Chapter 9 – Lovers lost
Flynn
"Get out. Just fucking, get out!" Sayori screamed at Monika. Monika grabbed all of her things and ran out of the apartment, half naked and half asleep.
"So, what, I leave for two weeks and you just fuck Monika!? My fucking friend!?" Sayori howled in my face. I've never seen her like this, her usual bubbly personality long gone.
"Sayori I swear. I promise you I thought she was you!" I didn't cheat on her, I can't have, I wouldn't have! How did this fucking happen!?
"Thought she was me!? I have red fucking hair Flynn! She's taller than me!" Sayori ran into her bedroom and locked the door. I knocked on the door and tried the handle to get in but it wouldn't budge.
"Sayori please, open the door, I swear I'm telling the truth!" There was no response, and all I could hear was the faint sobbing of a girl with a broken heart. But this isn't right, I did not cheat on her. I kept trying the door but there was no way for me to enter short of breaking down the door, a solution I'd prefer to avoid. I walk to my bedroom and lie down but sleep eludes me. I hear my phone vibrate on my bedside table, and open a text from Monika.
Monika: See you around, handsome.
I don't believe her text requires a response, however I have no right to be angry with her. From her perspective, I led her to my bedroom, I willingly slept with her, and I wanted her. Keeping my phone in my hand, I decide to text Natsuki. I could use a friend after the drama of tonight and, hopefully, she won't judge me on what I've done – despite the fact that, from my perspective, it was Sayori beneath me rather than Monika.
Flynn: I could really use a drink right now, swing by the usual spot?
Natsuki: Sure thing.
I got dressed into my usual tweed attire and walked to Sayori's bedroom door. I put my head up against the door and hear Sayori still gently sobbing to herself, I go to knock on her door but stop myself at the last second. She doesn't need me to cause her any more pain tonight and, with that, I leave to drink away my sorrows. After I arrived at the bar, a lovely little place called the Little Branch, I took a seat on one of the stools and ordered a dry martini. After my drink arrived, I began to ponder the events of the previous few weeks. The corridor, the woman, mistaking Sayori for Monika. How was this all possible when my CAT scan was fine?
"Just so you know, I'm not judging you. Even if you are a big dummy." A familiar voice spoke next to me. I turned to my side and saw Natsuki on the stool next to me.
"I didn't fuck Monika." I said, staring into my martini glass, hoping to find an answer through alcohol.
"Well… You kinda did. Bartender? A Manhattan please." The bartender nodded and set to mixing Natsuki's cocktail.
"I mean… I did but, I swear it was Sayori. I genuinely believed that it was Sayori, I swear. You have to believe me, I wouldn't cheat on Sayori I just wouldn't." I looked at Natsuki and her expression was a mixture of bewilderment and concern. I didn't expect her to believe me.
"You know what I think?" She replied. The bartender placed her drink on the counter next to her, and she took it in her hand, gracefully holding the stem of the martini glass with an air of elegance – a direct contrast to her usual, brash, personality.
"What's that? Bartender, a white Russian, please." I said, the bartender nodded and started to mix my drink – it would be a long night for him.
"I think…" Natuski lowered her voice to a whisper and leaned in closer, next to me. "That I need to thank you for what you did to my Dad."
"Huh? What? What's happened to your Dad?" I tried my best to feign ignorance, but she saw straight through my deceit.
"It's okay Flynn. I was actually going to call you. I think I need a place to stay for a few days and, I was wondering, if I could stay with you and Sayori?" She looked worried, and that's when I saw it. The slight smudge in her makeup, foundation applied to hide a bruise around her eye. I made him a promise and, now? I fully intend to see it through.
"Of course you can. I'll have to talk to Sayori considering what's happened but… I'm sure she'll be okay." This would be an awkward conversation to have. She'd just caught me with Monika and now I'm bringing home Natsuki? Even with my British charm I doubt I'll be able to pull it off. Alas, I cannot condemn Natsuki to the cruelty of her father. We kept drinking the night away and, after one too many martinis, we took a taxi to my apartment. We entered my apartment and the room greeted us with a blurry haze.
"Sayori! Come out please, I need to talk to you about Natsuki." I said with a louder than usual and, slightly slurred, voice. Sayori did not respond, so I walked to her room and knocked on the door, but still no answer. Has she gone out? Glancing around the room, I take note of several items that she would certainly not have left were she to abscond for a few days. Her keys on the table, her handbag on a chair, and her mobile phone near the kitchen surface. Something doesn't feel right here. I walk back over to Sayori's room and open the door, her bedroom is empty, and the scene undisturbed by any prospect of violence. I walk over to her en-suite and knock on the door. It's locked and, with that, I decide enough is enough. I aim for just above door handle, and kick the door through as hard as I can. The door swings through with an immense force, cracking the frame and the door in several places and sending splinters of wood flying in several directions.
"Oh fuck! Sayori! Natsuki get in here, now!" What greeted me is what I can only describe as my perfect nightmare. I would rather face the blood stained corridor a thousand times over than see Sayori lying in a pool of her own blood in the bathtub. Red streams of blood leak from large slits in her wrists, running down from the crease in her elbow joint all the way to her wrist. I feel sick. This is my fault. She would be alive if it were not for me! Why couldn't I see it was Monika!?
"Wh- Holy shit! Sayori!" Natuski collapses in the doorway and tears begin to well up in her eyes. I kneel next to the tub and lean in close to Sayori, tears welling up in my eyes as I prepare to say goodbye to someone whose existence is paramount to my own happiness. I grab her still warm hand and gently squeeze. However… Something is amiss. A glimmer of hope, a vibration of redemption. Her pulse. Her heart is still beating, she's still breathing! My military training kicks back in and I wipe the tears from my eyes, I can do this. I can save her!
"Natuski, fucking pull yourself together and cry after. We can save her!" The soldier in me takes over. All that matters now is saving Sayori. I turn around and see that Natsuki is still crying in the doorway and realise that, this isn't Afghanistan, and she isn't a soldier. She's a civilian in a New York apartment. I run over to the doorway and kneel next to Natsuki and take her hand in mine, attempting to pull her into my way of thinking.
"Natsuki, I know this is a nightmare scenario, but I need you to follow my instructions and do everything I say because if you do – I promise you – we will save her." Natsuki looked in my eyes and, with tears streaming down her face, nods.
"Okay." She replies, gently smiling through her pain. I smile back and give her hand a gentle squeeze before running back over to Sayori to analyse her wounds. Too large for stitches, too much blood for first aid kit bandages to be effective. Shit. I turn around and the scene has changed, I'm not longer in my apartment – I'm back in Afghanistan and, like a spectator in the theatre, a scene unfolds before me. I observe a vision of myself, sitting on my own in the middle of the dessert surrounded by the corpses of my fallen comrades. My trousers, torn apart from a hail of bullet fire. This is what I did to survive long enough to get the hospital. I observe the apparition of myself taking a combat knife out and heating it with a portable gas cooker, before jamming the hot blade into open flesh. His screams – my screams – permeate the air, before the apparition falls unconscious, and the hallucination melts away. I turn back around and I'm back in Sayori's bathroom. That's how she will survive. Cauterise the wound Flynn. But this time, a heated combat knife won't be enough.
"Natuski, in my bedroom there's a spare magazine for my pistol in my bedside table. There should also be some tools. Get me some pliers and my windproof cigarette lighter too." Natsuki ran to my bedroom and retrieved the items.
"Okay! I got them!" She says, shakily handing over the items to me.
"Good. Now call 911." Natsuki ran off the make the life-saving phone call, while I grabbed the pliers and took a deep breath. I wipe away as much blood as I can before removing several rounds from the magazine and, using the pliers, tear several rounds apart. I carefully direct the gunpowder into Sayori's wounds to ensure ample coverage for her treatment. I reach over and grab my windproof lighter and, taking a deep breath, light the gunpowder. The gunpowder bursts into flames, sealing her wounds shut to prevent any further bleeding.
"They're coming Flynn, just a few minutes." Natsuki had come back into the room and placed her hand on my shoulder to console me. This is still my fault. I stare into a red pool of blood on the floor and see a blood drenched soldier staring back.
1 hour later
"She's lost a lot of blood. She's lucky you found her in time otherwise she would have bled out. Can't say I approve of your methods but, you saved her life." The Doctor says, commenting on Sayori's condition. Natsuki and I are sitting next to Sayori in the hospital. She's hooked up to all sorts of machines, producing a variety of different noises which echo around the room.
"How long before she wakes up?" Natsuki asks with immense concern for her friend.
"Well… Would you like a coffee? Or some tea for your British friend?" The Doctor says.
"Doctor, as much as I appreciate the stereotype, please, just tell me. How long before she wakes up?" I reply, leaning in to hold Sayori's hand over the bedrail. The Doctor sighs as he sits down and leans in towards Natsuki and myself.
"She's in a coma. She lost a lot of blood and, honestly? I don't know how long it will be before she wakes up. Could be by the end of the day…" The Doctor gently says, his soft voice attempting to console us in vein.
"Or it could be never…" I reply, my voice trailing off. This is all my fault.
"I'm sorry. I'll let you know if anything changes. Stay as long as you like." And with that said, the Doctor left the room.
"What do you want to do?" Natsuki asked, placing her hand on my arm in a comforting manner. I stand up from the chair and gently kiss Sayori on the forehead. I'll make this right. I don't know how, but I will make it right.
"Let's go. I need to think." I replied. Natsuki stood up and took me by the hand. We took a taxi back to my apartment. All I want is to sleep, to crawl up in my bed and just sleep. As we enter the apartment I begin to walk to my bedroom but Natsuki grabs me by the arm and stops me.
"I'm gonna go sleep in Sayori's room but, if you need me, don't hesitate to wake me up okay?" I nod in response and walk off to my room. Natsuki's hand slips away from my arm and for the first time, I truly feel lost in the United States. I enter my bedroom and close the door behind me. I sit on the bed, and place my face in my hands. I don't know how I'm going to fix this, I have no idea. This isn't a war. There is no enemy. I can't kill a coma. What can I do? I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket and I remove my head from my hands to grab my phone.
Monika: I'm sorry about Sayori. I love her as much as you do and I feel like a fucking bitch. I just fucking wanted you so bad Flynn. I fucking need you.
I could feel the raw emotion emanating from Monika's text and, despite what happened, I harbour no ill feelings for the girl. Sure she might have fucked me behind her friends back but, I did the same. Or did I? I still don't know how I mistook Monika for Sayori, I would never cheat on her… But I did. I place my phone in my pocket and, suddenly, something grabs me from behind, choking the life out of me. What the fuck!? I desperately struggle against my attacker but I can't break free from their iron grip.
"You come into my house, you fucking beat me in my own fucking house and threaten to kill me!? You messed with the wrong vet." I recognised the voice as that of Natsuki's father. I desperately clawed at his face, doing anything I could to escape his grasp but I feel the energy draining from me as I fall unconscious, my body embracing the void. When I awaken, I'm lying on the ground outside, my hands are cable tied behind my back, my legs are cable tied together and a hood covers my head. Natsuki's father removes the hood from my head, and I see Natsuki on the ground next to me in a similar state. She is shaking with fear and for the first time in a combat situation, I feel helpless.
"Wakey wakey!" Natsuki's father kicks me in the stomach and I keel over in agony. "Look behind you." I do as he says and turn around and see two holes in the ground. Two graves.
"Dad! Please, just stop!" Natsuki begs her own father, a desperate attempt at mercy. Natsuki's father turned his attention from me and looked towards his daughter, brandishing a knife to end her life. As he approached her, Natsuki began to struggle with increasing desperation, as he continued his approach.
"Dad, please! No!" Natsuki's father leaned in close towards her face.
"You took my wife from me. I loved that woman, and then you came along. And now? I'm going to put you in your fucking grave. But not before I deal with that cunt." I assume he means me. He leans in close to Natsuki and places the knife against her face, slicing her cheek with the cold Damascus steel. Natsuki's screams echo far and wide, but nobody can hear her terror. We're in the middle of nowhere and nobody will come to our help. He stands up and leaves Natsuki alone for the time being and redirects his attention back to me. Blood drips from Natsuki's wound as she quietly sobs, resigning herself to her inevitable death.
?
I love him. Flynn. The mind of an intellectual combined with the brutality of the soldier. A living contradiction. A warrior with the brain of a philosopher. He is perfect. He is mine. And nothing turns me on more than seeing this beautiful man survive time and time again. For me? Orgasmic. However… As I watch, I realise. This is a battle he will not win, and I will not let him die. I will not let this protozoa take my love away from me. I will intervene.
Flynn
He begins his approach and pulls out his pistol, ready to put a bullet between my eyes. If I'm going to die here, I'm going to go out like a soldier, and look my enemy in the eyes before I die. He points the gun at my head and he's ready to pull the trigger. I look at his hands and they're shaking. Why hasn't he pulled the trigger yet?
"What the fuck is happening to me!?" He asks. Blood begins to drip from his eyes and he screams in agony. His whole body begins to shake and convulse but he doesn't move from where he is standing. He continues to spasm and thrash his body in an erratic manner, culminating in cranial detonation. His head explodes like a grenade blast open inside his skull, covering both Natsuki and I in gallons of blood.
"Please tell me you saw that, please tell me you fucking saw that!" I say, glancing towards Natsuki.
"He… He just." Natsuki replied in shock, she had no idea what to say or what the fuck just happened. But that confirms it. They're more than just hallucinations or visions or whatever they fuck they are. That means somebody is doing this. That means somebody has been manipulating me from the start. That means I can make this right. That means they're going to fucking die.
