Kyle Miller

I was lying in the dimly Lit room, my hands resting just above the white thin blanket, that was barely keeping me warm, I could hear the familiar beeping sounds, they were beeping in the same rhyme for hours now. 

My vision was still really blurry and I was feeling really cold to the point I felt that I was shivering, but I wasn't. I could feel something placed right on my mouth and nose, I didn't know what it was. My body felt like it was completely restrained, maybe I was actually restrained.

As I struggled to keep my eyes open, I felt sharp pain in my.... I think it was my left hand. I had no idea where the f-ck I was. I remember Arson was... Wasn't I supposed to be at home now? But my room looked nothing like this place... It smelled nothing like this place too...

I tried to get up, I desperately wanted to get up. But I had no control over my body. Was this a hospital? But why? It was only some coughs right? There was no blood... right? Anika didn't see it right? My mother is not a murderer RIGHT?!

The beeping grew louder and more persistent, and I could hear faint voices coming from outside my room. I couldn't make out what they were saying, but I could hear the urgency in their tones.

Suddenly, the door swung open. A bunch of blurred faces with white masked surrounded me. I wanted to scream, I wanted to scream for them not to touch me. But my lips refused to move.

 Just why the fuck was I in a hospital!? Doctor Henderson said I still have time... I can't die now! Not yet. I want to tell her that I love her too. I want to tell Jason how much of a good friend he was... And I needed to know the truth... My... My mother, she is alive... I need to see her. I want her to explain!

"His condition is unstable. Should we put him to sleep again?" I heard a faint voice whisper. Or maybe it wasn't a whisper... 

"His family is really worried, I suggest we let him wake up." Said a male voice.

The voices around me sounded like I was underwater. Muffled and distant. I struggled to focus on the words they were saying. "Wake up...?".

Suddenly, I felt something cold being injected into my arm. I let out a small whimper, my body feeling even more sluggish than before.

"He's already awake."

"Good. We just need to make sure he doesn't have energy to get angry or anything. It's dangerous."

"Noted."

My eyelids felt heavy, and I couldn't keep my vision focused. I could only see blurry shadows moving around the room. I tried to speak, to ask what was going on, but my lips refused to cooperate.

The voices around me continued to discuss my situation. I couldn't tell who they were or why they were there. I just wanted to wake up, to get out of this nightmare...

Slowly, my surroundings became even more disoriented. The beeping in the room got louder, faster. Why..?

_______

I jolted up, sweat trickling down my forehead. I still felt the thing over my mouth, but now I had enough energy to pull it away. And it turned out to be an oxygen mask. My vision wasn't as blurry now, so I could see that it was actually a hospital. I blinked twice to try and adjust to the dim light in the room.

Suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Kyle calm down... You should keep it on."

I shrugged that hand way and glared at that person. But my heart skipped a beat when I saw who it was. Was I hallucinating? Or was the person standing right in front of me... my mother?

She looked different, her hair was short now. Her eyes were really tired and they had lost all their light, to the point you'd mistake her blue eyes for black. I could see some soft wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. She looked completely broken. As if she haven't slept in ages. She was thinner and weaker. I almost felt sorry for her...

"Don't panic." She took a step back. And a nurse took the oxygen mask from me and put it back on.

"How the-"

"I will explain everything... Please just don't get angry..." She whispered.

I glanced next to her... And I was surely hallucinating. Because my father was their too. For how f-cking long was I unconscious?

Father sighed. "Kyle... I... I know you're very confused right now, but we just need you to calm down and don't freak out..." He said in an exhausted tone.

My mind was racing like crazy, I wanted to hug her, to tell her how much I suffered since she left. How much I missed her... But at the same time I hated her for disappearing and leaving me to face my father's wrath alone... I couldn't forgive her... I hardly managed to forgive dad.. 

But the only thing that came to my mind right now was, what Ani said... I needed to know if it was actually true.

I looked at her direction still not believing that she was actually right in front of me. " Is... it.. True? Is it true that you... killed Ani's... brother?" I finally asked her. My father didn't seem any surprised when I said that. Did he already know?! How much were these two hiding?

My mother's eyes widened as I spoke, her expression a mixture of shock and guilt. She seemed speechless for a moment before finally answering my question.

"Kyle... please forgive me... b-back then... I was only thinking about revenge... I thought I'd feel satisfied after I did it... I..." She whispered, her voice shaking.

"But why... Why did you think that hurting the only person I've ever loved would satisfy you? Do you know how many sleepless nights I've spent!? Do you know how much guilt was eating me Every. Single. Day! Thinking I am the one who did it!?" I yelled my voice laced with hurt and pain. 

Father let out a loud and heavy sigh, burying his face in his hands. It was then that I noticed the dark circles under his eyes, his disheveled hair, and the tired lines on his face. "Please don't get angry... The doctor warned us about this." He whispered thickly.

I felt a pang of guilt in my heart, wondering how long had they been staying in the hospital. My mother was on the verge of tears, her shoulders shaking as she struggled to contain her emotions. I couldn't remember the last time I had seen her cry. Even in the past... When I was a kid, she was always the strong one.

She looked at me again. "Kyle listen to me... I know what I did was wrong... And I've made my mind, after I make sure you're okay... I'll... turn myself in... I'll take the punishment I deserve, for hurting you... I am sorry for everything. Kyle..." She said as tears started to well up in her weak eyes.

I gritted my teeth and looked away. "And You'll f-cking leave me again!?" I snapped, and clenched the thin white blanket tightly trying to calm myself down. "You both... You both ruined my life! You know what!? I wish that you were actually dead! I wish you died before you hurt Ani's innocent family, the only mistake Anika commented was that she loved ME!"

My outburst seemed to have an immediate impact. My mother let out a strangled sound and covered her mouth with her trembling hand. My father visibly flinched at my words, his face turning pale.

For a moment, there was a deafening silence in the room. The only sound was the steady beeping of the monitor and my mother's faint sobs.

"You're here because I am dying right? You want me to forgive you!? You think I will ever forgive you!" My voice was really strained and shaky. I didn't really mean to be this harsh. I still loved her, but the anger and the pain I had to endure all these years was too much to handle.

The beeping sound in the monitor increased in pace and volume as I spoke, mirroring my elevated heartbeat. My father and mother exchanged worried glances.

My mother hesitantly reached out her hand to touch my shoulder, but I jerked away from her touch. "Kyle, Please..." She whispered shakily.

My abrupt movement caused the IV line to tug at my arm, causing me to wince in pain. The monitor next to me started beeping even faster, as if it was matching my own racing heartbeat.

My father quickly stepped forward, his face etched with concern. "Kyle, you need to calm down. The doctors said your condition is still unstable. Please..."

I ignored my father's words and continued my rant. "You abandoned me for years! You left me to deal with him alone! You broke my heart, Mom. And you... you... yo-... y-..." I trailed off, feeling tears starting to prick at the corners of my eyes.

My father seemed to understand my distress and, with no hesitation, he reached out and pulled me into a tight embrace. I didn't resist, and my body sagged against his chest as I allowed myself to break down.

He held me tightly, silently rubbing my back in a soothing gesture. "Shh... We're sorry... We were the worst parents ever. We wanted to hurt each other but ended up hurting you instead. Please calm down..."

I couldn't stop sobbing. The years of pain and loneliness I had been holding in were finally pouring out, like a dam that had sprung a leak. My mother stood there, frozen, as if she was afraid to come any closer and make me angrier.

Dad just held me close. His grip was firm, and I could feel the tension in his body as he struggled with his own emotions. "You don't deserve this, you don't deserve any of this... I wish that I could undo it all... I wish I was kinder to you... I wish I was the father you deserved. I am sorry. Kyle. Both of us are sorry." 

I felt exhausted from all of this, from both of them. I sniffled and pulled away from him, and with the back of my hand I wiped away my tears. "Can.. you both get out... please..." I whispered thickly.

My parents shared a sad look, but they nodded in understanding. My mother looked like she wanted to say something, her mouth opening and closing as if she was searching for the right words.

But my father placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, silently telling her to let me have some space. They both turned to leave, my mother's shoulders slumped in defeat.

Jason Anderson

Mr. Miller and his ex wife, finally came out of Kyle's room. My heart dropped when I saw that woman's eyes were red. I immediately thought that something bad happened to Kyle. So I jumped up from where I was sitting next to Arson, and walked towards them.

"What happened!? H-he's okay right?!" I asked shakingly. 

Mr. Miller paused and looked at me, sighing heavily. "He's... physically okay. But emotionally, he's... going through a lot right now."

I felt a wave of relief wash over me. "But he's okay, right? He will fully recover, won't he?"

I saw them both exchange glances, but then Mr. Miller looked down and nodded. "He... will be okay soon."

I noticed that his response wasn't very convincing, and my anxiety spiked again. "What do you mean 'soon'?" I questioned, my voice shaking with worry. "When is 'soon'?"

By now Arson was standing by my side too. I felt him placing a hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry, he will be okay... I will... I will take you guys in really long ride when he does. And you can bother us with your unfunny jokes... I-its funny seeing you and Kyle argue all the time." He said while tapping my shoulder with a faded smile, but I could feel that he was just reassuring me. I felt that he was hiding something...

"Please be honest with me here..." I said, my voice sounding much weaker than usual. "What's Kyle's condition exactly? You're hiding something from me, I can tell."

Mr. Miller locked eyes with me and let out a sigh. "He... doesn't have much time left. The doctor said... his heart is failing.  It's... it's straining too much and it's tearing itself apart... The doctor said it could give out at any moment... But Kyle kept ignoring it until it became... severe."

I felt my heart drop, like someone had suddenly filled it with lead. I stood there, frozen in shock, unable to comprehend what I was hearing. "H-how m-much time...?" I managed to whisper.

Mr. Miller looked away, avoiding my gaze. "The doctor said... he might not make it through the end of December..." His voice trailed off, and Mrs. Miller buried her face in her hands as she let out a small sob.

Suddenly I heard the sound of a plastic cup falling into the ground, and echoing through the quite hallway. I lifted my gaze up to the sound's direction, And shit. I forgot that Anika went to get a cup of water while we were waiting to check on Kyle.

My eyes widened at the realization that she heard everything... She stood there completely frozen and shocked as if she'd just seen a ghost. 

Fuck

Both Mr. Miller and Mrs. Miller looked as pale as a sheet of paper as they stared at Ani, standing frozen and a cup of water right next to her feet. They both looked utterly panicked and anxious, as if they just saw something horrific.

A tense and uncomfortable silence fell over our group, and nobody moved or made a sound for a few moments. It was like time had stopped.