Two almost unrecognizable girls were being once again visited by the two kidnappers — or by the servants of the kidnapper — when the only door in the room suddenly burst open, startling every single person inside.

    "Very well folks, the game is over."

    Krystal looked up at the sound of Jack's voice. She beamed and sighed  in relief with her only strength left. The two men quickly got up and some sort of fight started in there; Krystal didn't really pay attention. She turned to Amber and both smiled at each other, too tired to even talk, and too hungry to display any other emotion, but not to hold hands and caress them. Krystal's vision started to blur and everything was moving way too fast; there were too many people inside the room, she had no idea from where did they come from. She felt someone shake her, but she barely caught a glimpse of who it was; next thing she knew, she heard Jack's voice in very loud decibels followed by two gun shots. She flinched and out.

    "Do you think she'll make it?" Jack asked in a very quiet tone.

    "Yes, there's no doubt in that." Jack let out a breathe as he sat on a chair next to the hospital bed. "But she was whipped way too many times, her back looks horrible and may take up to months for her skin to recover completely. It seems as if she was beaten by a metal tip that may leave some scars scattered on her back — nothing that a simple plastic surgery can't take care of, so there's really nothing to worry about."

    Jack leaned his back on the chair. "Thank God."

    "But... Whatever happened was... hard on her. Whenever she woke up, she wouldn't talk, so I can say she's still in a state of shock. As far as I know, she might become psychologically affected because of this."

    "What do you mean?"

    The doctor shrugged as he finished his daily check-up on a sleeping Krystal. "It depends from person to person. You said she was very open to people, right?, well now she might close more to people, become more quiet; She might become not so sure of herself and her emotions might not become as clear as they were; In general, if people take good care of her, if she gets to be with people she liked before, she can lead a happy life — like all of us, right? — and only on certain days she might become a bit moody—"

    Jack chuckled as he closed his eyes, "More than she already was?"

    The doctor stayed silent as he eyed Jack's movements; he nodded as if understanding and comprehending Jack's negative state of mind. He strongly grabbed Jack's shoulder, "It's going to be fine. Don't let it worry you. Have some rest and be sure to eat well." He gave a few pats before making his way to the door, carrying Krystal's files on his hand. "Be sure she gets some rest too."

    Jack stayed there for a few hours, looking at Krystal in her profound sleep, hoping she would wake up. He sighed as he gently rubbed his hand against Krystal's arm. He stood up and made his way to the hospital room next door, to visit Krystal's brave friend, Amber.  

    Krystal's throat was dry.

    Her head was throbbing and she could feel a very sharp pain on her back. 

    She was thirsty.

    She slowly opened her eyes, facing a white pillow with the sickening smell of disinfectant. She squinted at the sudden brightness and tried to glance around. She couldn't see much as she had been sleeping on her stomach, since her back hurt too much; she moved her hand to her back and was disgusted to feel crusts scattered around her previously flawless back. 

    She let out a cry of pain as she tried to get up, sighing in relief when she noticed she was in a hospital and not in that disgusting, scary dark place. She flinched as she remembered the last few days — how many days did she spend inside? 4? 5? She lost count to it, and she didn't really want to think about it. It was over now, and she couldn't be happier at the thought of it.

    Trembling, she pushed a red button next to her bedside and, after carefully sitting and turning her face to the door, she waited for the nurses to come help her.

    Krystal held her breath as she once again turned her about-to-knock hand to a fist. She closed her eyes; should she or shouldn't she? Should she go in and see Amber or shouldn't she bother her...? She was feeling uneasy, it was hard for her to even walk and, on top of that, her heart was racing uncontrollably — resuming, her condition wasn't really helping.

    She shook her head.

    Why not?

    Letting out her breath, she knocked twice and waited. 

    Nothing.

    She bit her lip, her uneasiness gradually increasing. She knocked again and took her hand to the door knob. She breathed in and opened it.

    Only to be greeted by a sitting Amber, preparing to get up.

    "I was going to get it..." She calmly started and then trailed off as she saw a limping Krystal making her way to her.

    Amber was dressed in a white gown — exactly the same as Krystal — and her arm was in a sling. She looked tired, but more than that, she looked hurt. Krystal noticed her dark bags under her eyes, and the few stitches scattered on her face. Krystal bit her lip as she threw her arms carefully at a standing Amber, hugging her. Krystal was surely going to have a heart attack, seeing how fast it was beating; but that didn't stop her from doing whatever she was feeling like doing. She hugged her tight, always careful with the slinging arm between them. Amber, too, buried her head on Krystal's hair and swung an arm around Krystal's waist. She flinched, and Amber took it off immediately, but Krystal whispered an 'it's okay', and she put it back.

    Not that she wanted to hurt her.

    She just... wanted to feel her. And be sure she was alive. 

    Because more than physical suffering, Amber was worried to death about her Soojung, about her fragile and delicate (though very strong-minded) Soojung. Amber ran her healthy hand on Krystal's back when she started to silently crying, wetting her hospital vest. She quickly came to the conclusion that a hug wasn't enough, she wanted something more and even her heart was supporting her to do so, but she didn't. For two reasons: one, because she had to respect Krystal and this wasn't the best time; the other one was the most obvious: because her hospital room's door suddenly burst open and a very loud woman came in, making both girls jump and fall apart from their minutes-long and comfortable hug.

    "Amber Josephine Liu, I swear—" In a few strides, the beautiful woman dressed in a sloppy formal attire tightly hugged Amber. Krystal hid her burning face from their hug as she stepped aside.

    "Ow, mum—that hurts."

    The woman broke the hug to take a second look at her daughter; she was crying. She wiped her tears.

    "Oh my daughter, if only you knew—" Amber's mother sobbed. "—how worried I was! And your father! Oh my, your father was about to go insane because you weren't picking up your phone and-and—" 

    Amber shushed her by lighly hugging her, slighly embarassed by the sudden scene in front of Krystal. "I'm okay now—"

    "You're not okay! You're clearly not okay! You should lay down, come on." Her mother sat down on her bed too, and hugged Amber from the side. "You have no idea—Later that evening when you disappeared, this extremely elegant and gentleman-looking boy knocked and said you were kidnapped along with some friend—oh my. I could swear I felt my world falling down—" Amber's mother ran her hand through her hair in frustration of remembering such sad memories of not so long ago. "And look at you! I heard you have a broken rib too?" Krystal looked up and met eyes with Amber. "Where? On the right? Left? Oh, you're so hurt. Oh, my daughter!" She hugged her again. "Look at you, look at you—Your father watched the CCTV of you being taken away on that street, I just couldn't. He saw you and said you were fighting so bravely to save that friend of yours, I mean—I got so mad. How could you? Didn't you realize how dangerous the situation was?"

    "Mom—breathe."

    "Wait, don't say that—do you even know what— you could be... dead now..." She whispered before breaking into what it seemed an infinite cry. Krystal moved her hands and looked down, feeling completely uncomfortable and... guilty.

    Amber glanced as she heard the sound of clothes rustling, and saw Krystal making her way to the door, head hanging low. "Mom, I'm not—I'm alright, alive and kicking, so don't—" Amber breathed. "I don't regret what I did."

    Her mother looked at her and frowned.

    "I mean, if the same thing happened today—I would do the same."

    "What?! You have no idea of what you're saying! Don't you ever scare me again like this..."

    Krystal quietly closed the door before her and saw a tall man waiting outside, dressed in a formal suit, like Amber's mother. He looked foreign, and he was naturally blond, not like Amber who monthly dyed her hair. Krystal stood there, staring at the man. He smiled, confused, and Krystal started to walk to her room next door.

    "You look sad."

    Krystal glanced back at the man, who had clearly given away some of his handsome features to Amber. She smiled a little and shook her head, "I'm not though." She bit her lip to prevent a loud sob from being heard. She quickly entered her room and carefully laid on the hospital bed, not minding her injuries for a second. 

    She looked around at the empty room.

    Her chest hurt and a lump was forming on .

    She didn't know what was going on, but she could only feel a negative wave coming from herself, that only made her want to cry.

    Which was what she did.

    Crying until falling asleep.

    And trust me, it was not because of the physical pain she was suffering.

    Nor it was because of Amber and Amber's mother clearly disappointment in her daughter for risking herself over her friend.

    No.

    It was because she suddenly felt alone.

    So alone. So lonely, that she wanted to cry.

A/N: Freaking browsers. I'm going crazy because of them.

Thank you, everyone, for supporting this story! :)

EDIT: By the way, I'm working on a KryBer one shot/drabble collection, think I should post it? :)