The following day, Sakura awoke in a sterile hospital bed, the world around her humming with faint activity. The soft rumble of medical carts echoed through the hallways, mingling with the chatter of nurses gathered at their stations.
Her body felt frail, and her stomach was hollow from exhaustion. As she blinked against the harsh fluorescent lights, disoriented and heavy with unanswered questions, a faint whisper escaped her lips:
"What... happened?"
Sakura glimpsed at her arm and froze at the sight of tubes snaking through her veins, delivering fluids. Instinctively, she reached to peel away the tape securing the IV, but the door creaked open. A figure stepped inside, cloaked head to toe in surgical blue. A mesh net covered their hair, a white mask obscured their face, and blue gloves shielded their hands. The sight made Sakura tense with unease.
Her frown deepened as she tried to decipher the identity of this over-prepared nurse. Then, the figure turned, and despite the mask concealing his expression, she knew. It was Athen.
Her heart skipped a beat. Shock held her tongue, rendering her incapable of forming a single word.
Athen crossed his arms and stared at her. "What did you do?" he asked.
Sakura averted her gaze, her voice barely above a whisper. "What are ye talkin' about?"
"They had to pump your stomach because you overdosed," he said, his voice growing harder. "What did you take? Where did you get the pills?"
"I don't know," Sakura mumbled. "I had a headache."
"I don't believe you." Athen's frustration flared. "I know you hate your life, but I'm doing everything I can to help you. Life isn't easy for me either, but I keep going because I know this cottage life won't last forever."
Sakura turned back to him, tears brimming in her eyes. "How can ye know that?"
Athen ripped off his mask, revealing the exhaustion etched into his face. He rubbed his forehead and looked her directly in the eye. "That doesn't matter right now. What matters is that when the hospital figures out this was intentional, they'll never let you leave. And if that happens... I can't help you anymore."
Tears spilled freely down Sakura's cheeks. "What's goin' to happen to me?"
Athen sighed deeply, the weight of the situation pressing down on him. "The nurses said now that you're stable, social services will step in as your healthcare proxy. Once they take over your case, there's nothing I can do. And they've been after me too. I can't stay here."
Panic surged through Sakura's chest, making her breath catch. She whimpered, her voice cracking under the weight of desperation. "Athen, I can't do it alone. Please... I'm sorry."
The pain in Sakura's eyes ignited something primal in Athen to act. He peeked out the window beyond her bed, his jaw tightening. With a grim expression, he whispered, "Whatever happens to me, don't look back."
Sakura's eyes widened. She pushed herself up, wincing from the lingering weakness in her body. "Have you lost your feckin' mind? What the hell are ya plannin', Athen?" she demanded.
"Get out that window as fast as you can," he replied, his voice steady but urgent. "The trees and bushes will break your fall. Once you're in the forest, keep running." Without waiting for her response, he stormed out of the room.
Sakura reached out instinctively, her hand grasping at air as he vanished through the door. "Athen!" she shouted, her voice breaking. "Stop! Please!" But no matter how desperately she called after him, he didn't turn back.
In the hallway, Athen moved with purpose. Pulling his lighter from his back pocket, he snatched a handful of rubbing alcohol wipes from a nearby phlebotomy cart. His eyes scanned the area, landing on a wooden bench with a polished bronze plaque etched with a doctor's name. No one noticed as he passed by, the lighter sparking to life in his hand. Wrapping the alcohol wipes around the flame, he tossed the makeshift firebomb onto the bench.
The fire took instantly, smoke curling upward. Athen made his way toward the elevator without breaking stride, keeping his pace brisk but measured to avoid suspicion.
In the room, Sakura sat frozen, racing to piece together his plan. The sound of hasty footsteps and frantic voices pulled her from her trance. A piercing cry from a nurse rang out: "Fire! Someone call the fire department!"
Sakura's heart sank as reality set in. "Shite, Athen," she muttered under her breath. "What the bloody hell have ye done?"
She yanked the IV from her arm, the sting barely registering over her panic. Scrambling to her feet, she stumbled to the window. Her trembling hands fumbled with the latch until it finally gave way. With a deep breath, she swung the window open and climbed onto the ledge, her legs dangling over.
The cold air bit her skin as she looked down at the bushes and trees below. "Please be right about this," she whispered, bracing herself for the leap.
Sakura took a deep breath, her eyes fixed on the flashing lights of fire trucks and police cars racing to the hospital parking lot. The chaos below only mirrored the storm within her. She whispered to herself, "If I don't do this, I'll be trapped in a psych ward for the rest of me life—or stuck livin' on the streets."
The crowd below gathered their faces, a mix of panic and morbid curiosity as they watched the building burn. Two windows on Sakura's floor shattered violently, sending shards of glass and thick smoke billowing into the air.
Coughing, Sakura instinctively covered her mouth with her arm, her lungs straining against the suffocating air. Voices from below cried out, begging her to stay where she was, promising help was on the way. But her resolve didn't waver. Pulling the hospital gown over her nose and mouth, she took a deep, steadying breath.
Her mind raced, running through a dozen plans, but only one seemed possible. With a final glance at the crowd, she leaped from the window, the screams and gasps of onlookers echoing in her ears. Branches snapped against her body as she plummeted through the trees, each one breaking her fall but sending jolts of pain shooting through her limbs. Finally, she hit the shrubs beside the hospital wall with a heavy thud.
Groaning, she dragged herself out of the tangled branches, wincing with every movement. Dirt streaked her arms and legs, and her hair was matted with leaves and twigs. The adrenaline pumping through her veins began to fade, leaving behind only exhaustion and pain.
As she struggled, shadows loomed over her, blocking the sunlight. She saw a woman in a pink blouse with a white lanyard around her neck—a social worker—standing beside a stern-looking police officer.
"Feck," Sakura muttered under her breath.
The social worker crossed her arms and argued, "That was incredibly selfish—setting a hospital on fire to escape. Did you really think no one would figure it out?"
Sakura blinked, her chest tightening. "What?" she stammered. "How did you know?"
Her gaze darted past the two figures, and her heart sank. There, shoved inside the back of a police car, was Athen, his hands cuffed behind him. He caught her eye for a fleeting moment before the door slammed shut.
Sakura's jaw tightened as she clenched her fist and struck the ground. She realized with bitter regret that she'd taken too long to act—and now they'd both been caught.
From that moment, Sakura's fate was sealed. Instead of gaining her freedom, she was transferred to a new facility where she spent countless days reflecting on her life—on every choice, every misstep that had led her to this point. Her thoughts often wandered to Athen, wondering if he was safe.
A few weeks later, Sakura stepped into the recreation room after supper, where patients gathered to watch the news on an old television bolted to the wall. The room was filled with complex, uncomfortable metal chairs no one liked, yet everyone had resigned themselves to. She walked past the guards stationed at the doorway, their expressions blank but their eyes sharp, and sat next to Lemon Underhill. Sakura still held onto a faint hope of building a friendship with her.
The muted buzz of chatter in the room quieted as the evening news began. A helicopter aerial view of a car crash filled the screen, the wreckage twisted and unrecognizable. The reporter's voice echoed through the room: "Breaking news: A fatal accident involving a police officer and a suspect linked to the recent arson at a local hospital."
Sakura froze as both her and Athen's photographs appeared on the screen. A hush fell over the room as heads turned in her direction. She sank lower in her chair, wishing she could disappear under the weight of their stares.
Lemon smirked, leaning closer as she muttered, "Stupid."
The broadcast continued: "Authorities confirm the crash occurred two weeks ago during the suspect's transfer. The police car veered off a cliff, resulting in the officer's death. However, the suspect's body has not been recovered. Investigators believe he may have escaped into the nearby forest."
Sakura bolted upright in her chair, her breath caught in her throat. "Athen…" she whispered, her voice trembling.
Lemon shifted in her seat, curling into a loose fetal position. With a casual shrug, she muttered, "That's too bad. You two would've made cute babies."
Sakura ignored Lemon's cruel remarks, her wide eyes glued to the screen. The news anchor described the ongoing search for Athen, which spans weeks. Plans are to deploy a more extensive team in the coming days.
Her mind raced. Two weeks had passed since the crash—time enough for Athen to plan his next move and time for the police to close in. The thought of him lost in the woods, hunted, left her feeling hollow and helpless.
Sakura rushed to her room, her heart pounding with panic and despair. The thought of life without Athen gnawed at her, leaving her breathless and alone among people who barely tolerated her presence. She shut the door behind her, the hollow sound echoing in the empty corridor. Gasping for air, she turned to the window and tried desperately to unlatch it. The cold reality hit her—nails sealed it shut, trapping her within the facility's confines.
She slammed her fist against the glass, tears streaming down her face as she whispered, "Athen..." Her voice cracked, swallowed by the oppressive silence. She pounded the window again and crumpled to the floor, sobbing at the thought of being caged in this wretched place she was forced to call home.
The soft creak of the door opening behind her froze her in place. Wiping her tears hastily, she scrambled to compose herself. Turning slightly, she laughed and said, "I'm grand, sorry lads. A bird slammed into the window, it might've been a crow. Scared me half to death."
A familiar chuckle broke through the tension. "Crows don't leave fingerprints on windows," a male voice teased.
Sakura's breath hitched as she turned toward the reflection in the glass. There, behind her, stood Athen. She spun around and ran to him, throwing her arms around his neck in a tight hug that left no room for words. Relief streamed through her, and the questions she had planned to ask dissolved into the warmth of his presence.
"How did ya get in here, ya eejit?" she asked, her voice thick with emotion as she pulled back just enough to look at him.
Athen smirked, his blue eyes shining with mischief. "Let's just say I found a secret back door. Took a bit of creativity, but I made it."
His light and genuine laugh reminded her of why she loved him. She leaned in, kissing him, and whispered, " I can't escape from here, Athen. They've got me locked in tight."
"I know," he said softly, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "And I'll get you out. But not yet. It's safer for you to stay for now. When the time's right, I'll come for you, I promise."
Sakura nodded reluctantly as she accepted her fate. From then on, Athen began slipping inside the facility during the dead of night, disguised in scrubs as a night-shift nurse. Despite the risks, he always found his way to her, never getting caught.
She shared this secret only with Robbie, hoping he'd never betray her trust. Each visit brought her a glimmer of hope, a reminder that she wasn't alone and that the world beyond these walls might be hers again someday.
When Sakura finished recounting her story to Robbie, his jaw practically hit the floor. He'd heard whispers of bizarre incidents in California—stories of fires and mysterious disappearances—. Still, he never imagined they were connected to the quiet girl sitting before him and her daring, defiant boyfriend.
Robbie rose from his chair and strolled toward the caged windows. He stared at the birds gliding by, his hand absently rubbing the back of his head as he tried to piece everything together. Finally, he said, "You and Athen—you were like modern-day Bonnie and Clyde. Burning down foster homes with his help? You two almost got people killed."
Sakura glanced at him, her expression unreadable. "Aye, now ya know," she replied simply.
Before Robbie could say more, a security guard entered the visitation room. Approaching the pair near the window, the guard gestured politely toward the door. "Visitation's over, sir. You'll have to leave now."
"Already?" Robbie said, startled. He leaped up, glancing at his watch. The room was empty, and the other visitors were long gone.
"It's alright, Robbie," Sakura said softly, reassuringly. "Come back tomorrow, will ya?"
Robbie smiled faintly and nodded. As he left the room, security escorted him down the dimly lit hallway to his car, leaving Sakura to her thoughts.
From that day forward, Robbie made it a point to visit Sakura regularly, checking in on her and keeping her company. He committed to a routine, coming by two or three times a week. Over time, their visits became more meaningful as weeks blended into months. A deep bond formed between them, and for the first time in a long while, Sakura no longer felt alone.