Chapter 19

Alex was sitting in his office, his breath still heavy after beating the man up. His man barely managed to save the man from under his hands, his life hanging by a thread. He was so overwhelmed with emotions, but one feeling settled over Alex, eclipsing all others—a deep, dark despair, that dark despair that he felt the night his sister died.

The image he saw in the hospital that day when he woke up to see Anna bruised and breathless, helplessly fighting for both their lives, was still vivid in his mind, which made him feel more incapable of protecting her. That feeling haunted him every night since the death of Julia like he was letting her down once more.

He looked at his phone, reading a text saying she was ok, trying to make sure that she was safe. Maybe an assurance that she's okay will make him feel better and will ease the guilt and the incapability he's feeling.

Back at the hospital, Anna was trying to calm Adam down, who was about to get to her through the phone call "Let me know when Alex is back" Adam said after a deep breath in an attempt to calm down, seeing Anna getting even paler, after all her efforts to convince him that she was okay, and it was just tiredness and the game pressure, but he knew better, it's all Alex's fault, his stupid idea to make her remember, he put her at such a risk still he was nowhere to be seen, "oh if only I can get to you Alex " Adam thought furiously.

"Big brother," Anna called him in hesitation, her eyes locked on his angry expression, " can't we just drop it? Please!!" She begged him in exhaustion; she had no energy left to argue, she knew he was so mad with Alex for not being with her, even though she was annoyed with him about that. Still, she couldn't stand it when her brothers argued, especially if Alex was at the heart of it. Adam passed his hand in his hair in frustration and took another deep breath trying once more to be calm, he replied " go get some rest, Sam will check in with your doctor, and you'll be home by the afternoon " That was said Adam hung up the phone with no second thoughts, otherwise he'll lose his temper again. While Anna dropped her phone next to her and lay down in relief.

Meanwhile, Sam was trying to ease things for Allan, who felt like everyone was blaming him for what happened to Anna, especially since he was still bent from seeing her.

" You guys can't do that to me; I explained countless times that I didn't know he would be there; it is not like he gives me his schedule every day! God damn it!!"

Allan cried in frustration while crossing the hospital garden back and forth like a caged tiger. Sam, on the other side of the phone, sighed in understanding and said, " I know, we know you don't have to keep explaining; no one is putting the blame on you; it is just...."

Allan couldn't restrain from asking furiously " Just what? Ha!! I have a right to be there for her more than any of you do, you can't keep me from seeing her"

" Ok, Allan , just listen and try to calm down, you're helping no one like this... This is for her sake, you've to wait till Alex is back, there is no other option if you care about her, you'll wait..."

Sam interrupted Allan and explained, when Allan sat down and listened, Sam paused for a minute letting him gasp at the situation, and added " No one can guess her reaction when she sees you, it might just be a normal meeting, but it might also trigger her memory or cause even more damage, we are just taking percussions for her sake."

At the hospital, Anna fell asleep waiting for her discharge, and in her dream, the little boy hunting her came again, however this time he seemed sad and looked at her with blame and anger, the look sounded familiar and before she could remember where did she saw it, the little boy held his ball and run away, Anna tried to follow him but the green yard suddenly turned into a deep dark

Woods, Anna tried to call him but her voice was gone, she stepped forward to follow however a soft touch on her hand made her turn to see who stopped her only to meet Alex's smiling face. At that point, Anna opened her eyes to reality; it took her a few seconds to figure out where she was. Realizing she was in the hospital, Anna sat herself up and looked around for Liz, but her eyes were locked on the book left on the chair next to her bed. It was hers, and Alex took it when he was leaving for his last mission. " I' 'll be taking this book,, Angel, to keep me company!" His voice calmly echoed in her mind. She stood up, heading towards the door only to find it opening up, and her long-awaited, dearest person was standing there.

Anna froze at stu unable to react, a lot of emotions were struggling in her heart, relief, and happiness that came safe and sound, anger and disappointement cause it took him too long...on the other hand Alex didn't wait for her to react the minute he opened the door and saw her standing there his body reacted automatically crossing the few steps between them and held her saying " you scared me to death Annaliz, you're not allowed to do that while I am away " it was only when she heard her full name that Anna's mind allowed her to react so she put her arms around Alex's waist holding him too, and her tracked tears finally fell.

Alex felt her quite sobs which made his heart tighten, his feeling of guilt felt even heavier. He shook his head to clear it from these dark thoughts and gently pulled back and said while wiping them away, "Wow, come on, Angel, you're much stronger than that; I raised you to b,e right?" Anna nodded in agreement and took a few steadying breaths. She had a lot to say and ask, but before she could spell a word, a voice came from outside, and the door opened aggressively.