The Mafia's Doctor

<-42->

>>>M-A-T-T-E-O->
"Shit, Ila just passed out on me. How's Aiden?" I asked Lorenzo.

"He's out, but he has a pulse," he answered, hovering over Aiden a few feet away. "Aiden's got two bullets in him."

"Where?"

"In the hip and thigh of his left side," Lorenzo answered after his quick inspection.

"We have to get them into one of these cars," I said, thinking fast. I looked around the garage. Unlike ours, there wasn't a rack on the wall that held the keys to the cars.

Adriano came running in. He stopped before reaching us, bending down and snatching something from the ground.

"What you got?" Lorenzo asked.

Adriano held up his hand, revealing a set of car keys he has found on the ground. He pressed the "unlock" button and the black BMW car beside us beeped.

"Perfect, let's hurry," I said, scooping Ila up.

"We can't drive to Dr. Montello in that car, it probably has a tracker on it," Lorenzo argued, getting Aiden into his arms.

"No, we are driving it to our cars. We can't carry them all the way back, we'll be wasting time."

Adriano opened the car's backdoors as we struggled with the weight of their limp bodies. He then made his way to the driver's seat, starting the car. Lorenzo got in the passenger seat after getting Aiden into the backseat with me and Ila.  As soon as the garage opened, Adriano sped off to the cars we parked two blocks away.

"Anyone else seriously injured?" I asked into the earpiece.

"I'm rounding up everyone, they all seem good. We are heading back," Kianzo replies.

"I have Ila and Aiden with me. It's pretty bad. It looks like we are going to reach the cars before everyone else. Once we get there, we are going to go straight to Dr. Manteil's. Everyone can go separate ways or follow behind us."

"Alright, Boss."

<-I-L-A-<<<
I woke up with many questions in my head, contributing to the massive ache I felt all over my body. I understood that I was laying down on a bed but I didn't bother in trying to get up because for all I knew I was hurt. I turned my head to the right, straining my neck to see.

Where was I? It wasn't the dark basement nor any room that I was familiar with in the mafia house.  The bright sunlight that lit up the room made me wonder what time was it and of what day are we in.  The fuzziness in my memories made me question what exactly happened. Most importantly, who was standing in front of me with his back turned in my direction, wearing a white doctor's coat?

"Doctor?' I called for his attention so he can check my conditions. At the sound of his suffix, he turned around. His face was recognizable as soon as I got a good look of him. "Quinten?"

"Ila, how are you feeling? Do you remember anything?" My ex-colleague asked me, looking into my eyes for dilation.

"Oh my gosh, I am dead, aren't I?" I asked. There was no way Quinten was in front of me. "Does that mean you're dead too, Quinten?"

"No one is dead," he assured. "I know you are confused and I'll explain later. I need you to tell me the last thing you remember."

I thought hard and tried to recall the reasons as to why I was currently in pain and under the care of Quinten Montello. I looked past him and saw Aiden sleeping in the bed where I first saw Quintin's back. Everything flooded back and I remembered shooting Claire until she was lifeless. I looked back at Quinten.

"I-I.." I had to come up with a lie but my breath was suddenly caught in the middle of my throat. The roof of my mouth suddenly went dry and heat rushed to my face.

"Ila, calm down. Focus on your breathing," Quinten said, putting his arm on my shoulder for support. He breathed with me. "Inhale. Exhale. Inhale."

My breath, compared to his, was short and rigid. If anything, he was no help and was contributing to my attack.

"It's okay, I'll call Matteo."

He left to get him. My eyes were glued to Aiden and I never wanted to look away so badly in my life. He wasn't dead, but I knew that Claire was. She's dead and it's my fault. From my fingers to the trigger to the bullet that pierced her gone. I squeezed my eyes shut, pushing the tears that accumulated at the rim of my eyes out.

In the midst of my body quivering as I became a fit of sobs and tears, I felt someone grab a hold of me. Embracing me in a back hug as we were laying down, I  tensed up.

"Shhh, it's going to be okay," Matteo's voice whispered in my ear as he patted my head.

>>>-M-A-T-T-E-O->
"Matteo," Dr. Montello barged into the living room.

"What?" I asked, instantly shooting up from the couch.

"Ila finally woke up."

"Is she okay?" I asked.

"She's having a panic attack and Aiden is still sleeping."

"Can I go see her?" I asked, already getting up and making my way to the room Dr. Montello had her and Aiden staying in.

"Yeah, you already know the way. I'll give you guys space." He said, pointing down the hall.

Right as we arrived at his house, he had already set up everything due to our prior call that informed him to be ready. Dr. Montello had Aiden and Ila in the same room so it was easier for him to keep an eye on both of them and kicked all of us out. It's been a whole night since I've seen her.

I entered through the door where Dr. Montello had pointed and as he had said, Aiden was sleeping while Ila was curled up into a ball on her good shoulder crying.

She still hasn't noticed me and I stood there watching over her. I didn't know what to do. Was it even okay for me to comfort her? I looked at with empathy. It was I who brought this upon her. In front of me, Ila was crying. It was my fault. Sliding into the bed, right next to her, I chose to fix it.

Carefully, making sure that I wouldn't hurt her, I hugged her from behind.

"Shhh, it's going to be okay," I said, trying to soothe her as I patted her head and spooned her.

Expecting her melt into my arms and lessen her cry, she did the opposite. She sobbed and cried harder.

"M-Matteo, I wa-as so scared," She whined. "They h-hurt me and I-I thought I was good as d-dead."

She sank deeper into me, absorbing all my comfort. Each tremble caused my soul to shake, breaking my heart.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

"and A-a-a-dien, h-e... I ki-killed..."

"I know, Ila. I know," I whispered, tiring to hush her. "It's going to be okay. You did what you had to do."

"Nothing I did was right."

"I'm so sorry, Ila," I said, holding her tighter.

<~>
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