He would be happy, they would all be happy.

She heard the neighbors celebrating with fireworks. Bsa said he would be resigning after the war, which was predicted to end by this month. She didn't care. The war could be over and done with, but if Lloyd doesn't come back to her, she'll still be living the nightmare. The nightmare would probably never be over then.

The neighbors cheered as they blasted pink fireworks from their backyard. The blasting music didn't drown out their voices in the slightest. "It'll be over!"

Augustus Egg -PAST AND PRESENT ii