I just stared, unable to talk from the mask on my face though I doubted I'd be much better without it. I had known I would see him but I hadn't thought it would be this soon. After the longest minute silence I raised my hand to take of the mask but a tugging on the skin made me look down. I had a needle in my hand injecting fluids into my body. Ignoring the needle I pulled the mask down.
"Hey Dan it's been a while"
"Yea, try two years." He answered scowling slightly, I could see he was annoyed at me and I couldn't blame him for that. But I was confused as to why he wasn't just annoyed I could see a light of concern in his eyes.
"I know, I'm sorry, I had planned on coming back. Just not quite yet; it would have been soon but...how can you even look at me after what I caused?"
"No one blames you, they all know what happened, it wasn't your fault. They forgave you the minute they found out what really happened. It was an explosion Shun. It couldn't have been stopped no matter what. I was just glad that you weren't killed." I smiled slightly at him, he only knew half the story. I had told him it was a freak accident and the place blew. I hadn't told him everything.
"You don't know everything Dan, you just know what I told you before I left. I never told you the entire story"
"You could tell me now." He pointed out but I shook my head in return.
"Not now, I'm far too tired to talk much more."
"Alright, just get some rest, I'll be here all night." I nodded at him, lifting the oxygen mask and resting it in a much more comfortable position than when I had woke up. I settled on the bed wincing ever s slightly when the wounds I had on my back from the impact were stretched.
Before my eyes closed I watched as Dan neared the bed and took a seat on the chair by my head. He leaned forwards resting his elbows on his knees and keeping his eyes on my face. I would have said something about him being this close being creepy but I was far too tired to bother so I simply closed my eyes and let myself fall into a peaceful sleep.
My eyes felt so much lighter than the first time I had tried to open them, it was almost like normal. I cracked them open looking up but not really seeing anything. Opening my eyes fully I watched as the Earth fell back into focus.
"What the hell?!" I screamed as my world came back and the face of my idiotic brown haired friend was an inch from my face. I hadn't noticed the lack of oxygen mask till I had shouted out at him. He didn't look stunned in the slightest though. No he was smirking.
"Hey Shun, I was wondering when you'd wake up" he told me as he settled back into the chair by my head.
"So you decided you'd scare the hell out of me?" I asked looking at him with a glare on my face.
"No, I noticed your breathing was getting shallower and a little uneven, I wanted to make sure you were fine." A small smile tugged at the corner of my mouth. Over two years since the last time I'd seen him and he was still worried for me. Even with what I did.
"Oh, thanks I guess. I'm fine Dan; don't do that again, alright?" I asked him as I slowed my heart beat from the panicked one I had thanks to the brunette.
"Yea, alright, sorry Shun, it's just that they told me you practically died on the way here and I was really worried for you. I was afraid you'd die again in your sleep and with your breathing changing I was sure that was happening." The small smile I had grew and I stared at him slightly shocked.
"Thanks Dan."
"No problem, you're still my best friend, right?" I stared at him my shock growing, I had prepared myself many times over the past two years as to what would happen should we run into the other. And every time that possibility never occurred to me. I never thought he'd consider me a friend let alone his best.
"Yeah, of course." I answered pushing myself up so I could lean against the back of the bed, I was starting to get stiff.
"Great, I was beginning to get worried there, I had been starting to think you stopped considering me as your friend. So do you think you could start explaining what happened before you left?" I let out a sigh as I turned to him.
"Yeah, I guess, I can tell you most of what I remember." I answered trying not to stare him in the eye. "You remember that building that collapsed trapping in some of the workers there. I went there. I hadn't decided what I was going to do yet. Was I going to help or stand back and just watch?"
"What do you mean Shun?"
"I knew the building was going to collapse. I had overheard a conversation and knew the place was going to fall. But I didn't know if I should help. The place was full of escaped convicts, they were all there creating explosives to destroy the prison that had had them incarcerated for so many years." I took a break trying to piece together what had happened two years ago. So much had happened in such a short time it was hard to make it make sense.
"Well, what happened next?" He persisted, moving in closer to try to hear me; my voice was quiet from the pain the crash had caused.
"I spent up to five maybe ten minutes debating with myself. Should I help them before the building collapsed or should I let them die? I decided to help them, I couldn't just let them die." I took a breath as the images came back. "But my decision came too late. The building collapsed on them." I screwed my eyes closed trying to will the images away.
I felt guilt that I knew most wouldn't carry for as long as I did. But it wasn't just the fact that I hadn't been able to save them. It was because I knew the building was going to collapse. I later found out that those people I had overheard were policemen. They were plotting to kill them, and I knew about it. I could have saved those convicts lives but I backed out too long to do anything.
"Shun it isn't your fault if the building collapsed, you didn't know what to do. It was those cops that killed them, it was them who murdered them not you." I just shook my head.
"No, I ran into the building while it was collapsing. I tried to help whoever I could...but..." I trailed off I didn't want to remember, I didn't want to remember that man, the one who ruined my family.
"But what?" He asked, pressing me to continue. I rubbed at my eyes as I tried to find the words.
"I went in to try to help them, but, I ran into someone before I left. Someone I knew from when I was younger, he was running out and I was going to let him pass till I saw his face. I couldn't let him pass once I had seen that man's face. It looked exactly the same except this time it isn't smirking."
"Shun, who was it?"
"It was the man who killed my dad" I held back the tears as I remembered that day in court when my dad's killer was standing trial. "I stopped him leaving, I knocked him out. And after that, I was so mad that he had escaped that I left the building. Not saving anyone and letting the building burn down and kill them all. I didn't want to save anyone after seeing him, I just wanted to see him die. Like he should have for killing my dad."
I could hear the stunned feelings he held in his breathing, he was so shocked that he couldn't even speak. So I continued for him.
"I know I'm a horrible person for that, but I was just so angry I couldn't stand the thought of doing that. I just wanted him to die, I wasn't even thinking of the others. The ones I didn't know. Once I had calmed down and they were all dead, the explosives they had made going off as the building collapsed. I was almost sick after realising what I had caused, so I ran, I didn't deserve to stay home after everything I did."
I glanced at him and saw he was staring at me with wide eyes. They weren't holding what I thought they would though. They didn't look angry or disappointed. They looked, sympathetic shocked but like he wanted to comfort me.
"Shun, I-I don't know what to say. I understand if that means anything to you?"
"How can you understand Dan?" I asked, feeling myself anger at him, how could he? I was the cause of people dying. "How? I couldn't understand if someone told me they were the cause of so many deaths."
"I understand because you're my best friend. And I can remember how broken you were after that bastard killed your dad. I can remember how you'd have nightmares of him escaping and coming after you. I remember having to comfort you every night. So I understand that you would have done something so out of character for you and let them die. It wasn't you, that's why I understand." He answered making a small smile come to my face.
I winced slightly as I moved in my bed, I had bandages around my abdomen and they were already stained red. Dan seemed to notice it.
"Guess that's all we can talk about right now. I'll go get the nurse." Pushing himself up Dan moved to the door he gave me a soft smile before shouting out. "Nurse, Shun's wounds have opened, I think they need to have the bandages changed!" I smiled at him as I tried to settle in the bed, mindful of the blood soaking my bandages. I couldn't take my eyes off Dan as he motioned for the nurse to hurry up. Even after those two years he was still the same as the last time I saw him. Dan would never change. He was still my best friend. And I was thankful for that.
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