Jay-Jay's POV
I can hear the sound of the ambulance. There's blood everywhere, but I don't know whose it is. I'm staring at the small window, watching shadows pass by. I blink several times until I slowly start to feel the pain in my palm. I'm holding something, but I immediately let go of it.
I turn around when I hear a noise. I stare at their shadows from outside. I'm about to walk out when I trip on something and fall forward. I kneel and look back to see what I tripped over.
A leg. I check to see whose it is, staring intently. Aries' leg. He's unconscious, and his clothes are drenched in blood.
That's all I can remember.
I explain everything to Aries. He insists on getting every detail I remember from that night. I really don't want to, but he says it might help him understand my condition.
But I can't bring myself to give more details.
"Jay…" my brother calls my name, pleading.
I shake my head and hug my legs, burying my face into my knees.
I glance at the nurse as she finishes cleaning up before leaving. She removes my IV drip completely and replaces it with cotton and tape.
I can't tell him that every time I recall what happened, I relive everything I felt that night. The fear, the pain, the anguish, and the heavy weight on my chest.
My head starts to hurt again, followed by dizziness. I remember the smell of blood, the room's scent, and even the temperature at that moment. My stomach feels like it's turning inside out.
"I don't remember anything else. That's all," I say, struggling to hold back my tears.
"That's enough," Keifer says from the corner of the room.
"No, it's not. She could still remember more if she just tries to recall what happened that night," my brother insists.
Keifer shakes his head and steps between Aries and me. "You don't know what could happen to her because of what you're doing!"
My brother is visibly irritated. Even Yuri, who just arrived, steps in between them.
"Keifer is right. It's too risky for Jay-Jay," he says, gently pushing them apart.
Percy, on the other hand, is just sitting at the table, hugging the air freshener he bought with one arm while eating fries with the other. His eyes dart back and forth, clearly following the conversation like he's watching a movie.
Seriously, this guy.
"What do you guys even know about her situation? She needs to talk so we can tell the psychiatrist and help her," Aries says in frustration.
His voice is getting louder. I know the King of Snakes won't back down. Even though I don't want to get involved, I force myself to stand up and pull Keifer, who's closest to me.
"Stop it. You're just going to fight," I say.
He ignores me.
"Compared to you, I know more!" Keifer snaps at my brother.
Aries is clearly annoyed. He tries to step closer to Keifer, but Yuri stops him.
"Oh, so you think you're better than me now?"
Wow. Here we go again.
There's no way they'll let this slide. It's turning into a competition. And of course, the King won't let himself be outdone.
"Of course! I'm always better than you!"
And there it is. If it weren't for Yuri, who's now caught between them, they would've been at each other's throats already. But they really look like they're about to explode.
Aries tries to push Keifer, but Yuri ends up getting shoved instead. Luckily, he doesn't fall too hard, and I quickly help him up. The King retaliates, grabbing my brother and shoving him with force. Aries doesn't fall, but it's enough to set off a full-on fistfight.
"Hey! Hey!" I scold while helping Yuri.
Aries is about to throw a punch, but before it lands— Someone sprays air freshener at us.
Yes, all of us, including me.
What the hell?
I immediately shut my eyes and cover my face with my hands. My eyes sting, and I can barely breathe from the strong scent. It would've been fine if he didn't spray it directly at our faces.
"There, air freshener to freshen up your brains," Percy says, still spraying nonstop.
"Stop! Stop it!" Aries yells angrily.
"It burns my eyes!" Keifer shouts.
"What the hell! Stop it, Percy!" Yuri, now coughing beside me, struggles to breathe.
"Enough!" I plead, close to tears.
Thankfully, the bottle finally runs out. He had been spraying it non-stop in the bathroom since he arrived, and now, it's completely empty. He shakes the bottle and tries pressing it again.
"Oh, it's empty," he says.
We all start wiping our faces and coughing to get rid of the lingering scent. I can even taste the bitterness on my tongue, even though I didn't inhale it directly.
So annoying. At least if it tasted good, I wouldn't mind.
"What the fvck, Percy!" Yuri exclaims.
"You wasted the whole bottle just to piss us off!" Keifer yells in anger.
"It was worth it. At least you all shut up, right?" Percy says smugly.
"Yeah, but now our eyes and lungs are burning!" I snap, slowly blinking my eyes open.
I hear Aries still coughing. I start to worry because he already has a lung condition… which was my fault.
"Aries," I call him.
He points at his throat and gestures for a drink. I immediately understand and grab a bottle of mineral water from the table. I open it and hand it to my brother.
He feels a little relieved but keeps coughing. "Damn, that itches my throat."
At least that's the only effect on him.
I turn to my stepbrother, who's now spraying the last drops of the bottle onto himself. Does he think the scent will help his nose? It may smell nice, but it stings!
"Do you even know we could've died from your air freshener?!" I scold.
"Sis, your breath is deadlier," he retorts.
Oh, you little—!
Damn it, I even brushed my teeth, and he still smells something?!
"Well, excuse me, but your breath smells like literal sh*t!"
"Yes, be embarrassed by the scent of a handsome man," he replies smugly.
I kick my foot toward him, but he simply steps back to dodge it. He even laughs at me. I'm about to chase him down for another kick when Keifer calls my name, grabbing my attention. Seriously, this guy is a pro at pissing people off.
"Are you okay?" Keifer asked me.
I rubbed one of my eyes before facing him. "I'm fine, it's just itchy."
He used the hem of his shirt to wipe my eyes.
"Me too, wipe my eyes. They hurt because of your flirting," Percy said irritably as he moved his face closer to Keifer.
"Fvck off," the King replied.
My stepbrother chuckled slightly. He even put his hands on his hips as he looked at all of us. Once we had settled down—especially Aries—he finally spoke.
"Are you all calm now? No more fighting?" he asked, and we all looked at him. "Can you guys please stay calm when it comes to Jay-Jay's condition? Especially you two," he said, pointing at Keifer and Aries.
The two of them avoided eye contact. Of course, they couldn't deny that they were always the ones with issues and quick tempers. They could get angry over just about anything. They'd probably even argue over dust. But I couldn't blame them.
They had been through a lot. Their friendship had suffered a deep rift, trust was broken, and there had never been a proper conversation to fix things between them.
"Who is this problem you're trying to solve really for?" Percy asked seriously.
Whenever he got serious, it threw me off. I couldn't help but think he was angry. But maybe not, because seriousness just didn't suit him.
"Learn to set aside your issues. This is for the sake of your sister..." he said to Aries. "And your girlfriend," he said to Keifer.
My brother raised an eyebrow. It was like something in him snapped, and he seemed furious at what Percy said.
"G-Girlfriend who? They're not fvcking dating. My sister is no one's girlfriend. Don't you ever say that. She's not Keifer's girlfriend," he snapped, looking like he was ready to charge at Percy.
Here we go again.
"I just said calm down!" Percy replied, but Aries didn't listen. "There's a space there, girl, space, friend!"
"Enough with the jokes," Yuri said, making us all look at him. "Percy is right. We should all set aside our personal issues. We all want the same thing—to find out how Jay-Jay is doing and to help her. I'm willing to deal with my problems later. What about you guys? Who's with me?"
Yuri, ever the patient one.
He had also been affected and had a falling out with Aries. He often avoided my brother, but here he was now, ready to put their issues aside and cooperate. I couldn't help but feel touched.
I immediately went to Yuri and hugged him. He accepted it and hugged me back.
I knew he was going through a lot. There were things he hadn't yet resolved, not just within himself but also with his family. And yet, here he was, still willing to help me.
Am I a terrible person for doubting him? Was I wrong to think he might be planning to kill Keifer because of the note I found among his things? Am I awful for suspecting him?
I knew he was a good person, which made it so hard to accept everything happening to him.
I wanted to know the truth because I didn't want to judge him based on the little I knew.
"I've done a lot of wrong to you. I want to make it up to you," he whispered to me and kissed the top of my head. "I regret forcing you to be with me, to be my fiancée. I should have understood your situation first."
I shook my head. "We both made mistakes."
"See? That's what I'm talking about," Percy said, making us turn to him just as I let go of Yuri.
"Let's set our issues aside for Jay-Jay's sake. I'm definitely with Yuri... only for Jay-Jay."
"I'm always willing to do everything for my girl," Keifer said, making me smile.
We all looked at Aries, who seemed reluctant to agree with the three of them. He looked at me, and I saw the sadness in his eyes.
"For the sake of my sister. But if it's not about her, don't expect us all to be okay," he said firmly.
Still as stubborn as ever.
"Good enough, good enough," Percy said, nodding. "Better than not agreeing at all. Let's talk about what to do next."
I glanced at Keifer when I saw his hand stretched toward me. I took it, and he pulled me closer before kissing my forehead. He even put an arm around me, but Aries quickly smacked his hand away, making him let go.
"Keep your flirting away from my sister," he snapped, motioning for me to come to him.
I pouted but moved closer. He glared at me as if saying, "Stay quiet."
I just nodded and stood beside him.
So grumpy, like he doesn't even have a girlfriend.
I turned to Percy, who was placing things on the table.
"So, here's the plan..." Percy began, making sure we were all paying attention.
Yuri even moved closer to hear him better. We were all waiting seriously because, knowing Percy, he rarely acted this way, so he probably had a lot to say.
"We're taking Jay-Jay..... to a mental hospital," he said, and I immediately broke down crying.
What the fvck?!
My brother started cursing nonstop. Keifer was about to grab Percy, but Yuri quickly held him back. Chaos erupted, with everyone talking over each other.
"Am I that bad that I need to be taken to a mental hospital?" I asked, sobbing.
"You son of a btch! My sister might be crazy sometimes, but she's still normal!" Aries shouted angrily.
Oh wow! Thanks for the defense.
"We were having a serious discussion!" Yuri said in frustration while still holding Keifer back.
"You are out of your mind! Do you want me to send you to the ICU?!" the King roared.
"EVERYONE CALM DOWN!" Percy yelled, and slowly, we started to settle down. "I'm not talking about a public mental hospital. I'm talking about the Romana Asylum."
Keifer calmed down, and Yuri finally let go of him. Aries, Yuri, and I all paused to think about what Percy had just said.
I was curious because the name sounded rich. Is that a person?
"What are you thinking?" the King asked Percy.
I wiped my face with my arm. Noticing it was wet, I wiped it on Aries, who just gave me a glare before returning his attention to my stepbrother, who was explaining.
"I know a doctor who specializes in trauma. He's at Romana Asylum right now. If we take Jay—"
"If we take Jay-Jay there, she might never get out," Keifer cut Percy off.
Oh no, they're going to lock me up.
I clutched my brother's arm. I didn't like their tone. It sounded like they really wanted to confine me in a hospital.
"They don't admit patients without a proper diagnosis."
The King of the Vipers ran a hand over his face. "Percy, that place is a prison, and I'm not going to take Jay to that asylum."
"We're just going to have her checked by the doctor there."
"Then let's invite that doctor somewhere else. We'll pay for his time. I can double or triple his fee."
Percy let out a sigh. "That's the problem. He doesn't leave the asylum."
"Or we could just find a different doctor," Yuri chimed in.
"Before you even start looking for a doctor, did I ever agree to get checked? Also, what's with this Romana Asylum?" I asked irritably.
This was annoying. We couldn't even understand what they were talking about. They were busy arguing about whether or not to take me to that asylum. And not once did they ask if I even wanted to see a doctor in the first place.
Were I invisible? Did I not exist here?
Keifer turned to me and was the first to answer. "Romana Asylum is a private psychiatric hospital. It's where elites, old-money families, and famous people hide their conditions from the public. But I've never heard anything good about that hospital."
"But they have a reputation. They can handle even the worst psychotic cases," Percy added.
"And that's why you're so confident about taking Jay-Jay there?" Aries asked.
"For a check-up only," my stepbrother corrected.
"I haven't even agreed yet, remember?" I reminded them.
So persistent.
"Sis, don't be afraid. We'll be with you when you get checked."
"I still don't agree."
"Let's look for an available doctor first. Preferably one nearby. Then let's wait for Jay-Jay's permission," Yuri suggested.
I quickly nodded in agreement. Yuri and Percy reluctantly agreed. Aries, on the other hand, just stared at me like he was trying to pass his thoughts into my head.
Bro, I don't have telepathic powers.
"Okay, we'll look for a doctor, and then we'll have Jay checked," he said with a sigh.
"Hey, I haven't even agreed yet!" I reminded them again.
"Whatever. We'll discuss it when the time comes."
I pouted. As long as they didn't force me. I wasn't comfortable with psychiatrists. It's not like they ever did anything bad to me, but talking to strangers was difficult. Even if they were experts, I still didn't know them. What if they told my brother what I said?
"Who would have thought I'd see the four of you talking like friends again?"
We all turned toward the door to see who spoke.
Speak of the devil—the one pretending to be an angel. He watched us seriously while holding a paper bag and a piece of paper. He walked straight in and handed me the paper bag. "Your clothes. They said you can go home now."
FINALLY!!!!!
I eagerly took it. I wanted to jump for joy. I quickly checked the contents before rushing to the bathroom to change. I didn't realize I hadn't fully closed the door. While changing, I could hear them talking.
"Are you all getting along again?" my brother asked.
They almost answered at the same time.
"Sort of," Keifer replied.
"No, not gonna happen," Aries said stubbornly.
"Something like that," Yuri responded.
"Good enough," Percy added.
They were clearly answering reluctantly. But I couldn't blame them. They had just said earlier that they were only okay with each other when it was about me.
Should I be happy about that?
They reconciled just to team up and take me to a doctor. But maybe this was a good start. If they talked bit by bit, maybe one day they'd have a longer conversation. And if they could talk for a long time, maybe they'd finally discuss the root of their conflict. And hopefully, they'd forgive each other.
After changing, I stepped out to organize whatever I could. Then I suddenly remembered the key Keigan had given me.
I searched for it on my bed, and luckily, it hadn't been misplaced. It had just slipped into the edge of the mattress.
I was about to hand it to Keifer, but then I remembered what Keigan had told me—to only give it to his brother if something bad happened to him. I knew it would be the right thing to give it now, but I didn't want to break Keigan's trust.
I quickly hid the key when Keifer turned toward me.
"Are you done?" he asked.
I smiled and nodded. He walked over to take the paper bag from my hands. I discreetly tucked the key into my pants pocket.
I glanced at my brother when I noticed he was cleaning up the table. He picked up the leftover food and bottled water, placing them in a paper bag. When he noticed we were all just watching him, he turned to us.
"So, none of you will help me here?" he complained.
Keifer, Yuri, Aries, and Percy exchanged glances before moving.
They took a step forward—but instead of approaching him, they walked straight out the door. I quickly followed after realizing what was happening.
I didn't want to be the one left behind to face my brother's wrath.
We waited outside the room. Right on time, the doctor who had checked on me earlier passed by and called my brother Angelo an idiot. If I wasn't mistaken, his name was Lucius.
He looked at us curiously, probably wondering why the five of us were standing outside waiting. We're waiting for a miracle, sir.
"Are you discharged?" he asked me.
I nodded.
He was about to walk away, but he stopped when he saw Angelo stepping out of the room. A wide smile spread across his face.
"Angelo—"
He didn't get to finish his sentence because my brother suddenly threw a trash bag at his face.
"Look, trash is attracted to trash," my brother said as if giving us a life lesson.
I heard Keifer, Yuri, Aries, and Percy laugh.
"Very funny," Dr. Lucius said.
Angelo just turned his back on him. "Don't forget to take out the trash for us."
The doctor didn't respond since my brother had already walked away. We quickly followed him, but I made sure to thank Lucius before leaving. He just smiled at me before picking up the trash bag.
I can finally go home. That means I can finally eat solid food again. Yes! My stomach can recover now!