The Next Morning: Part 1

9 o’ clock the next morning, Chloe was in the kitchen making a pot of coffee. Mai was sitting down at the dining table, and her hands on her lap. On the table in front of her was the bouquet of flowers that her mother had sent her the night before. Mark was starting to wake up.

“Ugh,” Mark mumbled as he woke up.

“Where did I put my glasses?” Mark said out loud as he looked around trying to search for them.

“Good morning Mark!” Chloe said brightly as she walked to the dining table, grabbed his glasses, and gave them to him on the couch. “Hope that helps.”

“Ah, thank you Chloe. I don’t remember putting them on the table. Actually, I don’t remember falling asleep. Hopefully I didn’t give you any trouble,” Mark replied as he put his glasses on. Once he could see, he turned towards the dining table, and saw Mai sitting down quietly.

When the two locked eyes, Mai offered a short and friendly wave.

“Good morning Mark,” Mai said softly.

“Oh, good morning Mai. What are you doing here?” Mark asked as he got up and headed over to the table to have a seat.

“Chloe invited me,” Mai said as she pointed to Chloe like a kid trying to deflect blame.

“She was having a hard time sleeping last night. Admittedly, I was as well, so I invited her over last night,” Chloe said honestly as she went back to the kitchen.

“How come she didn’t tell me she had a hard time sleeping?” Mark thought pensively.

When Chloe got to the kitchen, she grabbed three mugs, and poured black coffee into each of them. After a few moments of putting cream and sugar into two of the mugs, she returned to the table.

“Black coffee for Mai, cream and two sugars for Mark, and a boatload of cream and sugar for me!” Chloe said joyously as she put down mugs for Mark and Mai in front of them.

“Thanks Chloe,” Mark and Mai jinxed as they offered a slight nod to her.

“No worries! Just enjoy!” Chloe answered as she joined them at the head of the dining table.

As they took a drink of their coffee, Mark was the first to break the silence.

“I meant to ask; how did you guys know each other?” Mark asked as he looked at both Mai and Chloe.

“It’s nothing special,” Mai answered softly as she took another drink of her coffee.

“Do you think that your family were the only people I spend my time with?” Chloe asked playfully.

As Mark looked down sheepishly, Chloe cut back in. “Don’t sweat it. I’m just joking with you. To answer your question, I’ve known her for around 11 years. We got out of touch when we were younger, but recently got back into touch. I haven’t spent this much time with her in so long.”

“Yeah, that was my fault. When my dad passed away, I kind of shut down. I didn’t talk to anyone,” Mai added softly as she took another sip of her coffee.

“Dad,” Mark thought to himself as images of his father started to race into his mind. As he looked back to Mai, he remembered the conversation he had with Mai.

“I’ve spent a lot of time in the hospital before…my dad was very ill…” Mai had told him quietly.

After remembering that, Mark took a drink of coffee.

“Are you guys going to back to the hospital?” Mai asked Chloe softly.

“Yeah, I was actually planning to go soon,” Chloe answered as she got up from the table. “I need to get changed.”

Mark looked up at Chloe, and now realized that Chloe’s eyes were slightly puffy and baggy. “Chloe, are you okay? Did you get any sleep? It looks like you were crying.”

Chloe seemed to stop dead in her tracks. “Don’t worry Mark, I got some sleep last night. Mai helped calm me down,” she said quietly, although this was only a half-truth.

“Chloe.” Sensing the slight lie in Chloe’s voice, Mark felt like he needed to say something. “I-“

“Let’s let Chloe get changed. After all, a panda bear showing up to a hospital would probably attract too much attention,” Mai said in monotone, as if she was serious about her absurd statement.

Mark, realizing the change in the conversation, followed the hint and turned his attention towards Mai.

“Thanks Mai, I owe you one,” Chloe thought as she headed to the room.

“So Mai, are you coming with us to the hospital again? You shouldn’t go unless you want to. I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable or anything,” Mark said softly as he relaxed in his chair.

“Thanks for your concern, but I want to go with you two. Chloe had a really hard night, so I want to make sure that she’s doing well. To make sure she’s doing well, I have to make sure you are doing alright too,” Mai said calmly as she got up to wash her mug.

“Me? Why me?” Mark asked as he grabbed his mug and followed Mai to the kitchen to wash his mug.

“Chloe cares a lot about you. She’s been trying to find a way to comfort you, but it looks like you’re doing what I did,” Mai answered as she motioned with her hand for Mark to pass her his mug.

“What do you mean by that?” Mark asked as he handed over his mug.

“It seems like you’re trying to deny it. Or rather, like you’re just avoiding your own issues,” Mai answered as she continued to wash his mug.

“Is that so bad? I just don’t want to spread negativity towards others,” Mark responded as he leaned against the counter next to Mai.

“You think you’re being selfless by doing so, but that will only hurt you in the end Mark. Whether that directly hurts you, or hurts someone you care about. I don’t want to see anyone go through that kind of pain. Especially not someone like you,” Mai continued as she finished cleaning the mug and dried her hands.

“S-Someone like me? I don’t understand,” Mark said as a nervous laugh worked its way out of his mouth.

“You’re a really nice person. You’re very considerate and helpful to others. You and Chloe are both like that. I don’t want to see people like that disappear,” Mai said sadly. Her head and body language seemed to drop the weight it was carrying.

“Relax Mai. I won’t disappear. I still have people counting on me,” he replied as he softly put a hand to her shoulder. “I couldn’t do that to my family, or to Chloe.”

Mai looked up towards Mark, and the height difference seemed to be even more apparent between the two of them (Mai: 5’2 or 158cm; Mark: 5’10 or 178cm).

“I see, I guess I was worried for nothing then,” Mai said as she locked eyes with him. “My apologies.”

“Don’t worry about it Mai. I’m glad to know that I have someone looking out for me, as well as another person to look after Chloe. It takes some pressure off of me,” Mark said lightheartedly.

“Oh, and Mai,” Mark called out as Mai walked past him towards the table.

Mai silently turned around towards Mark and patiently waited for him to continue his train of thought.

“Thanks for your advice last night, about just going for it. It does feel a bit easier now that Chloe knows,” Mark said confidently.

“W-What did she say? Mai said with a sense of intrigue hiding behind her voice.

“She told me that she cares about me. Then we talked a little bit more, but I can’t remember what happened afterwards,” Mark answered. “How did you get Chloe to calm down?”

Mai silently thought for a moment, as if choosing her words carefully. “We just…talked. About you, and your brother, and-“ she stopped.

“And what?” Mark asked as he stepped closer to Mai with anticipation.

After a few moments of deciding whether or not to tell him, she got closer to Mark. “She cried, for a very long time,” she continued softly.

“Oh,” Mark said quietly as he felt a chill go down his spine.

“I guess that’s my fault then,” Mark thought as he brought a fist down on the kitchen counter, rattling the cups that were nearby.

“She just needs time to process everything that’s going on. You do too. You need to take some time on your own to fully let yourself process everything that’s happened. Maybe then, you’ll truly feel better,” Mai said as she rubbed his arm softly.

As Mai rubbed his arm, Mark looked down at her carefully. He didn’t see Mai as a girl who was quiet and stoic anymore. Instead, he saw a mature young woman who was honest and caring. Even if her body language and tone lacked some expression, her words still showed her care and love of others.

“I hope everything works out well for you,” Mai added.

As soon as they finished their conversation, Chloe came out of her room with a graphic T-shirt and comfortable shorts. “Are we ready to go?” she asked them.

Mai offered an assertive nod, but upon closer inspection, her body seemed to shiver slightly. Chloe didn’t seem to notice, but Mark caught on.

“Why? You don’t have to go if it makes you uncomfortable. Why do you insist on going?” Mark thought as he hesitantly nodded as well.

After a few moments of putting their shoes on and gathering their belongings, they headed down the apartment complex and towards Chloe’s car.

“If you start feeling scared, let me know,” Mark whispered to Mai as they got to the car.

Mai froze in place for a moment, but then nodded her head and entered the car.

Once they were settled, Chloe drove off.

*     *     *

After some time spent driving, they arrived at the hospital. When they got out of the car, Mai handed her mother’s bouquet of flowers to Mark.

“Did you get flowers? Why are you giving me flowers?” Mark asked Mai.

“Aw, is this a confession of love, Mai?!” Chloe teased as she gave Mai a head pat.

Mai slaps Chloe’s arm as a reflex to what she said, and then looked up at Chloe. “Don’t be ridiculous. It’s for his sister when she wakes up,” she said in monotone.

“Ridiculous, I see,” Mark said in a softer tone as a nervous smile appeared on his face. “Wow Mai, that kind of hurt.”

“Oh, I didn’t mean anything bad by it,” Mai answered softly as she looked up to Mark. “I’m sorry.”

“No, don’t worry. It’s fine Mai,” Mark replied out loud.

After walking into the hospital, they approached the receptionist that had been there the last night.

“Good morning! Am I able to see Alexa or Damian Reyes?” Mark asked softly.

The receptionist looked at the computer in front of them, and after a few moments of confirming their information, looked up at Mark hesitantly.

“You’re Mark Reyes, correct?” she asked.

“Yes ma’am. Is there something wrong?” Mark asked.

“Well, it seems that Alexa is now able to take visitors. But Damian has personally requested for you not to visit him. I’m very sorry sir,” the receptionist said as she looked up at Mark.

“Are you serious? But they’re brothers?” Chloe asked with a hint of anger began rising within her throat.

“I’m sorry, but we can’t allow Mark to see Damian anymore until he allows him to do so. He can visit Alexa though,” the receptionist replied back as if trying to soften the blow of her previous statement.

As Chloe started to bawl up her fists, Mark turned towards her and let out a deep sigh.

“Chloe, if he doesn’t want to see me, then I won’t force him to. If that helps him recover, then I’ll wait until he’s out of the hospital to talk with him. His health is more important right now,” Mark answered calmly as he attempted to hide the underlying sadness he was feeling.

Chloe let go of the fists she made and took a deep breath. “Damian, you are impossible to deal with at times,” she thought.

“I’ll go visit Alexa, and you can go visit Damian. You can tell him that I’m visiting her, and you can come see Alexa afterwards,” Mark said to Chloe.

Chloe took a second to process what Mark said, and then nodded her head. “Alright then. Mai, do you want to tag along?”

“I’m going to go with Mark. I don’t want to make anything seem awkward,” Mai said softly as she took a step closer to Mark. Mark seemed to blush slightly when Mai got closer to him.

“Oh, alright then. I’ll meet you in Alexa’s room later,” Chloe responded as she gave them a slight wave and went towards the elevator.

As Mark and Mai headed towards a different elevator, she pulled on Mark’s arm softly and stood up on her tiptoes. “I lied. I went with you because I’m still a little nervous of this place. Sorry,” Mai whispered quietly to Mark.

“No need to apologize Mai. I told you to let me know if you feel uncomfortable,” he said as they headed into the elevator. “I guess you trust me.”

“I guess you’re right,” Mai said quietly as she looked down at the floor. “I had a nightmare last night, and I couldn’t sleep.”

Mark took a look down at Mai and noticed that her shivering wasn’t as intense as before, but she was leaning onto Mark softly. His heart seemed to skip a beat, but then returned to normal.

“What happened?” Mark asked as the elevator opened up.

“I saw him here, again,” Mai said softly as she walked out of the elevator with her head hanging low.

“It must be worse than I thought,” Mark noted as he took a hand and rubbed her shoulder smoothly.

When Mark massaged her shoulder, Mai let out a silent yelp and looked towards him. Her eyes darted around silently, yet frantically. After a few more steps, she let out a sigh and her shoulders relaxed.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be bothering you with my worries. If anything, I should be the one reassuring you,” Mai said softly as they got to room 405, the room that Alexa was staying in.

“Hey, don’t worry about me. It’s alright to feel bothered by this place. This isn’t a place many would like to find themselves in,” he responded. “We’ll only be here for a little bit. Maybe we can go get something to eat later. As a thank you for coming with me. Sound good?”

Mai nodded softly and they headed into Alexa’s room.

Meanwhile, Chloe had gotten to Damian’s room.

Chloe knocked on Damian’s door, and then entered the room.

“Hey Dami,” she greeted as she closed the door behind her. She then walked into his view and sat down in a chair beside him. Damian had a pencil in hand and a piece of paper on a desk next to him. He was sketching a drawing, but Chloe couldn’t make out what it was.

“Oh, hey Chloe. Sorry, I didn’t hear you come in,” he said as he looked up to see Chloe sitting near him.

“It’s alright. You looked laser focused like you normally do,” Chloe teased. “Can I see what you’re drawing?”

“Sure, go ahead and take a look. I actually just finished it.” Damian answered as he handed her the piece of paper.

“Damian, how in the world did you do this?” Chloe asked as she took a look at the drawing. It was a highly detailed sketch of Chloe from the night before, wearing her dress.

“Do you like it?” Damian asked kindly.

“Do I like it? I love this. Why didn’t you ever tell me you could draw like this?” Chloe asked as she pointed to the sketch aggressively.

“I never told anyone. It was just something that I liked to do,” Damian shrugged as he laid back into the bed.

“You got every detail about me correct here. My hair, my dress, my face, even the purse looks exactly like the one I had. How long did it take you to make this?” Chloe asked as her voice seemed to get more and more interested in the drawing.

“This only took me about an hour, but I didn’t have a reference to sketch from. Just my memory. Now, if you were standing here while I was drawing you, I could probably finish it in a few minutes,” Damian answered as he looked at Chloe from top to bottom.

“Damian, you already impressed me enough with this. You don’t have to lie about how long it took,” Chloe said playfully as she handed it back to him.

“I wasn’t lying,” Damian said sternly. “I’ve drawn some other stuff today.”

Damian grabbed some of the papers that were nearby on the desk and showed them to Chloe one by one. There were sketches of his mom, dad, Alexa, and a couple more of Chloe. All of them had an extreme level of attention to detail, even outlining wrinkles in their faces and clothes.

“They’re all I can think about. It’s my fault that my mom isn’t here,” Damian said sadly as anger seemed to dwell within him.

“Dami, don’t blame yourself,” Chloe reassured as she rubbed his arm.

“I made a little joke, saying that if I had to go, I could sit in the front seat. If I hadn’t said anything. If I just sat down next to Alexa like normal, maybe she could still be here now,” Damian mumbled as he held his mother’s sketch in his hand.

“Who do you blame more then? Yourself, or your brother?” Chloe asked in a soft tone.

After a few moments of looking around, Damian took a deep breath in and out. He reached over to the desk to grab another piece of paper. It seemed blank at first, but then Damian flipped it over to reveal another sketch. This one was of somebody Chloe had never seen before.

“Who is that man?” Chloe asked as she grabbed the piece of paper to examine it.

“That’s who I blame. He jumped in front of the street when we were driving. The only reason why we got into an accident in the first place was because my dad tried to swerve out of the way,” Damian muttered with hatred and anger.

Back to Mai and Mark in Alexa’s room.

Mai and Mark headed into Alexa’s room. As they entered her room, Mai shivered slightly, feeling the cold and eerie air fly past her skin.

Inside the room was a nurse, Alexa, a couple chairs, and a television which was currently displaying the weather. When Mark saw Alexa, he froze in place for a moment.

“You’re her brother, right?” the nurse asked Mark.

“Yes, I’m Mark,” he answered.

“Good morning Mark. She has a concussion, so she needs to be monitored for at least 24 hours to ensure that there are no signs of brain damage or any other issues,” the nurse said as she gave Alexa a cup of water with a long bendy straw.

“Everything will be alright. She’s safe here,” Mai said softly as she held his hand softly.

Mark looked down at Mai. He noticed that she was still shaking, but she was trying for his sake. Seeing this, he took a deep breath and walked with her towards the bed.

“Hey Alexa. How are you feeling?” Mark asked quietly as he kneeled by the bed to be closer to her.

Alexa, similar to Damian, was wearing a hospital gown and was laid out on bed with wires sticking out of her to monitor her vitals. Alexa turned towards her brother, and it was plainly obvious to Mark that something wasn’t right.

“Hey…um, who are you?”