Kelvin

I slumped on the bench in front of the hospital. Grass and small bushes surrounded it. I threw my head back and stared at the sky. Though the rain stopped, it was still clouded just like the guilt clouded my chest.

As my eyes were stinging, I let them close. The image of the girl appeared in front of my closed eyes.

Opening my eyes, I sat straight and raked my hand through my hair in frustration.

How could I face the girl when she opened her eyes? What if she didn't open her eyes?

I shook my head to clear the silly thought. Yes, it was a silly thought. I couldn't let the thought come into my brain again. She would definitely open her eyes and she would be fine. She should be fine.

"Kelvin," I heard Mike's voice. I looked up to see him walking towards me. He was wearing a white t-shirt and black track pants. The messy hair and black slippers told me he rushed to the hospital as soon as he heard the news from John. His gaze studied my blood-stained clothes as he approached me.

He sat next to me and stared at me. For the first time since we became friends, I didn't know what to talk to him about. Though it had only been a year for our friendship, we became close. He was jovial, and it didn't take much time for us to become close. No matter how busy we were, we took every other Saturday to play tennis.

I fixed my gaze on the ground as I tried to speak, "I..."

"Say nothing, man. I understand." His words made me smile a little. As Jessica described her husband, Mike was so understanding. But he couldn't understand that I did a terrible thing.

"It was my fault." I finally managed to say.

"It wasn't your fault. It was clearly an accident."

I shook my head. "No, you didn't see the girl. She begged me to save her child, but I couldn't. I don't know whether she can survive after hearing her condition."

"She will definitely survive." A familiar voice came from behind. Mike and I turned to see Jessica. Even she was in her pajamas. She came to us and crouched before me. Her blue eyes stared into mine as she repeated, "She will survive. And... I convinced Rose to go home. You need to go too." I shook my head. I couldn't leave until the girl woke up. "You need to rest."

"Yes, man. Go home, take a shower, and get some sleep." Mike added.

"And... don't worry. We will watch over her till you return." Jessica gave a slight nod.

I glanced between Mike and Jessica. They nodded once again with a warm smile, trying to comfort me. Even though they were younger than me, they were good at comforting people.

I nodded, and their smile grew.

When Jessica met me a year back, seeking help from a therapist. I never thought we would become friends. Because as a therapist, I never tried to become friends with my clients. I would try my best to solve their issues and bid a farewell. But Jessica had introduced to me her friend Rose as we used to stay in the same neighborhood. Eventually their boyfriends-now, their husbands had become my friends too.

Rose and John approached us. We stood, and it looked like we made a circle. There was a saying—Friends become family. Looking at the tired faces of my friends and them standing by me when I needed the most, made me realize it was true. Friends become family.

***

"Aren't you going to wake up?" I said, looking at Cia, who was in a deep slumber. I was sitting on a stool next to her hospital bed.

It had been two months since the accident happened, but she didn't open her eyes yet. As each day passed by, guilt overwhelmed inside me.

After seeing me visiting every day, doctors told me they would inform me when she wakes up from her coma. But I couldn't stop myself from coming to the hospital, hoping she would open her eyes one day. Even Rose and Jessie would visit whenever they were free. We would talk sitting around her about random things like movies, shows, etc.

But today, I started talking to her directly. Since I was alone, I felt like I had to talk to her.

"You better wake up and tell us who you are... and your family. So we can inform them about you."

Mike and John used their connections and tried their best to find out about the girl. Like who she was, her family and...especially her real husband.

But we didn't even get to know her actual name. So, we were calling her Cia; the name given by me.

My gaze fixed on her face. She had long eyelashes. Her pupils ambled beneath her closed eyes. Wait? Did she... My brows drew together as I watched her. I quickly stood up and ducked closer to her face to see the movement of her eyes.

Yes! Slowly, her eyelashes parted, and her hazel eyes came into a view. A smile tugged at the corner of my lips.

Her pupils dilated as she stared at me. I sensed her fear.

Straightening myself, I gave her an assuring smile. "Don't worry. You'll be okay."

She looked around her surroundings frantically. "Where am I?" Her voice came out as a whisper.

"You're in the hospital. Let me call the doctor for you." I didn't wait for her response and walked out of the room.

I started taking long strides, almost running for a doctor. Stopping before the doctor's room, I gave a gentle knock on the door and opened it.

An old man in his sixties shifted his gaze from a file that was resting on his desk to me.

"Is everything alright, Mr. Davis?" The doctor asked.

"Cia..." I breathed out. "She woke up. You need to come with me."

He nodded and immediately rose from his chair. The white coat he was wearing over a dark blue shirt matched with his trousers.

"Follow me," he told the nurse, who was standing next to his desk. She nodded, and we headed to Cia's room.

I opened the door and saw her lying on the bed helplessly. She looked so vulnerable and fragile. I stepped aside to give the way for them to enter inside. She glanced between me and the doctor. Fear was clear on her face.

The doctor and the nurse walked to her while I stood at the door. He stopped when he approached Cia's bed. He gave her a warm smile. "I'm Dr. Moore, a neurologist on staff."

In the accident, I only thought Cia hurt her forehead, but later when they examined her, they told us that there was a hemorrhage in her brain. So, a neurosurgeon had performed surgery under the supervision of Dr. Moore. Though she was out of danger, she had gone into a coma.

"How are you feeling, Mrs. Davis?"

Dr. Moore calling her Mrs. Davis made me recall a memory.

When Mike and John didn't find any information about Cia, we didn't know what to do. Rose suggested that I should continue with the lie until Cia wakes up.

"Yes, I think it would be better if you continue to pretend to be her husband." John agreed with his wife. We were sitting on the couches in Mike's living room. It was spacious and pleasant.

I shook my head. "I don't want to. And what are we going to do when the doctors ask for Cia's ID?"

"I'll get a fake ID for her," Mike offered.

I snapped my head in Mike's direction. "Identity fraud is a big deal."

"It isn't a pretty big deal compared to committing an accident." John pointed out.

"I can't help but agree with John," Jessica said, looking at me. "I don't want you to end up in prison because of an accident."

Mike's hand wrapped around her shoulder protectively as he pulled her closer to him. "He won't." He assured her, staring into her eyes. She nodded, smiling.

To be honest, I didn't want to risk my career too. Who would want to consult a therapist if he had a police record? I knew it was wrong, but I didn't have a choice. You always have a choice. My conscience screamed. I had ignored it and agreed with their plan.

They had clicked a picture of Cia to get a fake ID for Cia. Photoshop graphics did their job to make it look like a real one. Mike and John had shared with me one of their secrets. They used to get their own fake IDs to go to clubs when they were minors. I laughed at them for being so desperate to experience club life.

"Mrs. Davis?" Cia said, perplexed.

I swallowed hard, glancing between Cia and Dr. Moore. Our game was going to end if Cia told him I wasn't her husband. I knew I was going to face this situation one day but didn't expect it would be like this. I thought of talking to Cia first and explain everything to her so she could know what was going on with her life.

"Yes, Mrs. Davis. How are you feeling?" Dr. Moore asked.

"Is that my name?" Cia's voice had trembled. Tears welled up in her eyes as she continued to speak, "I can't remember. What happened to me?"

A/N : What do you think of Cia? Is kelvin's decision right?

Do let me know what do you guys think?

Thanks for reading.

Don't forget to vote and comment.