R's head felt like it was splitting apart. Every hard impact only made things worse. Buzzing filled his ears, drilling all the way into his brain. His entire body seemed to shatter and reform into a new one. His vision began to blur, and his eyes refused to cooperate.
Through the haze, R could make out the shadows of people he didn't recognize. His body was limp, and his breathing was labored. There was nothing he could do but wait. He was too proud to pray. He wasn't close to God.
"R!"
Dean and Loen were powerless to do anything. Rama didn't lower his weapon, and neither did Ramon. Who knew what had possessed those two bastards to dare fight the police?
"Put your hands up! Drop your weapons!"
Ramon didn't immediately raise his hands. What for? He had a gun too, just like they did. In fact, he had an even more enjoyable prize: three rich kids.
"Damn it!" Rama cursed.
Rama kept cursing but continued playing along with Ramon's game. The man hadn't expected this many officers to show up. Instead of getting the money he wanted, he now had prison waiting for him. Those sharp eyes burned when the girl of his dreams appeared in the doorway.
Stela arrived with Simon and Farhan. They walked slowly behind Bari. The other officers had already subdued Ramon's men who had been standing guard outside. Rama and Ramon had no choice but to surrender. If they were willing to.
"Hey, beautiful! I've missed you so much!" Ramon called out.
"Ugh! Give it up, Ram. You can't go anywhere anymore. Your sentence will be a lot worse if you don't stop now!"
Stela didn't take her eyes off R. With all her strength, she held herself back from running to him. Several times, she closed her eyes and tightened her grip on Simon.
"Shit! I don't want to die in prison!" Rama cursed.
"Shut up!"
Rama had lost his patience. Seeing the officers begin to approach with their guns aimed at them sent him into a panic and made him lose control. He immediately dropped the pistol in his hand and raised his hands.
"Ram!"
"I surrender! I was just playing along, okay? This way, I won't have to rot in that dump for too long!"
"Idiot!"
Dean and Loen hurried over to R. The boy, already pale, had grown even whiter, as if no blood were flowing through him. Loen immediately lifted R's head and offered his thigh as a pillow.
"R, R, R, are you okay?" Dean rubbed his friend's arm again and again.
R only gave him a faint smile. His tongue felt numb, though he could still speak. He chose to conserve his strength so he could stay conscious.
Dean and Loen breathed sighs of relief. Their worry eased a little. At least R was still conscious. R was still alive.
"Bro! I know you're not that stupid! Killing people isn't your style. Come on, what do you want? Atone for your sins and stop making things worse!"
Instead of being intimidated by Simon's words, Ramon took a step forward. Closer, and then even closer to the three boys. He casually pressed his pistol against Dean's head.
Dean was so shocked that he closed his eyes and began to pray. Loen swallowed hard and gripped Dean's hand tightly. Furious, Stela tried to move closer, but Simon held her back.
"It's too late now. Might as well go all the way. Whether I kill them or not, I'm still going to prison."
The man prepared to pull the trigger. Dean bowed his head in resignation, and so did Loen. They closed their eyes in unison and clung tightly to each other.
Bang!
Bang!
Blood quickly spread across the floor. Ramon collapsed after bullets lodged in his hand and leg. The officers swiftly pulled their triggers before Ramon could shoot first. They immediately restrained Ramon and Rama and put them in handcuffs. They also called for medical assistance.
Dean and Loen slumped down too. They let out sigh after sigh of relief. They stared at the ceiling, which had witnessed how completely oblivious they had been to the Almighty.
Stela, Bari, Simon, and Farhan hurried over to R. Farhan easily lifted R's body and moved Dean and Loen aside. The two boys complied without protest.
Farhan quickly injected something and checked R's vital signs. Stela was gripping R's hand tightly, as if letting go would mean losing him. Tears pooled in her eyes, still held back. They wanted to spill over, but she kept them in.
"Dad..."
"Aris, you're going to be okay. It's all over now." Bari joined in reassuring his son.
Farhan quickly lifted R and carried him into the ambulance. Stela kept holding R's hand the entire way. Simon and Bari helped Dean and Loen to their feet. They followed behind Farhan.
"Simon, please take Dean and Loen home. Their parents must be worried. Here's my car key," Bari requested.
Simon nodded. Dean and Loen obeyed without arguing. They wanted nothing more than to get into Farhan's vehicle and stay with R until he regained consciousness. But they had to be realistic—someone was waiting for them at home.
"Thanks, Uncle."
Stela was a strong girl. She had long since gotten past losing her mother and being abandoned by her father. Meeting her needs by renting out her body certainly hadn't been an easy choice. The reality of having her body touched, even without sex, in exchange for money was disgusting.
She still remembered that the last time she had cried was when her mother died. She never expected those tears to force their way out of her eyes today. Stela held them back with all her might because she didn't want R to know.
The boy was lying in her lap, his eyes closed and his mouth slightly open. His breathing was shallow and sounded painful. Every now and then, Bari glanced back to check on his son. Even Farhan seemed distracted as he drove.
Stela gave up. She could no longer hold back when R groaned and gripped her hand tightly. The girl tried to tilt her head back so her tears wouldn't fall onto R's cheek.
"Hey..." R's voice was extremely faint and weak.
"Hmm?"
"Are you... crying?"
"No." Stela answered as gently as she could. She wiped away her tears and looked into R's eyes as they slowly opened.
Those beautiful irises were red. Tears had gathered there too, but they didn't seem willing to spill. They only served to obstruct R's vision.
"If those tears are for me, thanks. Now... I really know... how you feel."
"So full of yourself."
R smiled. He was grateful that Stela was still the same Stela he knew. He raised his hand and brushed it over Stela's cheek, wiping away the tears still clinging to it.
"Don't you... want to... say something?" R asked in broken breaths.
"Hmm?"
"You've... never... said it... to me."
Stela shook her head. She pressed her index finger over R's mouth, telling him to be quiet. Stela's heart ached at the sound of R's labored breathing. Even in that condition, he still had the energy to ramble at her.
"That's enough. Don't talk for now. Just rest. We'll be there soon."
R nodded. He intended to close his eyes before a choking sensation attacked him. His chest suddenly tightened, and his airway blocked.
"R?!"
Stela patted R's cheek as the man began to writhe. R's left hand clutched Stela's hand tightly. He even started pounding his own chest.
"Aristoteles?"
Bari panicked too when Stela raised her voice. The girl tried to pull R's hand away from his chest. As soon as she managed to, she gripped it tightly.
"Stay calm, stay calm. You're okay, you're okay. I'm here, I'm here," Stela assured him.
R shook his head. His head felt like it was about to explode, and so did his chest. His body ached and felt as if it wanted to break free. Tightness seized him as a mass of foreign matter tried to force its way out of his throat.
"Ugh... cough..."
Stela's eyes flew wide open. Just as R's eyes finally closed, the girl bowed her head and hugged his body tightly.
"R!"