As Hector reached the hospital room, his happiness shot through the roof. He was already imagining Amanda's face and how happy she would be.
He opened the door and stepped in with a big smile.
"I'm here!" He shouted, scaring both his mother and Amanda. "Look what I brought for you!" He said again, spreading his arms wide.
Amanda was so surprised, she just stared at Hector and the wheelchair with her mouth open. Hector had said he would buy it today, but she thought he was just saying that… yet there it was, the exact wheelchair she wanted.
"You like it?" Hector asked her, seeing she hadn't said anything yet.
"You really bought it!" She bead.
"Of course I did!"
Her smile faded as she began to cry from happiness. She felt incredibly lucky to have a brother who cared so much for her.
"Oh, don't cry." Hector said as he stepped closer and hugged her.
"I'm so happy… thank you." She sniffled, hugging him tightly.
"You don't need to thank , Amanda. I'm here for you." He said, gently patting her head. Their mother, watching from the corner, had also begun to tear up.
She was unbelievably proud of Hector. He was more than a brother to Amanda, he was the father figure she never had. He was always there when she needed him most, doing everything he could to make her happy since the day she was hospitalized.
A real man. That's what he is, even if he has a few screws loose up there.
"Every ti you co here." His mother said as she wiped away her tears, "you make us cry, goddammit, Hector." She smiled at him.
"That's just how it is." He winked at his mother, then turned back to Amanda. "You want to try it out?"
"Yes!" She said with a huge smile on her face.
Hector patted her once more and went to get a nurse, since she was still hooked up to machines and IVs.
After a while, Amanda was all set and ready to try it out.
"Pick up!" She said to Hector, who walked over to her. With their mom's help, he gently lifted Amanda and placed her into the wheelchair.
"It's comfy… and so cute…" She said, touching the little flower design on the side.
"Let's go outside." Hector said, grabbing the handles and pushing her toward the elevator. A few minutes later, they were outside in a park-like area. "Start cruising around, Amanda."
She looked at Hector, a little hesitant. She still felt tired and knew well that her strength hadn't returned yet.
But eventually, she pushed herself, and the wheelchair was like the sports car of wheelchairs. With just one push, she took off faster than she expected. Surprised, she imdiately stopped and looked back at Hector.
"It's really light… and fast!" She said, eyes wide open with a bright smile.
"Of course it is! I bought the best one…it's carbon fiber or sothing like that." He said, winking like he actually knew what that ant. "Go, look around, feel the sun. Be yourself, Amanda."
He waved his hand to encourage her, and though she hesitated at first, she pushed herself forward, wheeling around the trees and admiring everything. There was even a small pond where she stopped to gaze at the water.
For the first ti in so long, she could finally go outside, even if just for thirty minutes. And in that mont, she felt sothing she hadn't felt in ages.
She was living.
She could feel the wind brushing her skin, the warmth of the sun, the scents of the earth and flowers, it all reminded her of who she really was. That she was still alive. That she could still live a life, no matter what had happened to her.
As Hector stood there watching her enjoy herself, his mother suddenly hugged him from behind. She didn't say a word, she didn't need to.
The hug and her tears said more than words ever could.
But then, she felt sothing.
Her hand had brushed against sothing at Hector's lower back. A gun.
She pulled her hand back imdiately, her eyes widening as she realized what it was. Then, gently, she reached up, cupped Hector's face, and looked into his eyes.
"I'm proud of you, and that pride will never fade, Hector. No matter what happens… okay?"
Her eyes were still filled with tears, but there was strength in them too.
"Thank you, Mom…" Hector said softly, leaning forward to kiss her forehead.
"Hey! Co here, there's a fish!" Amanda's voice echoed through the park as she waved at them, pointing at the pond.
Hector waved back and began walking toward her with their mom. "How much ti do we have left?"
His mother glanced at her watch. "Twenty minutes."
Hector sighed. "Then let's make those twenty minutes feel a little longer." He turned his head slightly toward her. "I've got sothing going on… I might not be able to co by for a week or two."
His mother didn't even look at him. "That's okay, Hector. Do what you need to do. We'll wait until you co back."
He didn't say anything else. He just focused on spending the rest of the ti with them… cherishing every second.
anwhile, for Mike and Arine, those thirty minutes felt like hours.
They were still sitting in the car, leaned back, trying to nap, but really, they were just suffering from boredom.
Eventually, Mike pulled out his gun and started cleaning it with a tissue. As he removed the magazine and clicked it back in, Arine opened his eyes and looked over, surprised and confused by what he saw.
The gun Mike held looked exactly like Hector's, engraved with the family na on the barrel and even on the grip.
"What the fuck is that, Mike?"
"What?" Mike said casually. "I'm just cleaning my gun."
"Why the hell do you have a gun like that? And why does it have the family na on it?" Arine asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I an… because I'm part of the family too. And, shit, I got jealous of Hector's gun, so I ordered one for myself." Mike said, grinning.
Arine leaned forward, resting a hand on the wheel and shaking his head. "But you do know Hector's the underboss, right? That's why he has a gun like that. You…" He pointed at Mike, "you're just a soldier."
Mike turned to him, sliding the magazine back in and cocking the gun before flipping the safety on. "Yeah, but there ain't a fucking rule that says I can't have a gun like his."
"Sure, but how the fuck did you afford it?" Arine narrowed his eyes. "We make the sa money, don't we? Or did you get promoted or so shit?"
"No, we're still getting the sa pay. But I got a bonus after saving Jas's life."
"How much?" Arine asked imdiately.
Mike laughed, shaking his head. "I don't know, I didn't count it. But I can tell you it ca in two big ass suitcases. Delivered right to my house. There was a note too: 'I owe you more than this.'"
"What…?" Arine stared at him in disbelief.
"Yeah. I was like, 'Is this a dream?' The boss I serve, Jas saying he owes . I was dumbfounded. That's why I didn't even count how much money was in it. Because in my mind… he doesn't owe anything. I just did what I had to do. What I've spent half my life learning to do."
That last part caught Arine's attention. "Wait. What do you an, 'half your life learning'?"
Mike suddenly flushed, clearly a bit embarrassed to talk about it. "I was a trauma surgeon. That's why my nickna is 'dical Mike.'"
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