Chapter 8 {N}
He spent every waking moment searching for Sage, asking anyone who might have seen him or had information about his whereabouts. But no one had seen or heard from him since he disappeared from the hospital.
Hector started to feel like he was losing his grip on reality. He had been through so much, and now he was facing the possibility of losing his friend once again. He didn't know how much more he could take.
One night, as Hector was walking through the city, he heard a strange sound coming from an alleyway. It sounded like someone was crying. He cautiously approached the alleyway and peered inside.
There, sitting against the wall, was Sage. He was hunched over, his face buried in his hands, and he was sobbing uncontrollably.
Hector rushed over to him, relieved to have found him. "Sage! What's wrong? Are you okay?"
Sage looked up at him, his eyes red and puffy. "Hector...I remember everything. Everything that happened while I was in the coma. The Boss, the torture...it's all coming back to me."
Hector felt his heart sink. He had feared that something like this would happen. "What do you mean? What did you remember?"
Sage took a deep breath. "The Boss...he's not just a criminal. He's a monster. He enjoys hurting people, torturing them. He did unspeakable things to me, Hector."
Hector felt sick to his stomach as Sage's words sank in. He had suspected that The Boss was capable of such atrocities, but to hear it confirmed was a whole other level of horror.
"I'm so sorry, Sage," Hector said, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder. "But you're safe now. He's gone. We got him."
Sage shook his head. "It's not that simple, Hector. He's still in my head. Every time I close my eyes, I see his face. I hear his voice. I feel his hands on me. I can't escape it."
Hector knew exactly what Sage was going through. He had seen it before, in other soldiers who had returned from war with PTSD. But he also knew that he couldn't just stand by and watch his friend suffer.
"We'll get through this together, Sage," Hector said, his voice firm and determined. "I'll be here for you every step of the way. We'll get you the help you need, whatever it takes."
Sage looked up at him, his eyes filled with tears. "Thank you, Hector. I don't know what I'd do without you."
Hector smiled at him, feeling a sense of hope for the first time in weeks. "You don't have to do anything without me, Sage. We're in this together, remember?"
And together they were facing the long and difficult road ahead, but with each other for support, they knew they could make it through.
As they sat there in silence, a knock on the door interrupted their thoughts. Hector got up to answer it, and to his surprise, he found Brandon and DD standing on the other side.
"Sage! We heard you woke up!" Brandon exclaimed, rushing over to hug his friend.
DD followed suit, wrapping her arms around Sage and holding him tightly. "We missed you so much," she said softly.
Sage was taken aback by their sudden appearance, but as he felt their warm embrace, he couldn't help but feel a sense of comfort and relief. He had missed them too, more than he had realized.
"Thank you for coming," Sage said, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Of course, man," Brandon said, pulling back to look at him. "We're here for you. Whatever you need."
Sage looked at all of them, his closest friends, and felt a flicker of hope. Maybe he wasn't alone after all. Maybe, with their help, he could learn to live with the memories and move forward.
Together, they sat there in silence, holding onto each other, as if trying to erase the darkness that had consumed them for so long. It was a small step, but it was a start. And for now, it was enough.
Suddenly, Brandon spoke up. "Hey guys, I hate to break up this moment, but we still have that car to fix."
Hector's face fell. He had completely forgotten about the car they had left behind when they rescued Sage.
Brandon chuckled. "Don't worry, I've got it covered. I know a guy who owes me a favor. He'll fix it up as good as new."
Sage felt a wave of gratitude towards Brandon. He and Hector had risked their lives to save him, and now Brandon was going out of his way to fix their car. It was a debt they could never repay.
"Thank you, Brandon," Sage said, his voice choked with emotion.
Brandon smiled at him. "No problem, man. We take care of our own."
And with that, they all stood up, ready to face whatever came their way. They may have been broken, but together they were strong. And with each other's support, they knew they could overcome anything.
Chapter 9 My Normal
It had been two months since Hector and Sage had been discharged from the hospital, and the group had been working hard to get back to some semblance of normalcy. They had spent countless hours in therapy, trying to process the trauma they had experienced. But it was a slow and painful process, and often it felt like they were just going through the motions.
One day, as they were testing out the newly fixed car, Brandon suddenly yelled at Hector to be careful with it. Hector, startled, swerved the car to avoid hitting a pothole. Sage, who had been in the backseat, couldn't help but laugh.
"What's so funny?" Hector asked, grinning at him.
"I never thought I'd see the day when Brandon was more worried about a car than our safety," Sage joked.
Brandon rolled his eyes, but couldn't help but smile. "Hey, I've got priorities, okay?"
As they continued to drive around, Sage felt a sense of peace settle over him. For the first time in months, he didn't feel like he was drowning in his memories. Maybe it was the thrill of driving fast again, or maybe it was the company of his friends, but something about this moment felt right.
As the sun began to set, they parked the car and sat on the hood, watching the sky turn pink and orange. They didn't need to say anything. The silence was comfortable, a reminder that sometimes it was okay to just be present in the moment.
For a brief moment, Sage forgot about the horrors of the past and the uncertainty of the future. He was just a kid, hanging out with his friends, watching the world go by. It was a small victory, but in that moment, it was enough.
Chapter 10 all good things come to a end
But their peace was short-lived. As they were getting ready to head home, they heard a sudden explosion in the distance. They all looked at each other, their hearts racing with fear. They knew too well what that sound meant.
Without a word, they all jumped into the car and raced towards the source of the explosion. As they got closer, they saw smoke rising from a building in the distance. It was their neighborhood, their home.
As they got closer, they saw a group of men with guns and masks, laughing and shooting at anything that moved. Sage felt his blood run cold. He knew these men. They were the same ones who had attacked him and Hector.
Without thinking, Sage grabbed a gun from under the seat and stepped out of the car. Hector and Brandon followed suit, each grabbing a weapon of their own. They didn't stand a chance against the armed gang, but they knew they had to try.
For what felt like hours, they fought back, dodging bullets and taking down as many men as they could. Sage felt the adrenaline pumping through his veins, his survival instinct kicking in. But when he looked over and saw Hector bleeding on the ground, his heart broke.
At that moment, Sage knew that they were in over their heads. They had to get out of there, and fast. With a heavy heart, he grabbed Hector and dragged him back to the car. Brandon covered them as they sped away from the chaos.
They didn't talk on the way home. They didn't need to. They all knew what had just happened, what they had just lost. It wasn't just their neighborhood that had been attacked, it was their sense of security, their hope for a better future.
As they pulled up to their apartment complex, Sage knew that their lives would never be the same. The darkness had caught up with them, and there was no escaping it
As they entered the building, they saw that the attack had not only affected their neighborhood, but their own home as well. Their apartment had been ransacked, their belongings thrown around and destroyed.
Brandon couldn't take it anymore. He started screaming and punching the wall, his anger and frustration boiling over. Sage tried to calm him down, but he was too far gone.
Hector, still bleeding from his gunshot wound, looked around at the destruction with tears in his eyes. "We can't stay here," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "We need to get out, now."
Sage knew Hector was right. They had to leave before the gang came back. He quickly packed a bag with some essentials, while Brandon continued to rage and destroy what was left of their apartment.
As they made their way out of the building, they heard footsteps coming from the stairwell. Sage signaled for Hector and Brandon to be quiet as they huddled in the shadows. They watched in horror as the same group of men who had attacked them earlier came into view, laughing and joking as they made their way up the stairs.
They were trapped.
Hector clenched his jaw in pain as he held his gun tightly, ready to fight. But Sage knew they were outnumbered and outgunned. They needed a plan, and fast.
Suddenly, they heard a scream coming from the floor above them. It was DD. Sage's heart dropped as he realized she had been left behind in the chaos.
Without a second thought, Sage ran up the stairs, his gun at the ready. He found DD lying on the ground, bleeding from a gunshot wound to the stomach. He quickly tore off his shirt and pressed it against her wound, trying to stop the bleeding.
Brandon and Hector had followed him up the stairs and were now firing at the gang members, who had started to make their way back down. Sage knew they had to move fast if they wanted to get out alive.
With DD in his arms, Sage led the way down the stairs, firing his gun as they went. They made it outside, but the gang was still hot on their heels.
Sage knew they couldn't outrun them, so he made a split-second decision. He handed DD over to Brandon and turned back towards the gang, gun in hand. He knew it was a suicide mission, but he had to buy his friends some time to get away.
Sage fired his gun with a fury, taking down as many of the gang members as he could. He was hit in the shoulder, but he barely felt it. All he could think about was his friends and getting them to safety.
As Brandon and Hector ran to the car, Sage stayed behind, using everything he had to hold off the gang. He knew he was outnumbered and outgunned, but he refused to go down without a fight.
Finally, the gang overpowered him, knocking him to the ground and beating him mercilessly. Sage could feel his consciousness slipping away as they continued to pummel him, but he refused to give up.
In a moment of desperation, Hector quickly started the car and drove straight into the gang members, knocking several of them over like bowling pins. The impact was so strong that Hector had to quickly reverse the car and drive away, leaving Sage behind.
With tears in his eyes, Hector drove away, still feeling the pain from his own gunshot wound. Brandon was screaming and crying in the backseat, holding onto DD, who was bleeding profusely.
As they made their way to the hospital, Hector's mind was racing. He couldn't believe what had just happened. He had always thought of himself as a peaceful person, but now he had killed people. He didn't know how he was going to live with himself.
When they finally arrived at the hospital, the scene was chaotic. People were screaming and crying, and the sound of sirens filled the air. Hector rushed DD into the emergency room, and the doctors quickly took her away.
Brandon was inconsolable, his emotions all over the place. Hector tried to comfort him, but he didn't know what to say.
As they waited for news on DD, Hector couldn't help but think about Sage. He didn't know if he was alive or dead, and he didn't know how to find out. All he could do was wait and hope for the best.