Will woke up after what seemed like an eternity. Through the window entered the sun of mid-day, high and warm, that spread its yellow light on the walls of the room. His brain was still asleep, and he took some time to really wake up and understand where he was, even though he found himself in his own bed. Slowly he became aware of the previous night, and felt his heart race upon remembering that Emily came home with him.
He got up slowly. His head ached terribly and his whole face and body seemed to be sore from the violent fight of the previous night. He looked around to find the room empty, Boris was sleeping quietly at the end of the bed and there was no sign that anyone else had been there with him.
Will sat heavily on the bed trying to organize his thoughts. He was sure Emily had slept in his bed, with him. Her perfume still filled his mind like a sweet memory. Then he suddenly realized: he felt rested, truly rested, even bursting with energy.
"I slept deeply! I had absolutely no dream." He realized astonished. That feeling was so strange that he thought he might still be dreaming. But he wasn't, he had fallen in a dreamless sleep, as if he was submerged by the calm, heavy waters of a blue ocean.
Happiness loomed in his chest. For those who don't have insomnias it might be hard to understand, but for those who have them a restful night is one of the most precious gifts. However the happiness was soon replaced by a slight feeling of sadness and fear. Emily had certainly left in the morning without saying a word, and that caused him more anguish that it was to expect, as if he felt betrayed somehow.
He tried to get rid of that feeling and got up at cost. When he walked in front of his mirror he had to stop in perplexity, to observe himself. His face was disfigured, his left eye was swollen, half of his face was purple and his lips had several bloody cuts due to the punches he took valiantly. He lifted his shirt only to see his stomach area full of dark bruises, he took sudden awareness of the fact that every bit of his body, from head to toe, ached and that he was starving.
After a while Will left home with Boris that also seemed to be very hungry. They walked slowly through the sunny afternoon, people passing by looked at Will's face slightly horrified, but he couldn't care. He was dealing with a handful of emotions, some disturbance about the whole scenario of the robbery from the night before, a contained happiness for Emily's company, a slight apprehension for her leaving without warning in the morning, and finally a true satisfaction for having been able to sleep so soundly that night. Amidst this confusion of feelings he didn't know which to cling to, so he continued to walk with Boris, until finding a place to eat.
After they were recomposed from the gnawing hunger, Will felt a strong desire to visit Julia's bookstore, and so he did, without further thinking. When they got there the afternoon already approached its ending, and from the inside of the store came a pleasant light. Inside Julia was talking to some smiling costumers. When she saw him she stopped talking and looked at him with pity, but not surprised. When the costumers left Julia approached Will that stood by the door.
"Look at you. You'll scare all my costumers." She said while examining his wounds. "Come inside and sit, I was going to close anyway, let me take care of that face."
Will sat down heavily on the sofa, feeling that the pain in his body grew rapidly again. He closed his eyes for a second letting the tranquillity of that place fill him.
"My god, such brutality. How are you feeling my dear?" Asked Julia sitting next to him with gaze and wound disinfectant in her hands.
"I'm not sure. My whole body hurts, but I feel good, strangely." While she cleaned his wounds carefully he suddenly remembered. "But, you know what happened?" he asked surprised.
"Yes I do, my granddaughter came here this morning, she was very upset and told me everything. Now she's in the back, sleeping." Will's heart raced to know she was in there, now he wasn't sure if he wanted to continue there or run away immediately. "You were very brave William. I'm not so surprised, I can see you have it in you. I have to thank you for taking care of her, in the best way you could. She was so upset, poor thing, I think she's a bit traumatized, even though sometimes it may look like she is recomposed. She's very sensitive you know?"
Will lowered his eyes, embarrassed. In the end he had just taken her to drink to forget what had happened, how badly it should look in Julia's eyes. He felt like he had to justify himself.
"I know, I was only trying to help. I understand know that I didn't act in the best of ways. I should have known it better than anyone. I was careless, I'm sorry."
"Oh no, not at all. You did what you should have, and did it right, for all purpose." Julia smiled at him and proceeded to clean his wounds in silence.
Suddenly Emily appeared through the back door, looking sleepy. Upon seeing Will in the room she froze in her place while she seemed to be thinking about what to do next. He felt the blood rushing to his face, and stood up more quickly than he should.
"Emily!" he said in a small voice, looking at her without knowing what to do.
Julia got up slowly and disappeared almost without being noticed.
"I'm sorry!" said Emily finally. "I'm sorry for leaving like that, I'm sorry for… Well for everything, I don't know what else to say."
"I'm the one who should apologize, I shouldn't have taken you to that bar to drink. How do you feel, are you alright?" Will asked, his voice brimming with concern.
"I'm fine. And glad you took me there, actually I think if it wasn't you I wouldn't have been able to walk out the store on my feet. Now I'm better, I'll be alright. But you, my God, your face!" She approached him and looked at him carefully. Then without saying a word she sat where Julia sat before and continued the work her grandmother had begun.
They did not say another word. Emily cleaned his wounds carefully, as the night grew outside, and the first stars begun to shine in the sky.