The hospital room was quiet except for the nearby patients groaning. I stood in the shadows feeling out of place among the warmth of the reunion happening before me. Luck, awake after a week-long coma, looked up at Luke with cloudy eyes.
"Luke? Brother, is that you?"
Luke had knelt beside the bed shaking with relief. He didn't just hug his brother; he held on tight like a lifeline.
"I'm sorry, I should have protected you. I failed you Luck." Luke whispered, his voice shaking with tears
Luck's weak hand reached out to rest on Luke's shoulder accepting the apology..
"Its okay brother, you done enough."
Then Luck's gaze drifted to me. He frowned, confused. He didn't know me. The girl who used to stand by his side was gone, replaced by someone
"Luke, who... Who is that?" Luck whispered, his voice barely audible,
Luke pulled away, wiping his eyes and looked at me. A hint of sadness crossed his face before he turned to his brother.
"This is Lady Roxy, Luck. She... She's the one who saved you."
Luck's eyes widened as he looked at me. He noticed the changes: I was taller, had fangs and a strong aura.
My fangs grew enough to the size of an eraser, it was noticeable to the public. It was all because of my fourth evolution. Even Luck, who saw my new appearance for the first time, noticed my huge fangs .His gaze landed on my sleeve.
"Her arm, " Luck gasped.
"It got hurt, A goblin king in the ravine. It was worth it for the cure." I said flatly.
Luke stood up with his face firm. His eyes full of tears and sweat
"She's the reason you're alive, Luck. She made an antidote using her blood."
Luke turned to me, his expression mixed with guilt and awe.
"I was a conductor from the town's water supply. While I was stopping the disease from spreading, Lady Roxy was inside the goblin king bleeding herself to make a cure."
Luck seemed stunned by what he heard. Before he could speak the hospital doors opened. Doctors rushed in their movements disrupting the heavy atmosphere. One of them, an eyed man, checked Luck's vitals and nodded.
"He's stable. The coma took its toll. He needs rehabilitation."
The team of doctors approached at Luck,
"Thank you, Roxy. Without your antidote, the patient would've died."
The doctor thanked me multiple times. I knew the doctor very well, this is, in fact, the same doctor who healed my mana meter during my early adventuring days. He was surprised to see one of his patients suddenly became a high-ranked adventurer.
The hospital room got colder as more doctors and nurses entered. They moved with practiced efficiency, their expressions a mix of detachment and optimism.
"The patient's vitals are stabilizing. The physiological toll of a week-long coma cannot be overstated. His muscles are weak. His nerves are slow to respond. We must start rehabilitation immediately to prevent damage."
Luke stood frozen, his eyes darting from the doctor to his brother's form.
"Will he be able to walk? Will he… will he be himself again?"
The same doctor leaned over Luck checking his eyes.
"Cognitive function appears intact which is a miracle.. Physical restoration is another matter. We need to start a rehabilitation program to prevent muscle calcification. It will be a painful process."
The doctors began to work a flurry of activity. They uncovered Luck's legs and started tapping his meridian points causing involuntary twitches. Each twitch made Luck gasp, his face twisting in pain.
I watched from the shadows feeling out of place. The transition from the life-and-death struggle in the ravine to this medical process felt surreal. I saw Maine look at me. I couldn't find the words to comfort her. I felt like a creature of violence watching the work of healing.
As the doctors prepared for the round of rehabilitation I realized my presence was no longer comforting; it was a reminder of the darkness. I stepped back. Maine followed me. We walked out of the hospital leaving the sounds of rehabilitation behind and headed back, to the silence of the Flower Manor.
The evening air outside the hospital was cold and harsh on my skin. It was a change from the warm medicine-filled air we had just left. Maine walked a little behind me. He was quiet. I could feel his presence. My mind was still thinking about the hospital room. I could still hear the sound of Luck's breathing and the doctor's serious words.
I did not stop walking until we got to the town square. The torches and lanterns were not very bright. They made a soft humming noise. My coat moved over the empty space where my arm used to be.
Then I heard footsteps behind us. Luke caught up to us breathing hard. He looked messy and upset. He was usually calm and collected. Now he looked like he was falling apart. He stopped a foot away from us, his hands shaking.
He looked at me with a lot of emotion in his eyes.
"Lady Roxy" he said, his voice filled with shame and gratitude. He took a step closer then stopped. He looked like he was afraid of scaring me.
"I do not know what to say. I do not know if there are words for what I want to say."
I turned to him trying to look calm.. My heart was beating fast.
"You do not have to say anything, Luke. Your younger twin is alive. That is all that matters."
"No! Do not act like this was a job. You gave up a part of your body. You got very sick to save him." His voice was loud and upset.
He ran his hand through his hair, his eyes getting teary.
"I have been pretending to be a hero keeping the water clean.. I was not really doing anything. You were the one who was really helping. I feel small, Roxy. Not just because you saved Luck. Because I see what you had to do to survive."
He looked at my face. He looked older and more serious.
"I always thought of you as the girl who was always there for me.. I never asked what it cost you. I never asked why you were always alone. Now I see that I was wrong. You were the one who was really strong."
He took another step closer looking for the girl he thought he knew.
"Thank you Lady Roxy. Not just for saving Luck. Thank you for showing me what it means to be strong. I am sorry for not seeing it."
I looked at him for a time. His apology did not fix my arm. It made me feel less alone.
'It was my choice, Luke. We all do what we have to do. You kept the water safe. I just did what I had to do." I said, my voice softer.
I gave him a tired smile. It was the honest thing I had said in a long time.
"Go back to Luck. He is going to need your help in the coming months. He is going to need his brother."
Luke stood there for a moment looking at me with respect and a little fear. Then he. Turned back to the hospital. As he walked away he looked different. He looked like he understood something. I watched him go, Maine walking beside me. For the time, in a long time the quiet of the night did not feel empty. It felt like space.