Since leaving the classroom, Aleena's mind had been a whirlwind of thoughts and concerns.
 
How much had Damian overheard during their conversation? What could possibly be going through his mind right now?
 
Aleena couldn't quite explain it, but she felt an urgent need to ensure that Damian didn't misinterpret her intentions. She couldn't let Damian believe she was still waiting for Shane. Damian seemed convinced of Aleena's lingering feelings for Shane, and Aleena had to set the record straight. In this moment, all she wanted was to find Damian and make him understand that there was no future between her and Shane.
 
As Aleena rushed through the streets, she called out Damian's name, hoping the sound would reach him. Yet, there was no sign of the other boy. Aleena's anxiety grew with each passing moment. She hoped Damian had returned to Aleena's house, so she sprinted in that direction.
 
Entering the house, Aleena yelled Damian's name while searching every room. But Damian was nowhere to be found. Desperation began to set in, and Aleena brainstormed other possible locations Damian might have gone. The rooftop crossed her mind, but she had heard Damian leave through the front doors of the school, and the door to the roof was inside the building.
 
Growing increasingly concerned, Aleena considered Damian's old house, the one he had been fleeing. It was a long shot, but it was the only other place that came to mind. Aleena wasn't entirely sure about the situation between Damian and his family, but it must have been dire if Damian had run away. It was a desperate possibility, but Aleena headed in that direction.
 
She raced down the street, following the path Damian had taken on many walks home. Aleena had never paid much attention to Damian's house before, and now she regretted not knowing its exact location. Suddenly, a loud noise emanated from one of the houses to her left. Without hesitation, Aleena sprinted toward it. The door was left wide open and unlocked, and Aleena wasted no time in entering.
 
As she swung the door open, she caught a glimpse of a figure tumbling backward from the top of the staircase. A cry escaped her lips when she recognized Damian's dark hair. Aleena's heart pounded as she heard the sickening crunch of Damian's head striking one of the steps.
 
Damian crumpled at the bottom of the stairs, and Aleena snapped out of her shock, rushing to his side in an instant.
 
"Damian!" Aleena cried, noticing Damian's unfocused, fluttering eyes.
 
Aleena carefully cradled Damian's head in her lap, her heart aching at the sight of blood beginning to seep from the right side of Damian's head. His cheek was swollen and bright red, a nasty bruise already forming around his eye. Aleena's heart raced with anxiety as she took in the severity of the injuries.
 
Meanwhile, Damian's father stood at the top of the stairs, his face pale, still staggering from whatever had transpired. Aleena hardly registered his presence as he swiftly retrieved his phone to dial 119, tears streaming down her face. He repeated soothing words to Damian, praying fervently for the ambulance to arrive quickly.
 
"Damian… you're going to be okay," Aleena whispered, repeating the same words she had said not long ago, fervently hoping that they held true.
 
***
 
The sound of a machine beeping roused Damian from his slumber.
 
The sheets beneath him felt foreign, nothing like the guest bed at Aleena's house or the rough, familiar linens of his old bedroom. Disoriented, he struggled to recall where he was, but a gradual awakening led him to realize he was in a hospital room.
 
Pain throbbed mercilessly in his head, as if a sledgehammer had done a number on it, and his left cheek ached incessantly. His arm was cradled in a sling, and even the simple act of breathing caused discomfort.
 
Yet, all these discomforts faded into the background when he spotted the figure resting beside his bed.
 
Aleena sat slouched in a chair, her body twisted into an uncomfortable position, her chin resting on his chest. She emitted soft, endearing sounds in her sleep, puffing air through her nose. Her eyes were swollen and red, like she had shed tears.
 
Damian's heart swelled, wondering if Aleena had been crying for him.
 
Flashes of his altercation with his father flashed in Damian's mind. He questioned if he had imagined hearing Aleena's voice before he blacked out; it strangely resembled Aleena's.
 
Attempting to sit up, Damian was met with a sharp pain in his ribs, causing him to gasp and inadvertently jostle the bed.
 
This abrupt movement stirred Aleena from her slumber. Her eyes snapped open, blinking heavily until they landed on Damian.
 
"Damian!" Aleena exclaimed, quickly sitting up in her chair and leaning closer to Damian, her gaze filled with earnest concern.
 
Before Damian could respond, the hospital room door swung open, and a doctor entered, clutching a clipboard. His name tag identified him as Dr. Matthew.
 
"Damian," Dr. Matthew began, adjusting his glasses. "I'm pleased to see you're awake. You took quite a tumble down the stairs, resulting in a minor concussion, two broken ribs, and a sprained arm. There's also a rather severe bruise around your eye, one that appears unrelated to the fall. Can you confirm that?"
 
Damian felt overwhelmed by the barrage of questions, his anxiety building as the doctor continued. When the doctor mentioned the bruise around his eye, Damian's expression shifted uncomfortably, visible even to Aleena.
 
Yet again, before Damian could respond, a commotion erupted just outside the room. The door swung open once more, and Damian's father stormed in, followed closely by a nurse.
 
"I apologize, doctor," the nurse hurriedly explained, casting an apologetic glance toward Dr. Matthew. "This man barged in, and I couldn't stop him!"