Chapter 6 When Fighting Back Hurts

The footsteps stopped outside Luna's hospital room as she froze with her fingers tightened around the blanket as she stared at the door. She had no idea who could be coming to see her. 

After everything she went through in the alley before passing out and all she had just watched on television, she wasn't sure she wanted to see anyone.

“What if they came back”.She whispered.

Her eyes darted to the call button. Too far. She tried to reach it. Her left arm wouldn't move.The door handle turned.She squeezed her eyes shut.

Please don't….

The door opened.

"Luna?"

Her eyes flew open.Marcus stood in the doorway.For a second, he just stared. Then relief flooded his face.

"You're awake."

He hurried in.

"I'll get the doctor."

"Marcus…” Luna called weakly.

But he was already halfway out the door.Luna stared at the empty doorway. Her hands were shaking.

She was safe.

But she didn't feel safe.

She didn't know if she ever would again.

A few minutes later, Marcus returned with the doctor. The doctor walked straight to her bedside and began checking her condition while Marcus remained nearby.

“How are you feeling this morning?” the doctor asked.

“Tired,” Luna admitted.

“Any dizziness?”

“A little.”

“Headache?”

“Yes.”

The doctor examined her carefully, checking her pupils, asking her to move her hands and feet, and making sure she could answer his questions properly.

Luna followed each instruction.

When the examination was finished, the doctor looked at her chart.

“You're improving,” he said. “But because of the head injury, we don't want to discharge you yet. We need to keep monitoring you.”

“How long?” Luna asked.

“If everything remains stable, you can be discharged in two days.”

Luna nodded slowly.

“Two days?”

“Yes. Your body needs time to recover, and we want to make sure there are no complications before you leave.”

“Okay.”

The doctor gave her a few more instructions before leaving the room.A moment later, two police officers stepped into the room.

"Ms. Vance?"

Luna nodded.

"I'm Officer Grant. This is Officer Ruiz. We're investigating your attack."Luna tensed.

"Can you tell us what happened?"She swallowed.

"I was walking home when two men grabbed me."

"Did you see their faces?"

"It was dark."

"Anything you remember? Voices? What they said?"Luna closed her eyes.

"One of them said, 'Don't make this difficult.'"The officers exchanged a look.

"Did they take anything?"

"No."They wrote it down.

"Anyone you can think of who might want to hurt you?"

"No," she said.

"We'll keep investigating. If you remember anything—"

"I'll call."

The officers left.Marcus waited until the door closed.Then he turned toward her.

“You scared me.”

Luna looked down at the blanket covering her.

“I'm sorry.”

“You don't have to apologize for getting hurt.”His voice softened.

“I just wish I had known sooner.”

Luna didn't know what to say.

Marcus pulled the chair closer to her bed and sat down.His eyes remained on her face.Then his expression changed.

“Luna…”

She looked at him.

“Have you been crying?”

Luna quickly wiped the corner of her eye.

“No.”

Marcus didn't argue.He simply looked at her swollen eyes.

“You don't have to lie to me.”

She turned her face away.On the television across the room, the interview was still playing.

Ethan was there.

Aurora was beside him.She had almost forgotten that Marcus was watching her until he followed her gaze toward the television.

The interview continued.

Ethan spoke about finding the girl who had saved his life fourteen years ago. Aurora sat beside him, smiling while the world celebrated her.

Luna stared at the screen.She remembered the alley,the rain,Ethan bleeding against the wall,the fear in his eyes,the silver pendant he had placed in her hand,and the promise he had made.

I’ll find you.

She had waited fourteen years with that promise in her heart.Now he had found someone else.

Someone who wasn't her.

“Is that why you've been crying?” Marcus asked quietly.

Luna swallowed but didn't answer.Marcus looked from the television back to her.

“Do you know them?”And why does the lady look so much like you,Is that your twin sister you once told me about?”

Luna's fingers tightened around the blanket.

“I know him.”

Marcus waited.

“He was someone from a long time ago.”Her voice was barely audible.

Marcus didn't push her.Instead, he reached for the glass of water beside her bed and handed it to her.

“Drink”.

Her hands shook slightly when she took it from him.

Marcus noticed.

“You're still weak.”

“I know.”

“You should rest.”Luna gave a small nod, but her eyes returned to the television.

Ethan was smiling at Aurora.

He looked happy.

That hurt more than she expected.

She had spent years wondering whether he remembered the little girl in the alley. She had wondered if he had kept the promise he made to her.

Now she knew the answer.He remembered but he had simply remembered the wrong person.

A tear slipped down Luna's cheek.

Marcus saw it.

He reached for a tissue and placed it beside her hand.He didn't tell her to stop crying.He didn't ask her to explain.He just stayed.

Luna glanced at him.

“Why are you still here?”

Marcus frowned.

“Where else should I be?”

“You have work.”

“I can miss work.”

“You've already done enough.”Marcus shook his head slightly with a smile.

“You don't get to decide that.”

Luna stared at him as he leaned back in the chair.

“When you didn't show up at the diner, I thought maybe you were sick. Then I found out what happened to you.” His voice dropped. “I couldn't just stay at work and pretend everything was fine.”

Luna looked away.

Nobody had ever said something like that to her.

Not her mother.

Not Aurora.

Not anyone.Marcus had no reason to stay, Yet he was sitting beside her hospital bed as though there was nowhere else he needed to be.

“Thank you,” Luna whispered.

Marcus smiled faintly.

“You're welcome.”

The television continued in the background.

Aurora was still beside Ethan.

Still smiling.

Still wearing the identity that belonged to Luna.

Luna turned her face away from the screen and looked at Marcus for a moment.

It felt strange.

For most of her life, people had only noticed Luna when they needed something from her.

Her mother called when Aurora needed money.

Her landlord called when rent was due.

Customers noticed her when they wanted someone to insult.

But Marcus had noticed every single thing about her.And as Luna listened to the quiet sound of someone staying when he didn't have to, a painful thought settled in her heart.

The man she had saved had never recognized her.

But the man she had never expected to notice her was sitting beside her bed, making sure she wasn't alone.

Marcus waited until Luna was asleep.

Then he walked to the billing office.

"Luna Vance. Room 412. Her bill."

The clerk checked.

"She has no insurance. It's a lot."

Marcus was quiet.

He worked at a diner. He didn't have much either.

"I'll pay half," he said. "Can I set up a payment plan for the rest?"

The clerk nodded and handed him the forms.

"You'll have to talk to Billing."

Marcus filled them out.

Then he called his boss.

"It's about Luna."

His boss sighed.

"How much?"

Marcus told him.

A pause.

"Add it to my tab," the boss said. "She's one of us."Marcus hung up and sat back down beside Luna's bed.