The vivid purples and blues bloomed out in his eyes.

Smiling down at the bouquet, Andrew hopes his sister would be lucid enough to enjoy the beautiful flowers he’s bringing her. He steps into the Starry Skies Clinic.

Ding-a-ling!

The bell chimed as the clinic door opens. Nurse Hana came rushing out, expression tense with expectation. On seeing Andrew however, her face dropped.

He sheepishly smiled and waved at her. “Sorry, it’s just me.” The nurse, who had since become his long-time friend, shook her head, embarrassed to be read so easily. “Did you meet Dr Anthony on your way here?” Andrew’s ears picked up a twinge of anxiety in her voice. He shook his head.

She sighed, pulling away from him. Andrew trailed behind her, keeping up with the nurse’s short and brisk strides.

“He hasn’t returned since yesterday. He was supposed to go get a fresh batch of morphine but..” They turned the corner into the overnight room. “We got Sunnie pain-killers from the store across. It’s not doing her much good, but it’s better than nothing.”

He nods his thanks as Hana dashes off to the ringing doorbell again.

Sunnie sat up in her bed groggily, face puffy and red from crying. She looked wiped out, yet still offered a smile towards her brother. Andrew perched on the end of her bed and whisked out the flowers.

“Look what I’ve got you!”

~

Towering mass of muscles.

The bodyguards flanking the elderly man dressed in a white coat reminded Andrew of his rough high-school days of being pushed around by bullies. He used to be one of their little gophers, until one of the seniors found better use of him and recruited the timid little teenager into his gang, the Vultures. Andrew’s deftness with cash and analysis made him as one of Vulture’s best bookies. He was their favourite when it comes to predicting the wins and his guesses almost always hit the mark. He handled bets from people within the school’s neighbourhood with a couple of other boys. His involvement with Vultures gave him protection and income, so he’d be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy it.

What he doesn’t enjoy was what happened to the gamblers who couldn’t pay up. Players range from adolescent juniors to the most senior teacher in the school. Some people get so hooked that they’d bet their bones dry. And when they couldn’t pay up, it’s the bookies job to report them, and watch them either get beaten to pulp and stripped of their valuables, or their houses ransacked and emptied of whatever that can be sold.

He frowned at the memory. The first time he had to handle such a problem, he decided to help the person out and paid the guy’s debt out of his own pocket. However, the senior who recruited him, Jerry, found out what he did. Apparently the guy he helped still had other debts that needed to be settled with the Vultures. Jerry had called Andrew down and gave him a public beating. He was sore for days. Andrew wasn’t sure what happened to the other guy, he never saw him again. He was just grateful that his legs weren’t broken like they did to one of his classmates. At that period, Vulture was growing ruthless with its influx of members. You can’t really be sure if someone was really part of the gang like they’re saying.

The hulking bodyguards squeezed into the elevator with the old man who’s dressed like a doctor. Andrew knows he can safely bet that they’re here to make a house call on the renowned David Moon.

He stepped back into the kitchen and got ready to prepare for lunch hour.

~

Bliss. He’s floating in the clouds, light and free. Free from the pain and agony of the wreck that is his body.

A cup of water materialised and lifted itself to his lips. As he sips, David notices the scarred hand that is holding it. His eyes trailed up the arm that is covered in a tacky-looking cloth and lands on an unshaven face. The bristles of beard tickled him and he gurgled, spilling the water out of his mouth and the cup. Far off sounds of annoyance prickled his ears and he giggles again.

“Damn, he’s totally out of it.”

The elderly doctor rolled his eyes at the man’s exclamation. The wizened physician continued changing the bloodied bandages, instructing the man to place down the cup and wipe off the mess. He clicked his tongue after unwrapping one of the bandaged legs.

“It doesn’t look too good.”

Redfield stopped dabbing his boss’s face and turned to stare at the wound in alarm. “What do you mean?”

“I mean he may never be able to walk on this leg again.”

The conversation sounded muddled to his ears. But even in his foggy and unfocused mind, David understood the gravity of what was said. He squeezed his eyes shut and leaned back into the pillow. It’s better to sleep this off. He sighs in numb contentment.

~

Unbelievably stupid. What made him think he could escape on a cab? That crazy cop jumped into the path of the taxi and caught him almost immediately. He was shackled to the car before the said policeman dashed off after his accomplices. What the hell happened to her vigilant security? Why didn’t she warn them about the bust? It’s her fault he ended up spending the night in jail.

He wants to cry. Not only did he failed to get the painkillers for Sunnie, but now he is in danger of having his licence suspended and his clinic shut down. He mentally apologised to Hana and hoped she could handle the patients in his absence.

“Tony?”

The breathless whisper broke Anthony away from his lamentations. The doctor looked up to find a finely suited man staring at him through the bars of the holding cell. He looked somewhat misty-eyed, an almost smile forming on his lips. Not recognising the well-dressed man, Anthony frowned and glared back.

“What are you looking at?” He doesn’t know how the man knows his name, or rather, his nickname. He certainly doesn’t remember ever socialising with the higher classed society members. The man seemed taken aback, surprise loosening the smile off of his handsome face.

He glanced down to his polished leather shoes and made a show of taking off his glasses and wiping the lenses. Instead of putting them back on, the stranger looked back into Anthony’s face, eyes seeming to gently regard him. The need to cry overwhelms the doctor again.

How could he have not recognised his old friend Nick?

~

The silence is stifling.

“Are you still mad at me?” His query was met with a dismissive snort.

“Why should I be mad at you?” A litany of reasons presented themselves inside his head. Benjamin kept them to himself.

Anthony began fidgeting, uncomfortable with the tension in the car. The sleek design and posh leathered seats of the car made him conscious of the disparity in their wealth. “Looks like you know where I live already?”

He said it like a joke, eyes glued to the window, watching the world outside moving past in a blur.

“You can’t have seriously thought David paid off the clinic’s construction by himself, did you?”

That got his attention. Benjamin looked to the side to find Anthony staring at him, lips round with astonishment. “When your clinic opened, we threw a big party to celebrate.” He grinned, watching the doctor turn around and pull down the cap to obscure his face. “It was your party, just that you weren’t invited.”

The only response he got was a sniffle.

“We missed you.”

He slowed down at a red light. They are still distances away from Anthony’s place.

“Then why didn’t you drop by to visit?” He tried to sound light-hearted but his voice cracked. Anthony busied himself coughing to cover up his embarrassment.

“You know why.”

Benjamin lost count of the numerous times he stood opposite the building, watching Anthony rushing about through the clinic’s windows. But they had promised. Anthony left the gang for good. They weren’t to interfere with his life anymore, but friends are friends. David had somehow found out that their old buddy was having trouble getting sponsors. He confided with Benjamin about his intentions but the others caught wind of it. The group was eager to help, and David was appointed as their representative in delivering it to Anthony.

Anthony cleared his throat before stealing a glance at the driver. “How are you guys doing?” The light changed to green. Benjamin began ticking through the original members, leaving out the unaccountable others that the doctor wouldn’t know.

“And Redfield is now David’s right hand man.” His expression sours. “David isn’t doing so well. You’ve probably heard what happened.” Anthony bit his inner cheek. “Worse still, we don’t know who’s behind it.”

“Tell me what happened.”

Apparently, the mansion was rigged with multiple explosives. That’s why the damage was so devastating. They were even planted in areas where the guests could not have accessed, on the upper level floors and even in one of the bedrooms.

“The only way that’s possible is if we have a traitor among the guards.” David’s guards are his housemates. They consist of the remaining founding members, excluding Benjamin, and a number of Vulture’s pawns that were handpicked by both him and David.

The statement made Anthony restless. “What does she know about this?” Benjamin sighed, knowing who his friend is referring to. “The last time Oreonette contacted us was when she warned me about the bomb.” His forehead creased. “I don’t know why she didn’t call David directly. She hadn’t been answering me since then.”

Anthony worries his lips. There was another pause before Benjamin starts his questions again.

“So, you want to tell me why you were back there?”