21 Days

XIII: The Unexpected Guests

                The following day, at 5 o clock in the morning, Seven woke up to the extreme pain on his leg. The anesthesia has worn off and he was enduring his pain utter silence. Jake was lying down next to him and immediately noticed the restrained hisses coming from the person next to him. He jolts awake to see Seven sweating harshly and groaning in pain. What more, he was running a fever.

                Jake looked around to see that Hiro and Sky was gone and aside from him, Seven and the still tied Shelly, there was no one else in the room.

                “You alright dude?” Jake asked Seven who was still in pain.

                “G..Give me some pain reliever.” Seven pleaded and Jake started looking around on the medicinal cabinets to see if there were some.

                “If you untie me I could help you find it.” It was Shelly who woke up because of the commotion.

                “Don’t trust her Jake.” Seven said, pushing himself up and although dizzy from the fever, glared at Shelly.

                “You think you’re the only one in pain b***h?” Shelly cursed as her left wrist was stinging with pain as well.

                “I’ll find it instead.” Seven insisted and forced himself to stand up but he quickly fell down because he lacks the energy to support himself.

                “Just trust me with this one. What can I do when I have no weapon and s**t?” Shelly inisisted.

                “How about no?” Hiro appeared from the door and an audible sigh could be heard from Shelly. “Stop teasing the young ones just because they’re naïve—“

                “Not me.” Seven cleared and Jake was feeling guilty.

                “Okay not you but it’s great that you didn’t release the girl or else you’ll be body slammed before you knew it.” Hiro said this towards Jake who was standing quietly next to the medicine cabinets.

                “If you knew that then why don’t you just kill me?” Shelly snorted.

                “While people are striving to survive, you want yourself dead?” Hiro handed Seven the medicine and forced some on Shelly’s mouth but she spat it out.

                “Not your lost girlie.” Hiro said upon how Shelly acted up despite giving some pain meds.

                “Where’s Sky?” Seven asked.

                “Heading for the truck.” Hiro said. He started to scribble things after looking at the telescope.

                “What?! Why?” It was Jake who asked.

                “You see, Aiki’s been bugging him off since last night. Apparently, Sky was planning to stay here for a week and Aiki didn’t know. His radio won’t shut up and this morning, he was woken up by his radio buzzing and Aiki informing him that she’s already parked next to the truck.” Hiro sighed.

                “What the heck are you people talking about?” it was Shelly.

                “Probably none of your business.” Hiro forced as smile and once again looked up at the telescope.

                Not far from where they’re at, he saw a light from a flashlight and four people walking. Hiro scratched his head. It was definitely Sky walking.

                “Ah s**t why did she bring more people?” Hiro said and Jake heard it.

                “What do you mean?” He walked to where Hiro was and sure enough, he saw some familiar faces from afar.

--

                “You’re alive?” It was Aiki’s first reaction when she saw Hiro in front of him.

                “You don’t look happy.” Hiro said.

                “I’m not.” Aiki said while shaking her head. “Your girl is dead and you’re not? How is that fair.”

                “Aiki.” Sky held onto Aiki’s arm. Hiro was looking at her not expecting the words that just came out of her mouth.

                “But why? If this b***h didn’t leave her alone then she’s probably still with us.” Aiki threw this on Sky’s face, Seven and Jake were just watching from behind.

                The other two people that Aiki didn’t mention to be coming was Jay and Ethan. Jay arrived there with his stomach turning to be really queasy and Ethan was brought by Aiki knowing that he was useful when it comes to action.

                “And you lied to me about not being here for long.” Aiki said angrily towards Sky.

                “Is this some couple’s business because one, it feels disgusting and two, really unnecessary.” Shelly commented from a pole where she was now tied.

                “And who the hell is that girl?” Aiki was still mad. She was glaring daggers at Sky who obviously was stressed by the whole situation. “You wanted to be here because of her right?”

                “Yeah b***h he’s here because he misses me.” Shelly laughed thinking the situation was really funny.

                “Shut up for a second will you?!” Sky was frustrated. “if you’re going to act up then you should have not come here.”

                “You…. You jerk. After how I showed you how I’m concerned by you?” Aiki’s eyes tear up and she started walking away from the office and went on the shop downstairs.

                “You just made your girl cry.” Shelly mocked, still laughing.

                Sky was so done with how Shelly has been behaving and went near her and flashed a dagger on her throat. She was taken aback by how Sky grabbed her hair and pointed the sharp object on her neck, his jaw clenched out of frustration.

                “Should I kill you?” Sky whispered.

                “The pleasure would be on me.” Shelly answered back, smirking at Sky who pulled away from her as he too walked away to follow Aiki.

                “You didn’t mention how you guys are a bunch of interesting—humff.” Hiro finally tied Shelly’s mouth shut.

                “Too much noise.” Hiro said irritated.

                “Who is that witch and why is she so annoying?” Jay finally asked when he was able to collect himself. He was even sitting comfortably on the sofa in the middle of the room and was having some black coffee.

                “Are you sir in a vacation or something?” Ethan asked as he too sat on one vacant couch. Hiro was on the opposite and drawing maps and routes he thinks would be proper to get to the North base.

                “Why did you guys come with Aiki?” Hiro asked out of nowhere.

                “Just…--“ Jay started.

                “He forced me.” Ethan pointed at Jay who quickly turned red. “Aiki wants to refuse at first but then I have to show her my way with arrows.”

                “Oh shut up.” Jay rolled his eyes.

                “You’re just crowding the place. Go back home.” Seven commented from the side. He was lying down on a made bed with his head resting on a pillow. Jake has been tending onto him since and was sitting beside where Seven’s head was.

                “What happened to you? You’re miserable.” Jay pointed out.

                “Stuffs happen.” Seven said shortly. This caused Jay to frown as he doesn’t really get it.

                “You should all go back home as soon. It would be quicker with few people moving around and regarding that, you should trust me and Sky to do the process and we will return when we get help.”

                “What do you mean there’s help?” Ethan asked.

                “I think this is not the place where we should talk about it.” Hiro said warily as he knows well that despite the sleeping look Shelly was putting on, she was listening. “But all you have to do is trust us and go back to our safe place.”

                “I have to agree with that idea.” Jay said then he looked at Jake. “If it’s not for you I would not come here.”

                “Did I ask you to come here?” Jake said and Jay was unhappy that his effort wasn’t appreciated.

                “B..But.. but! I thought Seven brought you here so he could use you as a bait for those things.” Jay defended.

                “I’m not as worse as you.” Seven bluntly answered.

                “Stop talking bullshit.” Jay said and went back to his seat with a defeated sigh. Hiro was looking at them behind his eye glasses. Ethan was staring at Jay. He thought that Jay has becoming weirdly obsessed being with Jake whom he used to torture before.

                “I’ll ask Sky to bring you to the truck.” Hiro informed. “You can all drive home.”

                “I can’t.” Seven said and Hiro sighed.

                “Oh… Of course.” He said scratching his head.

                “I’ll drive then.” Jay proudly answered although he was not being asked.  

                “Can we do it tomorrow? Seven’s still not fine.” Jake informed and Hiro just agreed with it.

-

                Downstairs, Sky and Aiki were still arguing. Sky was getting fed up by her behavior and the fact that although they decided to cut their relationship off, Aiki was being too demanding.

                “You should’ve told me that you’ll stay here for a while. I should’ve come with you and not those brats!”

                “You see.” Sky sighed. “The city is not a safe place anymore where we could wander around freely.”

                “And so? What’s the difference? I know very well that it is not safe here and that there are bunch of these bullshit things lurking around. It’s the same Sky! You’re just making up excuses to leave me.” Aiki argued.

                “Aiki.” Sky looked at her eyes intently, her hands both on her shoulder. “We’re not like that anymore.”

                Aiki was silent. Sky pulled away his hands from her shoulder as she started to sob.

                “I know.” Aiki said with tears flooding her eyes. “I know that your wife and child is waiting for you. And what happened…. What happened was a onetime thing.”

                Sky was quiet. He didn’t mean to give Aiki the hopes up but that time, it just happened because she was so persistent and Sky can’t help but feel guilty of allowing her to do whatever she wants.

                “You should come with Seven and the others when they decide to get home.” Sky said as he went back upstairs. When he returned, all eyes were on him. He quickly flashed a smile at them and walked Where Shelly was.

                “We have so much we need to talk.” She said towards the girl and told everyone to leave the room except for Hiro of course and Seven who was sound asleep.

                “Why do they have to always exclude us?” Jay asked feeling a little bit pissed by how they were being treated. “Since we arrive at their place, I could feel this wall between us and those people.”

                “Shut up Jay.” Ethan sighed.

                They met Aiki on their way down. She was heading up stairs, her eyes were puffy and was obviously just finished crying and she ignored them all their way up.

                “See? How can she just barge in like that and not us?” Jay sighed.

                They made it downstairs, Jay headed straight for the red curtain and almost pulled it away but Jake grabbed his shirt from the back and shook his head.

                “What?” Jay frowned.

                Outside, gun shots could be heard from afar. Since it was morning, the ops have started to move once again.

                “There are those guys that could kill us if we’re seen.” Jake told Ethan and Jay. “Hiro mentioned about them and the fact that they’re likely to be involved with this whole thing.”

                “Wow Jake? So you know stuffs that we don’t? Are you finally getting accepted as one of them and exclude us? From all of these?”

                “Jay can you stop acting like a brat? You’re overthinking things.” Ethan held him on the shoulder to which he shoved off quickly.

                “Everything here is getting really annoying. This situation, those people and now you!” Jay pointed a finger right on Jake’s face.

                “Are we going to fight again?” Jake wasn’t happy about Jay’s behavior that he was now starting to get mad as well.

                “Should we?” Jay looked straight at Jake while cracking his fingers up.

                “Why don’t you two calm the heck down?” Ethan hissed. “This is no time to fight over nonsense. Jake knows stuff and he’s telling it to us. That’s the same thing. Can you stop acting like a baby? Try to grow up will you? It’s not time for shitty accusations like that.” Ethan snapped since he find it unreasonable that they were fighting about small things.

                “Goddamn it Ethan.” Jake cursed. “If you just want to know how I wanted to destroy Jay’s face from the beginning.”

                “I thought you have forgiven me you s**t?” Jay scowled.

                “Why would I? Do you even feel sorry for making my life miserable?” Jake yelled.

                Ethan was quiet. He was confused as it seems like what the two were arguing was not about being left out anymore, it feels like it was about them and he has to step aside.

                “Then SORRY! Are you happy now? How about punching me in the face so you know my apology is sincere?” Jay said angrily.

                “You two are hopeless.” Seven appeared from the stairs. He was still sweating and pale from all the pain yet he was trying his best to get down to where everyone was. Ethan quickly walked to where Seven was and helped him next to this vacant chair in a corner.

                “You alright? Why do you force yourself to come here.” Jake asked him. Seeing this pissed Jay off but didn’t talk about it.

                “Nah… I just hate the atmosphere above.” Seven chuckled. “I was surprised by the atmosphere here too. It’s damn the same.”

                “Sorry.” Jake apologized.

                ‘Why do you have to apologize to this whim? If he’s not limping then s**t would be fast and we could all come home.” Jay was agitated.

                “You calling him wimp not knowing he’s the one who saved me so I can’t get shot you s**t. Just f*****g shut up. Your mouth is the most annoying part of you.” Jake said while Ethan could only shake his head and sigh.

                “This will never end.” He said.

                “Just let them be. I wanted to see some action that’s why I came down here. I could hear your arguments from above and think it’s interesting.” Seven said in satisfaction.

                Jay looked at him and rolled his eyes. He walked to where there was no one and started kicking stuffs to release his frustration.

                “Seven, you have to deal with me when you’re healed.” Jay threatened.

                “Sure.” Seven said while smiling.