Chapter 37: The Things We Almost Lost
(Jay Jay's POV)
Hospitals have a strange kind of silence.
Not the peaceful kind.
Not the quiet kind either.
It's the kind of silence that hums with machines and whispers and footsteps that echo down long white hallways.
The kind that reminds you that life is fragile.
And right now, I was lying in the middle of it.
The ceiling above me was painfully white.
My side throbbed with a dull, aching pain that felt like someone had shoved a burning knife into my ribs and decided to leave it there.
Every breath reminded me that I had been shot.
Which, honestly, was rude.
Amy was standing beside my bed with her arms crossed like an angry bodyguard.
Amy:
"You scared the hell out of us."
Jay:
"I got shot."
Amy:
"Exactly."
Aries leaned against the door with a smirk.
Aries:
"Next time try dodging."
Jay:
"Oh thank you, genius. Why didn't I think of that?"
Sophia sighed quietly.
Sophia:
"She just woke up."
Amy pointed at me accusingly.
Amy:
"Yeah and she's already sarcastic."
I turned my head slowly toward Keifer.
He hadn't moved from the chair beside my bed.
Not once.
His hair was messy.
His eyes looked tired.
Really tired.
Like he hadn't slept in days.
And something inside my chest twisted painfully.
Jay:
"You look awful."
Keifer raised an eyebrow.
Keifer:
"Good morning to you too."
Savannah chuckled from the corner where she was sitting with her laptop.
Savannah:
"Technically it's afternoon."
Amy clapped her hands suddenly.
Amy:
"Okay!"
Everyone looked at her.
Amy grinned mischievously.
Amy:
"Let's leave the love birds alone."
Jay:
"Amy—"
Amy:
"Nope."
She grabbed Sophia's arm and started dragging her toward the door.
Sophia:
"Amy— I was checking her vitals—"
Amy:
"She's alive. She can flirt later."
Aries snorted.
Aries:
"She almost died and you're worried about flirting."
Amy:
"Exactly."
Kuya Angelo shook his head as he walked out.
Kuya Angelo:
"I'm surrounded by idiots."
Savannah followed them out while closing her laptop.
Savannah:
"Text if you need anything."
Amy winked dramatically at me.
Amy:
"Or if you start making out."
Jay:
"Amy!"
Amy laughed as the door closed behind them.
And suddenly—
The room became very quiet.
Just me.
And Keifer.
The machines beside my bed beeped softly.
The afternoon sunlight slipped through the window, lighting the room in soft gold.
For a moment neither of us spoke.
We just looked at each other.
Then Keifer stood up slowly.
His movements were careful.
Almost hesitant.
Like he was afraid I might disappear if he moved too fast.
He walked toward the bed and sat beside me.
Close enough that our shoulders almost touched.
Jay:
"You can sit, you know. I'm not contagious."
Keifer huffed softly.
Keifer:
"I know."
He was quiet again.
Too quiet.
And that's when I noticed something strange.
Keifer Watson—
The most confident, sarcastic, dramatic idiot I had ever met—
Looked nervous.
Jay:
"Keifer?"
He didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he slowly reached for my hand.
His fingers wrapped around mine carefully.
Like I was made of glass.
Jay:
"You're scaring me."
Keifer let out a quiet breath.
Keifer:
"You scared me first."
I blinked.
Jay:
"What?"
He looked down at our hands.
His grip tightened slightly.
Keifer:
"When you got shot…"
His voice stopped.
Just for a second.
And that scared me more than anything.
Keifer Watson never ran out of words.
But now he looked like he didn't know what to say.
Jay:
"I'm okay."
Keifer shook his head slowly.
Keifer:
"You weren't."
His voice dropped into a whisper.
Keifer:
"You stopped responding."
My chest tightened.
Keifer continued quietly.
Keifer:
"I was holding you… and you just…"
His jaw clenched.
Keifer:
"You went limp."
I didn't know what to say.
Keifer rubbed his face with one hand.
Like he was trying to erase the memory.
Keifer:
"For a second…"
He stopped again.
His voice cracked slightly.
Keifer:
"I thought you died."
My heart twisted painfully.
Jay:
"Keifer…"
He looked at me then.
And that's when I saw it.
His eyes were red.
Keifer Watson had been crying.
Keifer laughed quietly.
But it sounded broken.
Keifer:
"You know what the worst part was?"
Jay:
"What?"
His fingers tightened around mine.
Keifer:
"I didn't even care about the fight anymore."
He shook his head slowly.
Keifer:
"I didn't care about Yuri."
His voice dropped even lower.
Keifer:
"I didn't care about anything."
His eyes locked with mine.
Keifer:
"All I could think about was that I was going to lose you."
My throat tightened.
Jay:
"You didn't."
Keifer nodded slightly.
But his eyes were still shining.
Keifer:
"I know."
Then he whispered softly—
Keifer:
"But it was too close."
Before I could say anything, he carefully leaned forward.
His arms wrapped around me.
Very gently.
Like he was afraid of hurting me.
The moment his arms closed around me—
Something inside my chest broke.
Not painfully.
Just…
Softly.
Jay:
"Careful."
Keifer laughed quietly.
Keifer:
"Trust me. I'm being careful."
His face rested against my shoulder.
And then I felt it.
His body shaking slightly.
Keifer Watson—
The dramatic, cocky idiot who flirted with danger like it was a hobby—
Was crying.
Quietly.
Jay:
"Hey…"
I lifted my arm slowly and wrapped it around him.
Jay:
"I'm here."
He didn't move.
He just held me tighter.
Keifer:
"I was so scared."
His voice broke slightly.
Keifer:
"I've been shot before."
He sniffed quietly.
Keifer:
"I've been in fights. I've almost died."
He lifted his head slightly.
His eyes met mine again.
Keifer:
"But that…"
His voice cracked.
Keifer:
"That was worse."
My heart felt like it was breaking.
Jay:
"Keifer…"
He wiped his face quickly.
But the tears were still there.
Keifer:
"If you died…"
He shook his head slowly.
Keifer:
"I don't think I would've survived that."
I stared at him.
Jay:
"That's dramatic."
Keifer:
"I am dramatic."
Jay:
"True."
He leaned his forehead gently against mine.
Keifer:
"But I mean it."
His voice softened.
Keifer:
"You're not just some girl I like, Jay."
He squeezed my hand again.
Keifer:
"You're my chaos."
I smiled slightly.
Jay:
"That sounds unhealthy."
Keifer smirked weakly.
Keifer:
"It probably is."
Then he whispered something that made my heart completely stop.
Keifer:
"You're my home."
Silence filled the room again.
Soft.
Warm.
Real.
Jay:
"You're an idiot."
Keifer:
"I know."
Jay:
"You cried."
Keifer:
"Don't tell anyone."
Jay:
"Oh I'm telling Amy."
Keifer groaned dramatically.
Keifer:
"Jay."
I smiled softly.
Jay:
"You love me."
Keifer looked at me like the answer was obvious.
Keifer:
"Of course I do."
Then he kissed my forehead gently.
Keifer:
"Don't scare me like that again."
I sighed.
Jay:
"No promises."
He rolled his eyes.
But he smiled.
And for the first time since the warehouse—
Everything felt safe again.
Even if the war wasn't over yet.