What Other Secrets?

chapter seven... Sorry

Earn and Ira watched the retreating figure of the silent doctor as she walked up the stairs, Earn was too stunned to speak as her hand flew to cover her mouth at the scene that still stayed in her view, Ira glared at the direction Lada had headed, Tawan’s head propped up on her thighs as she held the barely conscious form. Tawan’s breathing came out shallow, it sounded painful to anyone that could hear. Ira noticed Tawan’s lips trembling, they were moving, forming words. It looked as though she was saying something. Ira’s eyes held tears that continuously flowed out. She tightened her grip on Tawan and leaned in to hear the girl’s barely audible words. “How?... how could you erase me?” Ira heard the words clear enough and leaned back abruptly. Tawan kept repeating the words like a mantra. Ira could feel the pain laced in her words, fresh tears flushed from her eyes as she saw the tears brimming in Tawan’s eyes, still reciting her mantra. Ira reached out and carefully stroked the bodyguard’s bloody face.

Tawan leaned into the touch softly, trying to ignore the different sensations of pain that plagued her. She closed her eyes and succumbed to the sleep that had been tugging at her, finding solace in Ira’s presence. She knew she had taken it too far, Lada had never been one to strike first, even when they had sibling squabbles, it was always Tawan that struck first and ended with her back on the ground. She had wanted Lada to feel the same sting she’d felt emotionally through her words. But the guilt was still there, mixed with the metallic taste filling her mouth, when she finally passed out.

Ira had been staring at Tawan when she saw the woman close her eyes and her body relax. Her hands and clothes already stained with Tawan’s blood didn’t bother her, she still held on to her, stroking her face. She felt panic rising from the pits of her stomach when she saw the woman was unresponsive, she didn’t know whether to call for an ambulance… she was in the home of a doctor and was too confused on whether she could actually ask Lada for help when ‘she’ had caused this…

“Wan?...” Ira voiced out, gently shaking the still figure… her panic only grew when she saw no reaction.

“Wan…” She shook her a bit harder this time, and once she was met with the same lack of reaction, her panic morphed into a full-blown fear as she looked up at Earn who was still in the room, observing them with a gaze that was filled with sadness and a lingering apparent shock.

“What do I do N’Earn? Sh-…” her voice cracked with tears as she spoke “She’s not answering, she-, … she al-lways answers, sh- she’s not moving” Ira wanted to be mad at Earn but couldn’t, the girl hadn’t done anything to her… she was as much of a victim in this as Tawan… just with not as many bruises, well physical bruises at least, but that’s a given. She still addressed the actress as her idol, she knew Earn had no obligation to be nice to Tawan, especially after all the things that she’d said and insinuated, and by extension Ira herself didn’t expect kindness, but she was panicked and worried for her bodyguard that had gone still. She was desperate for any kind of help. She was immensely shocked to watch the actress’s eyes soften to her, ~even after everything? You care? ~ was the fleeting thought in Ira’s mind.

“Let me get a wet towel for her, you can clean her up in the guest room on this floor and I’ll g-” Earn was still speaking, already making a move towards the kitchen, when she saw Lada pass by her swiftly, heading towards an unconscious Tawan and a defensive Ira on the ground, and was cut short. She hadn’t expected to see the doctor anytime soon.

Ira, seeing the doctor walking towards them, though the air surrounding Lada now was no longer threatening, tightened her grip around Tawan, in a bid to protect her that didn’t go unnoticed by the doctor. Lada already felt bad and seeing Ira react that way to her very presence made her feel even worse. Still, she had a mission in mind that she aimed to fulfill. She knelt down slowly beside Tawan's still form and only then did Ira notice that the Lada wasn't empty handed. Lada placed the small first aid kit she kept at home in case of emergencies beside her, she heard Earn's footsteps slowly approach her from behind, and avoided looking at Ira as she took a towel she had brought with her. Ira released her hold on the now patient. Silently, she cleaned her sisters face, her touch was soft as she ran the towel over Tawan's face.

The air was thick with tension, unspoken words and unanswered questions. Both Idols, ached to say something, anything... but with a silent understanding between them that it was probably still too delicate of a time to speak.

Lada dropped the previously white towel, now reddening with blood, on the ground. She took a deep breath and exhaled, proceeding to examine the cuts and state of her sister's nose and treating it accordingly. Ira seeing that Lada wasn't panicked, felt just a bit lighter. She didn't fully understand the situation, and couldn't even be completely angry at Lada, though she wanted to..., she knew the bodyguard had poked and provoked Lada. -disappointed- that was it, that was what she felt watching Lada silently work. She wondered how things had gotten this bad in the mere hour that they'd been here.

Lada put the last bandaid above Tawan's eyebrow and exhaled again. She stood up and gently leaned down, lifting Tawan into her arms, she walked to a room down the hall. Earn and Ira followed closely behind her. Earn already knowing it was the guest room was where they were headed, Ira, a stranger to this house voiced out.

"Where are you taking her Lada?"...

"The guest room, she needs rest."

It was Earn that responded. She had a feeling that Lada wouldn't have replied and she didn't want to escalate the matters that seemed to finally be dieing down. A voice argued with Earn in her head though, it asked her why she was still there, why she was still helping Lada even after everything. If anything, she should be the first to leave, remove herself from the situation that had painted her the lowest of the low. Even if she was acknowledged as Lada's wife now, she didn't like that it took 6 months for Lada to build the courage to admit that she was married and to Earn. She argued back that the doctor would never hurt her willingly, that there had to be a reason, but Lada's behavior these past 3 weeks to her only weakened the argument, she had been disappointed, ignored and pushed aside by Lada for weeks, she had been lied to by Lada for years about being an only child, she had been kept hidden from her life. She apparently had a hefty reputation with other women. She felt like she didn't know who she married. She wondered again why she was still there. She halted at the door of the guest room, watching Ira head straight for the bed and stay beside Wan when Lada gently laid her on the bed. And knelt down with her head bent.

Earn was turning away to remove herself from the house, from this situation as a whole when Lada -as if she sensed Earn's growing detachment- finally said something

"I'm sorry Earn, Ira... Tawan..." her voice muffled by the tears that choked her.

"Ira, please when Tawan wakes up, Tell me... she and I need to talk before... before she hates me forever... we all do... I'll answer any questions you both have when she's up" she finished standing up and walking towards Earn still at the door.

"Please..." Lada whispered under her breath, quiet but loud enough for both idols to hear her. She didn't need to look to know that Ira had nodded in response.

She promptly took Earns hand in hers while she closed the door behind her. She started leading them up the stairs in silence to the bedroom they shared, a room that had once been a sanctuary for Earn. Stepping into the dimly lit room, Earn wondered why she allowed herself be led here... maybe to satisfy her curiosity?... to get her own answers?... but no, she knew the real reason... as much as she wanted to leave, she didn't want to leave P'mor alone with everything that had happened... she scoffed inwardly at herself.