" There you go. The wounds are all wrapped up. You can do home resting but I recommend you to stay here for a little while for faster recovery. "
" Thanks doctor but I think I can go home." Ren answers.
"Are you sure about that sweetie?" worriedly asks Sarah.
"I'm fine mom, I just need a rest. Have you checked on Ashley? "
"I'm fine." a familiar voice says from behind. It's Ashley in a wheelchair together with her father.
"Ren can I talk to you?" asks Ashley.
Ren went down from the bed he was sitting from and got the wheelchair from Ashley's dad. He pushes her to the elevator then to the roof top.
"The stars are so wonderful tonight, who would have thought that they can kill you when you're near them." says Ren as he leans forward to handrails of the roof.
He didn't receive an answer so he turned to his back and witnessed the girl crying.
"What happened? Are you alright?"
"Ren, thank you for putting your life in danger just for me."
Ren laughs as he puts his hand above Ashley's hair and messes with it.
"As long as I'm around, no one will lay a hand on you. I promise"
Both later on felt the coldness of the night and decided to go back inside. Ren delivered Ashley to her room and helped her lay in her bed. She closes her eyes for a second.
When she opened them back, the closing face of Ren shocked her and made her heart tremble. Her ears began to heating followed by her cheeks. She cannot talk nor move. The only thing her body allowed her to do was to tighten her grip and close her eyes.
Seconds later, she felt Ren's lips landed in her forehead.
"Goodnight Ashley." Ren whispers and left the room.
" He kissed me. He kissed me to the forehead? Am I his grandmother? " exclaimed Ashley in her mind followed by an unexplained giggle and then slept.
"Ren Johnson, may I talk to you?"
Ren closes the rooms door and notices officer Arnold. The officer handed a cup of coffee and invited the man to seat with him.
"If somehow the operation didn't turn out well, I will be detaining you right now."
"I'm sorry officer, it seems that my rational mind cannot win against my intuitions."
"Well let's stop talking about it. I will be fired immediately once my seniors knew that I arrested someone who helped me won't I?"
The conversation ended with the officer's tap on Ren's shoulder and then they went on separate ways.
"Goodluck boy."
Ren waves his hand to answer to the officer's words.
He went straight to his father's car which is waiting in the parking lot. They immediately drove home and in the midst of the travel, Jake broke the silence.
"So you found someone whom you are willing to risk your life for. It seems like your risking that life and at thesame time forgetting that someone wants you to cherish it."
"Your being selfish Dad! I just want to help and can't you see? I came out alive."
Lines suddenly formed deep at Jake's forehead. He steps on the brake and focused at Ren on the rear mirror.
"YES, YOU CAME OUT ALIVE BUT WHAT DO YOU THINK WOULD WE FEEL THE MOMENT YOU ARE STILL IN THE SCENE. LOOK AT YOUR MOTHER. SHE'S ASLEEP BUT TEARS ARE FLOWING THROUGH HER EYES. THOSE TEARS ARE FOR YOU. DON'T TALK ABOUT YOUR IDEOLOGIES IN FRONT OF YOU WHEN YOU FORGET THE PEOPLE BEHIND YOU!"
The night ended with silence. Ren slept with overflowing conscience in his mind. He kept on thinking about his own stupidity and his inability to respond to his parents' actions for him.
Morning came and his alarm clock didn't wake him. The words encouragement from his mother entered his ears and forces his eyes to open.
" What did this angel do to me? How could I possibly make this woman cry?"
"Ren breakfast is ready go on I'm going to fix your room."
Without responding to his mother's words. Ren's heart made him hug his mother while tears dropped from his eyes.
" Sorry mom I didn't realize how worried you are to me. Sorry mom I forgot about your feelings. Sorry mom, sorry."
Sarah responded with a hug filled with happiness.
" I love you sweetie, just don't try anything dangerous again. Now go eat your food. "
James on the other side delivered coffee to her daughter who just woke up.
"Hi Ash, how are you feeling?"
"I'm fine Dad. I think I can be discharged today."
"I heard you really would like to see your mother?"
"Yeah"
" Ash let me tell you something. Something which happened the time when your mind cannot record informations for you to recall."
"When you were born, you are a magnificent gift to your mother and I. You became our life, our butter and our inspiration. Every morning you are our joy and happiness."
"The day you turned four, our world crumbled. You are diagnosed as having an abnormal heart. Your heart as explained by the doctor is not pumping enough blood for your body. This resulted to frequent fainting. We then decided to find a donor for you."
"It's a success in a sad way. A girl in a near death state caused by an stray bullet agreed to donate her heart. Luckily, the heart was a match."
"The heart surgery was then conducted to you and the other child and your mother waited for the heart. Your heart was already out and we waited for the ambulance containing your mother with your new heart."
"Minutes passed but they can't seem to arrive. I felt something wrong that time and so I opened the television in a room beside me. A news appeared and I was weakened by what I saw. The ambulance you mother was riding is bumped by a ten wheeler truck."
"I immediately proceeded to the scene myself. It's too late when I arrived. Your mother was already gone but she never let go of the box containing your heart. With my tears rushing down my face, I took the heart to you. The next thing I know, half of my world collapsed."
While Jason was telling his story, he felt Ashley's comforting hug behind him. He's tears are already about to fall but he's restraining them.
" Ashley, Don't forget about the next things I will tell you."
"Your mothers name is Ashley. The child who's heart you have now is named Vika."
"I am named from my mother and my donor?" asks Ashley.
"Yes sweetheart. Your name " Ashley Vika " reminds me of my reasons for living. "
"Thanks dad, now I know that I don't need to seek for my mom because she will always be with me."