Saving Humanity

Chapter Thirty-Four: The Rest of It

Chapter Thirty-Four: The Rest of It

Holly

I wake up in a bed inside the infirmary.

The sun is shining brightly through the window by my head, making my vision blurry. I try to prop myself up using my hands, but my body is too weak.

Why am I here? What happened?

"Gising ka na pala, Holly."

Tumingin ako sa kaliwa ko, kung saan nakita ko si Kenji na nakaupo sa ibabaw ng mesa habang nakatingin sa akin. He's wearing a face mask, and a stethoscope dangles from his neck. Unti-unti ay bumalik ang linaw ng paningin ko.

Before I manage to ask what happened, everything comes flooding back. Jared and Ephraim, facing four opponents who were attacking them all at once.

Kenji must've seen the panic in my eyes, because he stands up and walks towards me. Tinanggal niya ang kanyang face mask at binigyan niya ako ng ngiti.

"Huwag kang mag-alala," he says. "Ayos lang si Jared. He busted his upper lip, right eye swollen shut and there are bruises all over his body. Other than that, he's completely fine."

"Nasaan siya?" tanong ko.

Kenji's eyes drifted from me, to the bed at my right. Nang lumingon ako, bumungad sa akin si Jared na wala pa ring malay. His face looks just like how Kenji described: busted lip, swollen eye and bruises. As I see the results of Sgt. Agustin's dark plan, my heart lurches and tears start to form at the corners of my eyes.

That wench. I'm going to make sure that she'll pay for this.

And Max... I'm certain that he was involved as well. They're never going to get away with this.

"How about Ephraim?" I ask Kenji. "Nasaan siya?"

"He's resting in his room," Kenji answers quickly. "He passed out way too early compared to Jared, kaya hindi siya masyadong napuruhan. All he got is a black eye and swollen lips."

It feels like a huge weight has been lifted off my chest. My friends are safe. Injured, but away from any grave dangers. That's the most important thing for me right now.

"Magpahinga ka na rin muna," abiso ni Kenji. He scoots closer to me and puts a hand at the top of my head. "I'm sure Jared will wake up soon."

Tumango ako. "Maraming salamat, Kenji."

He smiles at me. "You're welcome. I'm glad that you guys are safe."

Muli akong nahiga, at ipinikit ang mga mata ko. Within seconds, sleep takes me into its comforting arms again. When I wake up a few hours later, Jared is already up, staring at me from across his bed.

I prop myself up into a sitting position, then I smile at him.

"How are you feeling?" tanong ko sa kanya.

He smiles before answering. "Wonderful."

His voice is hoarse, maybe because of too much shouting during the fight. Or maybe, someone punched his throat and damaged his vocal chords. No, I'm getting paranoid again. Kenji said that Jared is fine, and I should believe him.

"What happened during the fight?" Jared asks me, his eyes hopeful. "Did I win?"

I shake my head. "I don't know. I passed out while you were fighting."

His eyes widen. It seems like he woke up just minutes before I did. He has no idea what happened to me.

"Kaya pala nandito ka rin," he observes. "Anong nangyari sa'yo? Bakit ka hinimatay?"

There's no point in lying, so I tell him the truth. That I passed out because I was too worried for him and Ephraim's safety. That I can't stand the thought of them being in danger, while I did nothing but watch from afar.

"There's absolutely nothing that you could've done," Jared tells me after I'm done recalling the events. His eyes look so sincere, so full of warmth that I feel a hitch in my throat. "Don't blame yourself, Holly. I chose to be there."

"Still, ang hirap na panoorin kayong dalawa na binubugbog ng mga tao ni Max," I admit. Then my eyes focus on him. "They planned this. Sgt. Agustin and Max. Sinadya nila na ibahin ang mechanics para mapuruhan ka. They knocked Ephraim out first, then focused their attention on you."

He nods. "I know."

He knew? Yet, he still chose to go through with it. I can't believe him, sometimes. It's like he always has something to prove. Once he set his mind on to something, even the most dangerous situation won't stop him. This is his characteristic that I hate the most, yet I still admire him for it.

"Sa tingin mo, bakit nila iyon ginawa?" tanong ko sa kanya. "Do you think they know something about why we're awake? That we got abducted by extra-terrestrial beings to perform some experiments on us?"

Saglit na nag-isip si Jared. Isinandal niya ang ulo niya sa headboard ng kama at tumahimik. Pagkatapos ng ilang segundo ay nagsalita siya.

"I'm certain that Sgt. Agustin knows about the extra-terrestrial beings. At kung totoo nga ang nilalaman ng mga documents na nakita natin sa Malacanan, that the President voluntarily offered our country to us, then he most likely know about us. I wouldn't be surprised if he is already doing what he can to capture our friends."

Sina Felicity, Ian, Andre at Pauline. Kung nasaan man sila, sana maayos ang kanilang kalagayan. I hope that they were able to find the Sanctuary. Because if the place that Pauline talked about really exists, this isn't it. This place is the complete opposite of what a sanctuary should be.

"We have to be careful, then," I say. "We can't trust anyone. Not even Kenji and Kenneth. Or James and Sandy." And Ephraim. And Raf. The only ones we can trust are each other.

"We still have a lot of questions about the extra-terrestrial beings. There's a lot that we need to uncover about their plans. But one thing is for certain." He looks back at me, his eyes full of sheer determination. "Not all of the extra-terrestrial beings are enemies. Some are on our side."

I give him a look of confusion. "What do you mean?"

He takes a deep breath before answering, as if his next words are the heaviest ones he's ever going to say.

"That night, when we were abducted by them... I remember the rest of it."