CHAPTER TWENTY
"Alice!" Jet screamed as he jumped towards her but he found himself staring at a shocked Alec and Ronnie.
The two older men stared at him wide-eyed as the crows flew out of the window, leaving only Ao who was still sitting on Jet but she was no longer glowing. Jet looked around the room. Everything was fuzzy. He had no idea where he was. And somehow, he got the feeling that he was forgetting something.
Alec quickly ran to his side and grabbed the younger man on the shoulder. "Jet, what happened? Why were you shouting Alice's name?"
Jet frowned at him. "Wait—where the hell am I?"
"You're at the hospital, mate," Ronnie answered. "You've been unconscious for a month now,"
"What?" Jet asked in shock. "No, no, no, wait," he shook his head in denial. "That can't be right. I. . . We were just by the sea earlier, right? Alec?"
Alec fell down on the floor as all his strength left him. Jet flayed his hands around, not sure how to support the older man and Ronnie rushed to his side. He helped Alec stood up and sat him down on the bed.
"I've been working with Ronnie for a whole month now, Jet. Because you were here the whole time—comatose just like how Alice had been,"
Jet gripped his head between his hands as he tried to remember. He let out a loud groan. As he tried to recollect his memories his head starting aching and everything was fuzzy. It was as if something was blocking his memories. He couldn't even remember what had happened after they arrived at the beach.
Alec gripped him in the shoulder. "Don't try to force it, kid. That might be more dangerous. Let's at least hear what the doctors will say,"
"Argh," Jet groaned as he lay back down on the bed. "My head. . . It's all. . . I don't know. Argh!"
He slammed his hands down on the bed and Ao cawed in shock before she took to the air and circled the room. She then settled herself on the side table where she covered her head with one of her wings. The three of them stared at her before Jet broke the silence.
"Why is she here?" he frowned, staring at the crow.
"Well, mate, I believe that crow just woke you up," Ronnie explained.
"Ao," Alec and Jet corrected, remembering Alice's murderous glare.
Ronnie raised both his hands in surrender as he nodded. "Well, Ao, then,"
The doctors arrived with Clinton. And as they checked Jet, they found out that nothing was wrong with him. Just like Alice. Though, the doctor did remark how Jet was obviously fatigue; which was a mystery since he did nothing for the whole month but rest.
As the doctors left the room, the three of them started getting Jet up to date with what has been happening since that morning. The crows at the Crescent lake, the crows outside his hospital room, and how Ao had glowed blue just before she woke Jet up but stabbing him in the chest; which the healers had already taken care of. And, most especially, how Jet was screaming Alice's name when he woke up.
"You sounded so panicked, mate. When you were screaming her name. You were even dripping cold sweat," Ronnie explained.
Jet slapped his own forehead, which turned it red. "Seriously. I know there's something in my memories but every time I try to remember my head starts hurting,"
"Maybe Alice made contact with you during your sleep. But since we don't know anything about this mental connection of yours to hers, it might be a side effect or something," Clinton mused out loud.
"Or something is blocking it," Alec added. "These murders of crows that appeared today, they're definitely not just for decorations. They're definitely been sent by Alice seeing as Ao is with them. So, they must mean something,"
Ronnie scratched his head in confusion. "I don't know, mate. I mean, controlling that huge number of birds must be no small feat. Why waste that much energy when she can simply just tell it to us herself?"
At Ronnie's statement, the whole room turned quiet as realization dawned on them. Alec paled at the thought and Jet gripped the hem of his shirt in self-loathe for not remembering anything.
"Which can only mean that she can't," Clinton voiced the dreaded thought. "Either she knew that Jet is out for the count or. . ." he let his voice trailed off, not wanting to say something that would upset the whole room. Though, he knew that they were on the same page as all three of the men with him had dark looks in their eyes.
Suddenly, Ao moved from the position she had put herself in. She flapped her wings a few times before she flew towards Jet's lap. She tilted her head to the side as if asking him a question. All of them stared at her with no idea what was happening. She cawed at him but it wasn't aggressive. Somehow, despite not understanding her, Jet got the feeling that she was worried about him.
She fluttered her wings a few times and she landed in front of Jet's right hand. Then, she started nuzzling her own head in his hand. With a laugh, Jet raised his hand and petted her. The little crow nibbled playfully at his fingers.
"Well," Alec started. "Seems like someone won over Ao," then he turned to Ronnie who was sitting beside him to whisper, "That little bird is a demon,"
Ao's head suddenly veered towards him as she let out an angry caw. His eyes widened in shock and quickly apologized. As soon as the word 'sorry' let his mouth, the crow returned to playing with Jet's hand. Ronnie burst out laughing, hitting Alec on the back repeatedly as he wiped an imaginary tear off his eyes. "Oh, mate. I'm sorry but she really hates your guts,"
Clinton stood up clapping his hands once. "Well, it's no use forcing Jet to remember. It might make this more complicated. I'm going back to the office. These crows of your sister are going to cost me quite a few reports so I better get started. Call me if anything happens,"
"Yes sir," the three of them answered simultaneously, though Jet's was more of a groan than an affirmation.
Alec stared at the crow playing with Jet. "You know, that glow that Ao had was kind of familiar,"
Jet patted Ao before he turned to the older man. "What do you mean?"
"It's just like how Alice's eyes glowed that night at the Abandoned Avenue," Alec described. "That same blue hue,"
Jet rolled his eyes at him. "Your eyes shine like that you know? It might be in your blood,"
Suddenly, Ronnie started snickering. "It's in the blood, mate? So, what you saying? Ao is Alec's other sister?"
Alec groaned at the older man's childishness but was also reminded why he and Jet had always gotten along despite the younger man's defiant nature. The three of them continued to joke and talk around about the long day they had.
And as the sun vanished over the horizon, the crows outside the hospital started circling the building once more.