How Am I Here?

I hear the sounds of machines beeping and the sound of air following the rhythm of my breathing, I ask myself.

"what's going on?"

I slowly open my eyes and notice that I'm not outdoors, because I find myself staring at a white ceiling, I then try sitting up, but a sharp pain in my abdomen prevents me from doing so and I collapse back down on my back where I'm met with the sensation of a bed, I then look around with my head and see that I'm in a white room, and spot a bendable tube connected to the veins in my arm and I follow it to the source where there is a bag filled with fluids coming through the bendable tube, I then ask out loud to see if anyone answers.

"hello can someone help me?"

I ask myself.

"what the hell happened? was I somehow saved from Damien?"

I hear a door opens and a man who looks like he is in his late forties, dressed in light blue scrubs, approaches me and asks.

"how are you feeling?"

I reply.

"fine I think, where am I?"

he responds.

"you were shot in your abdomen and you were brought it for surgery to dig out the bullet fragments inside you."

I panic and the beeping on the machine intensifies.

"what are you talking about? I was in a fight with Damien, how did you save me from him."

he gives me a perplexed look and replies calmly.

"your father and sister have been waiting for you to wake, do you want to see them."

not knowing exactly what is goin on, I go along with he says and respond.

"yeah."

I then ask myself.

"is he some kind of doctor? I've never seen anyone wearing scrubs in this world before."

I sigh.

"whatever, if he saved me from Damien then I should thank him when he comes back."

but then another thought came across my mind.

"how'd they get a hold of my father, he decided to stay at Arce to take care of the shop, and my sister Sarah is with my mom, safe and sound at Reine's Palace in Rusllyyn, so there is no way he managed to find where she is at."

I began to panic.

"shit that guy can't be trustedf!

But then hear a familiar voice that I thought I would never hear again eases me.

"Daisuke!"

my sister Shiho from my past life is standing at the doorway in tears, with her usually tidy straight black hair in a complete mess and with her mascara smearing down her cheeks, she hugs me and cries.

"you idiot, why did you do it, I thought you died."

she buries her head into my shoulder still crying her eyes out and continuously calling me an idiot, I then come ask myself.

"no it can't be real? this must be some kind of dream or a trick the Damien is pulling off"

as my tears begin to form, I ask Shiho unsure on how to feel about this surreal situation.

"what happened?"

she replies.

"there was a crazy guy with a gun trying to rob the convenience store we were at and you and Kazuya took him down, even though you got shot."

she pulls away and smiles.

"I'm just very relieved that you are still alive."

I sigh and think to myself.

"I don't really get how Damien is getting things from my past right correctly, but I need to keep my guard up and not fall for his tricks"

after finishing my thought, my dad from my past life walks in with his typical buzz cut hairstyle and his trimmed mustache.

"how are you feeling son?"

I reply.

"fine, just a little pain in my abdomen."

he approaches me and says.

"I'm glad."

he then asks me.

"there are some officers who want to talk to you about what happened, do you think your up to answering some questions?"

I nod and think to myself.

"if this is all fake then Damien has really done a great job, making this whole thing seem and feel real."

he looks at the doorway and waves the officers in.

"he's ready."

after giving our encounter with the crazy guy robbing the convenience store, my dad pats my head.

"you did good son, you made sure your sister didn't get hurt."

I reply.

"well you always told me to protect her no matter what."

I then ask myself in my mind.

"I should see how sophisticated this world he has created is."

I ask my dad.

"so what happens now?"

he answers.

"after you get discharged from the hospital, you and Shiho will be returning home to Japan with your mom."

I then think to myself.

"if I could barely remember Japan, then how could Damien know about it's existence."

I then stare blankly at the ceiling and ask myself.

"what if this is all real?"

My dad asks.

"are you okay? do you want to rest?"

I slowly sit up and reply.

"no, I'm just feeling a bit overwhelmed about what's going on."

I then ask him.

"how did mom react when she found out about what happened to me?"

he sighs.

"we have spent many hours face chatting her, so she can be up to date with your condition."

Shiho sits down next to me and says.

"she couldn't get any flights available this week, but dad told her to wait since he thinks you'll be discharged soon."

I ask.

"how long have I been here?"

dad replies.

"about a week or so."

I then ask him.

"do you think I can face chat with mom, so that I can tell her the I'm okay."

he nods.

"yeah, and since she should be at her lunch break around this time, she should be calling at any moment."

as we walks out of the room he says.

"Gotta use the restroom, I'll be back."

after he leaves I ask Shiho.

"How are Emmy and Kazuya doing?"

she replies.

"last time I checked they were sleeping in the waiting room."

she asks.

"want me to go get them."

I shake my head.

"no it's alright, let them rest."

she then says with a smile.

"you know Emmy was worried sick about you."

I reply.

"well we are friends so it makes sense that she would be."

she chuckles.

"yeah, well she has been having a really strong crush on you for a while now."

I respond.

"Really? I've never noticed, are you sure she does?"

she replies.

"yes I'm sure, she just never built up to courage to say anything to you."

I reply.

"I see."

she then asks.

"so what do you think?"

I reply.

"think about what?"

she sighs.

"going out with her, I mean she is cute and she would be the first girl to ever any kind of interest in you."

I then think to myself with the feelings that I have for Ellena, Celeste, and Rosie.

"but what about them, if this all real then why does my heart feel heavy for missing them."

A tear rolls down my cheek.

"and what about Hope?"

Shiho wraps her arm around my shoulder and say in an apologetic tone.

"I wasn't trying to insult you, I'm sure there were girls who liked in high school."

I wipe my eyes and think to myself, feeling even more empty inside, for the thought that Hope was never real.

"damn you Damien, if I find out that this was your doing, I will kill you."

another week has gone by as quickly as it came, but no matter how I look at things, everything around me looks and feels very real, and now that I've been discharged from the hospital in the states, we will be cutting our vacation with our father short, and we will be heading back to japan with my friends who we brought along to have a good time, I look at the window of my dad's car and stare at the ocean thinking to myself.

"I can't believe I'm actually returning home and seeing my mom once again."

I say that in my mind like I haven't seen my mom in a lifetime, I sigh.

"it doesn't make any sense.'

we arrive at the Los Angeles International Airport, and after my dad escorts us to the terminal, Shiho asks me, while holding hands with Kazuya.

"you have been out of it ever since you woke up, are you feeling okay?"

I reply.

"I don't know how to explain it, but all of this doesn't feel real to me."

she hugs me and says.

"well you survived getting shot."

Kazuya adds on.

"don't worry buddy, we are here for you if you need us."

Emma also says.

"Yeah, we are here for you, if you need us."

I smile and reply.

"thanks guys."

but then a familiar female voice that I completely recognize from behind, sends a chill down my back.

"yeah Collin, we'll help you."

I look behind me and see Mauri staring at me with a sinister grin.

"Hello Collin, it's nice seeing you again."