CHAPTER 368 - PIECE OF MEMORY
JAY-JAY'S POV
I hear the sound of the ambulance. There's blood—fresh blood—but I don't know who it came from. I was looking through the small window; many shadows were passing by. I blinked several times until I gradually felt the pain in my palm. I had been holding something—someone—and immediately let go.
I turned around when I heard a noise. I stared at the shadow outside. I was about to walk out when I tripped and fell. I dropped to my knees and looked at what I had stumbled over.
A leg.
I looked to see whose it was. I stared carefully.
Aries' leg.
He was unconscious, and his clothes were soaked in blood.
That's all I remember.
I explained everything to Aries. He insisted on asking for every detail I could recall from that night. I really didn't want to, but he said it would help him understand my situation.
But I can't give him any more details.
"Jay..." my brother called me pleadingly.
I shook my head and hugged my legs, curling up on my knees.
I glanced at the nurse after she finished cleaning up and left. My IV drip was removed and replaced with cotton and tape.
I couldn't tell him that every time I look back, the emotions from that night come flooding back. The fear, the pain, the anguish, and the weight in my chest. My head begins to ache, dizziness creeps in, and I remember the scent of blood and the freezing temperature in the room. My stomach churns every time.
"I don't remember anything. That's all," I said, trying to hold back my tears.
"That's enough," Keifer said from the corner of the room.
"No, it's not. She might remember more if she recalls everything from that night," my brother insisted.
Keifer shook his head and stepped between Aries and me. "You don't know what could happen to her because of what you're doing!"
My brother, standing just in front of him, was clearly irritated. Even Yuri, who had just arrived, stepped in.
"Keifer is right. It's too risky for Jay-Jay," he said, pushing the two apart slightly.
Percy was just at the table, hugging the air freshener he bought with one arm and munching on fries with the other. He kept looking around, following the speaker like he was watching a movie.
"What do you know about her situation? She needs to talk so we can inform the psychiatrist and get her help," Aries said, annoyed.
His tone was rising. I know the King of Serpents won't back down. Even though I didn't want to face them, I forced myself to leave my seat and pulled Keifer, who was closest to me.
"That's enough. Are you really going to fight here?"
He ignored me.
"I know more than you!" he snapped at my brother.
Aries looked stunned. He tried to approach Keifer, but Yuri held him back.
"You think you're better than me?" Aries challenged.
Oh, of course.
They just have to compete. It quickly escalated into an argument. Naturally, the King won't allow himself to be outdone.
"Of course! I'm always better than you!" Keifer shouted.
He answered without hesitation. If it weren't for Yuri standing between them, they probably would've lunged at each other by now. It looked like they were truly fed up with one another.
Aries tried to come over to push Keifer, but it was Yuri who ended up pushing him. Fortunately, he didn't fall too hard. I immediately approached him. The King retaliated by quickly grabbing my brother and pushing him back with force. He didn't fall either, but that was reason enough for them to start fighting.
"Hey! Hey!" I shouted while helping Yuri.
Aries was about to throw a punch, but before it landed, someone sprayed air freshener—on all of us, including me.
Tangina. It actually smelled good.
I immediately closed my eyes and covered my face with my hands. My eyes hurt, and I could barely breathe because of the strong scent. It would've been pleasant if it hadn't hit us at such a sensitive moment.
"There! Air freshener to freshen your brains," said Percy, who didn't stop spraying.
"Stop! Stop it!" Aries yelled angrily.
"It burns my eyes!" Keifer shouted.
"What the hell! Stop it, Percy!" Yuri said, coughing beside me. It was obvious he was struggling to breathe.
"That's enough!" I cried out, eyes tearing up.
Fortunately, the bottle seemed to run out. He had been spraying it nonstop since he arrived, and now it was finally empty. He gave it one last shake and tried pressing it again.
"It's over," he announced.
We all wiped our faces and coughed, trying to get rid of the effects of what Percy had done. I could still taste the bitterness on my tongue even though I hadn't inhaled it directly.
Annoying. It would've been fine if it tasted good.
"What the fuck, Percy?" I heard Yuri say.
"You wasted the whole bottle just to mess with us!" Keifer added angrily.
"It was worth it—did you see how quiet you all got?"
"It was our eyes and lungs that suffered! Fix it!" I snapped, slowly opening my eyes.
I could hear Aries still coughing. I started to feel nervous—he seemed to be having trouble breathing. Once I could open my eyes fully, I immediately went over to him. I couldn't help but feel scared, especially knowing he only had one good lung… because of me.
"Aries," I called out to him.
He pointed at his throat and gestured with his hand for a drink. I understood what he meant, so I quickly grabbed a bottle of mineral water from the table. I opened it and handed it to him.
He seemed to feel a little better, though the coughing continued. "Damn, it itches my throat."
It was a relief that that was the worst of it.
I turned to my stepbrother, who was now spraying the last bit of the air freshener on himself. I guess he thought the smell was soothing—even though it had already turned suffocating.
"Do you realize we could've died because of that air freshener?" I asked, clearly annoyed.
"Sis, your breath is more deadly," he replied.
What a fool. Remind me why I tolerate him?
He's seriously crazy! I even brushed my teeth, and he still claims something smells.
"I'm more ashamed of the smell coming from your shit!"
"Exactly. You should be ashamed of making a handsome guy like me smell it," he answered arrogantly.
I lifted my foot to kick him, but he stepped back just in time to dodge it. He laughed at me. I was about to go after him again when Keifer called my name, grabbing my attention.
So good at being annoying.
"Are you okay?" Keifer asked.
I rubbed one of my eyes before facing him. "I'm okay. It just stings a bit."
He used the end of his shirt to gently wipe my eyes.
"Me too! Wipe mine! They hurt because of your teasing," Percy said mockingly, pushing his face closer to Keifer.
"Fuck off," the King muttered in reply.
My stepbrother just laughed. He continued to smile while looking at all of us. Once we'd all calmed down—especially Aries—he spoke up.
"Are you all good now? No more fighting?" he asked as we looked at him. "Can we all stay calm when it comes to Jay's condition—especially you two," he added, pointing to Keifer and Aries.
The two looked away. Of course, they couldn't deny that they were always the ones who had issues and were quick to get into trouble. No matter what the reason was, they'd get angry. Even if it was something as small as dust, they'd still fight.
I can't blame them.
They've been through a lot. There was a big rift in their friendship—the trust between them was broken, and there hadn't even been a proper conversation to fix it.
"Whose problem are you trying to solve for?" Percy asked seriously.
When he gets serious like that, I change. I couldn't help but think he was angry. Maybe seriousness just doesn't suit him.
"Learn to set aside your issues. This is for the sake of your sister," he said to Aries. "And your girlfriend," he added, looking at Keifer.
My brother raised an eyebrow. It was as if something snapped in his patience, and Percy seemed irritated by what he said.
"G-Girlfriend? Who? They're not fucking dating. My sister is no one's girlfriend. Don't ever say that. She's not Keifer's girlfriend," he said all at once, like he wanted to lunge at Percy.
Here we go again.
"I just said calm down!" Percy snapped, but Aries didn't listen. "There's space here, dude, space!"
"Enough with the jokes," Yuri said, and we all looked at him. "Percy is right. We should all set aside our personal issues. We all want the same thing—to know Jay-Jay's situation and help her. I'm willing to deal with everything later. Are you? Who's with me?"
Yuri, the patient one.
Even he had a falling out with Aries. He often avoided my brother, but here he was, ready to set their issues aside. I couldn't help it—it softened my heart. Like Mammon.
I immediately approached Yuri and hugged him. He accepted it and hugged me back. I knew he was going through a lot—so many things he hadn't been able to fix, not just for himself, but for his family. Yet here he was, still ready to help me.
Am I bad for thinking badly of him? Am I wrong for suspecting he might be planning something against Keifer because of the paper I found in his equipment? Am I terrible for doubting him?
I know he's a good person, so it's really hard to accept what's happening to him. I want to know the truth, because I don't want to judge him based on the little I know.
"I have a big sin against you. I want to make up for what I've done," he whispered, kissing the top of my head. "I regret forcing you to be with me—to be my fiancée. I should've understood your situation first."
I shook my head. "We're the same. I made mistakes too."
"See? That's what I'm talking about," Percy said, and we looked at him before I pulled away from the hug. "Let's put it all aside—for Jay-Jay's sake. I'm with Yuri on this... only for Jay-Jay."
"I'm always willing to do everything for my girl," Keifer said, and I couldn't help but smile. ❤️
We all looked at Aries, who didn't seem ready to agree with what the three of them had decided. He looked at me, and I saw the sadness in his eyes.
"For the sake of my sister. But if it's not about her, don't expect us all to be okay."
Still as stubborn as ever.
"Okay, okay," Percy said with a nod. "It's better that we don't all agree. Let's just talk about what to do next."
I looked at Keifer when I saw his hand outstretched toward me. I took it, and he pulled me close, kissing me on the forehead. He wrapped his arm around me, but Aries immediately smacked his hand away, making him let go.
"Your flirting with my sister is not part of the deal," he said sternly, motioning for me to come to him.
I walked over, snorting. He glared at me, as if to say, 'Be quiet.' I just nodded and stood beside him.
"You're so rude thinking I had no choice," I said as I faced Percy, who was currently lowering the handles on the table.
"So, like this…" Percy started, and we all made sure our attention was fully on him.
Yuri leaned in even closer to hear properly. We were seriously waiting—because when Percy gets serious, it usually means he has something big to say. Like I said, it only happens once in a while, so it must be important.
"We're going to take Jay-Jay to the mental hospital," he said—and I burst into tears. 😂
Of course!
My brother started cursing, one after another. Keifer was about to lunge at Percy, but Yuri pulled him back. Things started getting chaotic, and we could barely hear each other because everyone was talking at the same time.
"Am I really that bad that I need to be sent to a mental hospital?" I asked through tears.
"You son of a bitch! My sister does a lot of crazy things, but she's still normal!" Aries said angrily.
Wow! Thanks for the defense.
"This conversation is getting real!" Yuri added, clearly annoyed while still holding Keifer back.
"You're out of your mind! You want to take you to the ICU now?!" the King snapped.
"EVERYONE CALM DOWN!" Percy shouted, and we slowly started to settle. "I'm not talking about a public mental hospital. I'm talking about Romana Asylum."
Keifer calmed down, so Yuri let go of him. Aries and Yuri both looked thoughtful after hearing the name. I was curious too—
Romana Asylum sounded… fancy.
Is that a person?
"What are you thinking?" the King asked Percy.
I wiped my face with my arm, then rubbed it on Aries out of spite. He just shot me a look before turning back to Percy.
"I know a doctor who specializes in trauma. He's working at Romana Asylum. If we bring Jay—"
"If we take Jay-Jay there, she might never get out," Keifer interrupted.
Well, might as well go to jail now.
I grabbed my brother's arm. I didn't like where this was going. They were talking about me like I wasn't even there.
"They don't admit anyone without a proper diagnosis," Percy explained.
The King of Snakes washed his face. "Percy, that place is basically a prison. I'm not escorting Jay to that asylum."
"Then let's just have her see the doctor there."
"Then let's invite the doctor somewhere else. We'll pay for his time. I'll double or even triple the fee."
Percy sighed. "That's the problem. He doesn't leave the asylum."
"Then let's find a different doctor," Yuri said, raising his voice.
"Before you all go doctor-hunting, did I ever say I agreed to any of this? And what's even in that Romana Asylum?" I asked, clearly annoyed.
It's frustrating. I don't even understand half of what they're saying. And now they're debating whether to admit me or not—without even asking if I want to go. They act like they know better than I do.
Are we even here? Do we not get a say?
Keifer turned to me and finally answered. "Romana Asylum is a private psychiatric hospital. They usually treat elites, old money, and famous people who want to keep their condition private. But I've never heard anything good about it."
"But they have a reputation for handling even the worst psychotic cases," Percy interjected.
"So you're okay bringing Jay-Jay there?" Aries asked, challenging him.
"Just for a check-up," my stepbrother corrected.
"I haven't even agreed yet, have I?" I reminded them.
Seriously, what is wrong with them?
"Hey Sis, don't be scared. We'll be with you during the check-up," Keifer tried to assure me.
"I'm still not willing," I said firmly.
"First, let's find an available doctor. Preferably one who's nearby. Then let's wait for Jay-Jay's permission," Yuri said, and I immediately nodded in agreement.
Yuri and Percy were basically forced to agree. Aries was just looking at me like he was trying to telepathically say something.
I don't have telekinesis, bro.
"Okay, we'll look for a doctor, then wait for Jay," he said with a sigh.
"Hey, I haven't even agreed yet!" I reminded them.
"Whatever. Let's talk about it when we get there."
I snorted. They better not force me. I'm not comfortable with psychiatrists. They haven't done anything bad to me, but it's hard to talk to strangers. Even if I know they're experts, I still don't know them.
What if they tell Kuya everything I say?
"Who would've thought I'd see the four of you talking like friends again?"
We both turned toward the door to see who spoke. Calling of the devil—it was the fake angel.
He was looking at us seriously while holding a paper bag and a piece of paper.
He walked in and handed me the paper bag. "Your clothes. You can go home now."
FINALLY!!
I took it right away. I could've jumped for joy. I glanced at the contents for a moment before heading to the bathroom to get changed. I didn't even notice the door close behind me. While I was dressing, I could hear them talking.
"Are you guys getting along again?" Kuya asked, and they all answered almost at the same time.
"Sort of," Keifer replied.
"No, not gonna happen," Aries added.
"Something like that," said Yuri.
"Alright," Percy muttered.
Clearly, they only answered because they had to. I can't blame them—they just said earlier that they were only okay with each other when it came to helping me.
Should I be happy? They agreed just to help take me to the doctor. But maybe it's a good start. If they keep talking, even just a little, maybe next time they'll be able to talk longer. And once they've talked long enough, maybe they'll finally be able to settle things.
Maybe even forgive each other.
After I got dressed, I came out and started fixing what I could. I suddenly remembered the key Keigan had given me. I looked for it on my bed, and thankfully, it hadn't gone far. It was just nestled at the edge of the mattress.
When I looked up, I was about to hand it to Keifer, but then I remembered what Keigan told me—that I should only give it to his brother if something bad happened to him. I know it seems like the right time to hand it over, but I'd be breaking Keigan's trust if I went against what he asked.
I quickly hid the key when Keifer turned to me.
"You done?" he asked.
I smiled and nodded. He walked over to take the paper bag from me, and I discreetly slipped the key into my pants pocket.
I looked at Kuya when I noticed he was cleaning up the stuff on the table. He gathered the leftover food and bottled water into a paper bag. Then he turned to us, noticing we were all just staring at him.
"So, none of you are going to help me?" he complained.
Keifer, Yuri, Aries, and Percy all exchanged glances before finally moving. They stepped forward—not toward him, but straight out the door.
I quickly followed them. I didn't want Kuya to get annoyed.
We waited outside the room. Coincidentally, the doctor passed by and looked at me before calling Kuya Angelo "stupid." If I'm not mistaken, his name is Lucius. He looked confused, probably wondering why the five of us were just standing outside.
We're waiting for a miracle.
"Are you discharged?" he asked me, and I nodded.
He was about to walk away but stopped when he saw Kuya Angelo coming out of the room.
He grinned.
"Angelo—" He didn't get to finish what he was about to say because Kuya suddenly hit him in the face with the garbage bag he was holding.
"Look, trash is attracted to trash," Kuya said, like he was teaching me a lesson.
I heard Keifer, Yuri, Aries, and Percy laugh.
"Very funny," said Doc Lucius dryly.
Kuya Angelo turned his back on him. "Don't forget to throw that away for us."
Doc didn't say anything back—Kuya had already walked off. We followed right after, but I made sure to thank him first before leaving. He just smiled at me before picking up the garbage bag.
I can go home now, which means I can eat solid food.
Yes! My stomach can finally recover.