Third person POV
Upon seeing that, Basilio was relieved but couldn't get up and get it because of being hooked into the IV pole. So seeing that Artem grabbed the backpack for him and gave it to him. "Here."
"Thanks," responded Basilio calmly, before unzipping the main compartment to check if all of his belongings from his previous life were there.
Yes, and he was right.
All of his belongings are inside of it, safe and sound.
Seeing all of his things inside of it Basilio sighed in relief. "Phew! Thanks…"
"Yes, don't worry," Timru replied back nicely and positively, "we did grabbed your things, but we put them back after identifying your identity."
"Oh…"
Basilio then opened his journal and did a fast-paced reading of his recent handwritten journal entries from weeks ago.
Artem and Timru then watched his doing.
And then, a few minutes later, someone entered the room with the door opening and closing. This time, those two people are Chivo and Helena, the younger sister of the leader of the Vamzom race, Ruslan. Chivo was surprised to see that his Otherworlder friend had managed to survive his near-death experience of being attacked by the Vamzoms and ran to him to check his current state. "Basilio-kun!"
Hearing that, Basilio, Artem, and Timru looked at them, and Basilio was surprised to see Chivo. "Woah, Chivo-kun?"
"Thank the gods you're safe!" Chivo said to him with tears of relief and joy on his eyes. "I thought you're not gonna make it out alive."
"Uh…yeah, I did, Chivo-kun…"
Chivo then smiled at him as he wiped his tears with the sleeves of his chemise shirt.
After that, Helena looked at Basilio. "Basilio, right?" Hearing that, Basilio looked at her back. "Yes, that's me."
"How are you feeling?"
"I am fine…just some pain in my chest though…"
Basilio then looked down on his chest, which had been covered with 2 layers of cloth and bandages due to excessive bleeding resulting from the shot and stab wounds.
The bandages had been covered by his T-shirt from his previous life, which the shots and stabs had damaged, and Basilio took it off to see his covered wounds for a bit.
"We're sorry for what we did to you and everyone else, Basilio-kun," Helena said to Basilio with guilt on her face.
"It's okay…" Basilio glanced at her back.
"Yes, ma'am," Artem added on his behalf.
"Basilio-san said that it's okay," Timru added with a nod.
Helena was relieved to hear that and promised that her race wouldn't be bloodthirsty to humans or any human-style creatures anymore and instead seek other alternatives for their sources of blood.
Basilio was surprised to hear that but liked it, saying, "Okay then, at least you won't be raiding towns anymore." Helena then nodded. "Yes, we promised we won't do bad stuff anymore." After that, Chivo said to Basilio, "Man, Basilio-kun, you won't believe what has happened for the last 2 months…"
"Okay, what had happened for that long?" Basilio asked back in semi-confusion.
And so, Chivo and Helena, alongside Artem and Timru revealed to him what had happened for the last 2 months while he was in a coma.
[Flashback to 2 months ago…]
While their comrades were feasting on Basilio's blood, the other Vamzoms had regained their human senses somehow and realized their atrocities on the humans and everyone else and had withdrawn and retreated, much to the confusion of the survivors of the ruined town. It was, however, after taking Basilio's dead body with them to try to save him. Then, in their forested base in the woods northwest of Fresa de Ard, the army did so with intensive surgery, which was a novel method of medical practice in that world, to remove the bullet shells from his body. The operation took 2 hours, but in the end, Basilio was now stable again and was in a coma for 2 months. This is why Chivo couldn't locate his body.
Shortly after Basilio was saved from death, Ruslan and his army made a massive apology to the survivors of the town and promised to compensate and help out in the rebuilding of their town. The surviving townspeople were taken aback and bewildered by their sudden change of heart. Chivo, meanwhile, became brave enough to approach the Vamzoms' vicinity to ask them where Basilio was, much to the shock of the townspeople.
"Excuse me," Chivo asked Ruslan directly, "do you know where the body of someone named Basilio Valencia is?"
"Oh, that youngster?" Ruslan was mildly surprised to hear his question. "He's with us and was safe from death, albeit in a coma."
Chivo gasped in mild shock and horror. "Oh, no…did you…?"
"Yes, we are sorry for what we did to him and to all of you," Ruslan replied back with a solemn and remorseful apology.
Some of his subordinates and soldiers then nodded to apologize to Chivo and the townspeople.
Because of that, Chivo decided to come with them to see Basilio, much to the shock of his older sister and niece. His older sister, Agnieszka, thinks that it is dangerous, while his niece, Aldona, is worried for Chivo's safety. But Ruslan assured them that Chivo would be safe in their hands, and Chivo himself said that he would be fine with them.
Because of that, Agnieszka and Aldona, along with some in their hometown, agreed to Chivo's decision. Chivo flew to the Vamzoms' forested base to see Basilio's body. There, some of the Vamzoms escorted Chivo to Basilio's hospital ward. Then, upon seeing Basilio in bed and in a coma, Chivo was alert and ran to him, checking his pulse. Ruslan, Helena, and some of their subordinates entered the room with concerned looks on their faces.
"Hey…" Ruslan said to him, "…we're sorry for him…"
The others thought that Chivo might hate or resent them for what they did to his friend.
But surprisingly, Chivo didn't hate them and instead said to them, "It's okay…" Ruslan and the others were stunned at his kindness.
"Yeah, it's fine…" Chivo continued on with a concerned and sincere tone, before glancing at them.
Ruslan and his group were happy to hear that.
Shortly after that, while Chivo returned to Fresa de Ard by helicopter, Ruslan commissioned two memorial obelisks, one near his headquarters and one in the center of Fresa de Ard to commemorate the people who died in their regretted attack on that town. The total number of victims at the Fresa de Ard obelisk was counted to be 1,003 people, while at the headquarters one had a total number of 32,233 individuals. The latter included all from previous attacks by the Vamzoms in the past and that included all individuals of different races and places. The data for the number of deaths was based on databases from the combat helicopters, which also can record the number of deaths in their attacks. The names on the Fresa de Ard obelisk were known thanks to the town's census records, while at the headquarters one was not so much. Also, the name of the base of the Vamzoms was known as Blood Fortress by the locals and travelers due to stories of experiments and torture committed by the Vamzoms to their prisoners. At the same time, the prisoners of that base had been set free by the Vamzoms, and these prisoners, mostly children and elves, were given compensation in the form of money and material things as an apology gift to them for their journey back to their homes near and far.