Day Break

[ BECCA ]

The last information we had on us yesterday is that Bryan, he is at the interrogation room. Nothing came after that. After few attempts of retrying to peek into offices and cells, we decided to go out after the cops told us we cannot wait inside because the police work does not concern us. Yup, we were dragged out again, for the second time. That was the same imagery we had at South Coast Medical Hospital. The only difference is that I did not pass out.

There, Gina and I waited outside the NYPD waiting for Bryan to come out, but the day ended without us getting any trace of him. I could have waited any longer but then, Gina went strange. She was shedding tears in silence as we wait. She didn't tell me anything about it and she just pleaded to go home. So, we did and I came with her.

We went home together at her apartment right after we figured we cannot meet Bryan. The cops became strict towards us then. So we figured, we cannot get inside for the second time. We were also tired.

Right now, it's morning again. No one is talking. Just us, both sitting on the dining chair, staring blankly into our breakfast. A scoop of fried rice and a serving of omelet that neither of us cooked. We ordered.

Up until today, we're tired.

I didn't sleep well. I can feel Gina panting from here. I can feel us having the same cloud on our head right now. Loneliness, just pain and us being drained. Both of us are exhausted.

We never had coffee, just feeling everything that had been happening since day one. Caffeine can cause us degraded throughout the day so we preferred not to.

These, all of it. Everything hurts.

There is pain everywhere. My head, my chest, my heart and my arms; you know it hit me, like a feeling I hated once in my life is now crawling within me. I'm tired, out of sleep for days straight, and I cannot even think what I'm going to do next. I am so afraid about the possibilities that can happen to us, to Bryan.

"Gina, I don't know but, I'm feeling not so good right now. Do you think we should take a shot at the police station to check on Bryan?"

She did not respond with her head still fixed on her breakfast. But she's not eating it. Just staring.

"Gina? Are you okay?"

I asked her for the second time but she did not hear me. Something is bothering her I can feel it. "GINA?" I called her again, but this time, it was louder.

She tilted her head towards me as a sign that I caught her attention, leaving quite a startled expression.

"Oh. Uh, yeah, Becca. Why?"

"I was asking - do you think we should take a shot at the police station right now?"

She went back staring at her meal and the look upon her face became worried, it was so evident, almost innate. "With that Becca, I -- I feel like we need to take some break for everything. Look, I don't want you to feel like I am not with you along the way, but.. I am just, not feeling good today, Becca. I'm tired.. and I know you are too. But, I can't go on with this so much pain inside of me. I need space, Becca."

I was a bit confused by what she means. I don't like the tone of how she said it. It's almost like a breakup.

She sounded absurd to me. "Huh? wait, space.. what do you mean?" I asked in confusion. I waited for a response but Gina remained silent, looking back at her plate. She is gaining her bravery to say something. I don't feel good about this.

She spoke after seconds. "Becca. I met my mother yesterday. She's alive! And that moment got me back to my own reality, that.. that I am just same as you -- I also needed to find my own peace, too. Becca, my family is there somewhere. And I also have to deal with this broken shit that I'm on!"

I am puzzled. She met her mother? I cannot meddle and fathom. We were together yesterday and I never saw her talking to somebody else but me. "You met her? but we were together all day and I never saw you having her nor talking to her."

Tears started coming out on her face as I said it. Gina is crying, and I don't even have a tiny idea what is this all about.

"That's the problem, Becca. See, you don't even know who my mother is. I never got to share my stories to you. You never asked me.. About myself, about them. about my own dilemmas. I'm tired Becca I just need time to think. I need some rest."

What she said punched me in the face. A truth slap, that helped got me back to my senses. No, I cannot let her just feel this way. Gina is my strong fortress right now and I am able to do everything ever since she's on my side.

But she's right. I was being too selfish. I felt cold breeze passing by me, like I was soaked in cold water or something similar. Gina is now crying herself out, on the dining table, in front of me.

I was almost crying too, but instead I tried not to be vulnerable. "Do you - want me gone, Gina?" I asked.

That was the only thing I told her. Nothing more. I watched her cried and cried about the things she's been dealing with. Her mom, I don't know who she is. This is embarrassing that I am claiming we're best friends but I never knew important details her.

I feel ashamed of her. I am so selfish.

Gina lifted her head and started talking, "No, No Becca. I don't want you gone. I just, needed a break from all of these. We, we need to stop thinking about everything for a moment, then we could regain stability, again. You see, everything is screwing us up."

That moment, I stood up my seat and walked towards her. I hugged her from her back and she started reciprocating it. I let her cry, while I listen to her. This is the very first time this happened, where I am the one getting Gina on her back. I have to be strong for her.

Gina stood up and faced me, and hugged me back. She started being calm, stopping her tears bit by bit.

Along that moment, I don't know but I started feeling kind of.. dizzy.. Everything went hazy as we're hugging. But I never cared about it. Gina is all I could ever think of right now. She needs this, and I need her.

She lifted her head from my shoulders and untangled her hands around my body. As she get her posture back, she made herself easy. Her eyes went down my feet and shouted in a juncture, "Oh - OH MY GOD! BECCA!"

She is now gasping, covering her mouth in shock, staring at the ground.

"WHAT?" I answered.

I followed her eye and what I saw made me feel a strange tension and panic: There were blood all over the floor, coming from my pants.

***

[ JACK ]

"So, Bryan. You're not going to confess just yet?"

I am now facing our current suspect, John Bryan Gutierrez, as he sits on a chair under a light bulb. He is the only son of South Coast Medical Hospital's Ob-gyn and the case victim, Dr. Stefano Gutierrez.

He cannot look directly into my eyes but this time I can say that he's kind of decent, contrary to Ms. Jacqueline Salazar. My gut keeps telling me that he's somehow innocent.

"Sir, I really have no idea about my father's murder. I was at the hospital and I'm sure Becca and Gina can attest to that."

I know he's telling me the truth. I feel a sense of it, but, somehow the evidence is strong enough for him to be one of the suspects.

I looked at him, eye to eye, as I ask, "Is it true that you're collecting Chinese swords from different dynasties? like, 'Han' dynasty?"

"I used to. But now, I'm not into it anymore. I already sold everything that I collected months ago."

That clicked right into my head. There could be a manipulation that happened. I asked, "Where did you sell them?"

He is a very straightforward lad. I cannot even say that he's lying or fabricating some words, because it shows on his facial expressions that he's certain.

"I sold them at the Antique store near The Parfait. At the PawnDawn."

What he's saying kind of matched the records. The Parfait is where the crime weapon was found, and PawnDawn is somehow, a place where we could find other stuff similar to the murder weapon.

I tried getting things connected, but I still need to press Bryan Gutierrez to prove his innocence, or have himself confessing, if ever.

"Alright, so where were you at 4:00?" I added.

"I was at my dad's hospital, where my girlfriend was admitted. she passed out, so I hurriedly went there. Then, the news about my father's murder just came to us via TV."

I hurriedly got my note pad on my left pockets and started writing his statements on a sheet of it.

"Who were you with?"

"Uh - of course, my girlfriend, Ms. Stephanie Byrne, and Gina Salazar."

Something clicked right in as I heard that name. Gina Salazar.

That surname made me sense a bit of interruption right there. Jacqueline Salazar and Gina Salazar. How are they related?