“The moon has consistently remained by my side in my darkest of times.”
—R.H. Sin
. . .
By the time they made it to the hospital, Cassandra had all but destroyed the window next to her with it serving as her punching bag… unfortunately, her hands were most likely bruised or probably bleeding by now underneath her gloves, if the numbing, sticky feeling within it wasn’t much of an indicator.
Whatever.
Not wanting to waste another more second, Cassandra did not wait for her bodyguard to open the door. The car barely came to a complete stop when she threw open her door and all but bolted out straight into where she remembers the emergency room is.
As she hurriedly made her way over to the nurse's station, Cassandra’s eyes quickly searched the room for one face… not here. Akihiro’s not here–why is he still not here yet?
The building of Luna Enterprises was much farther from the hospital than the professor’s residency, did he got held up in traffic even with having an ambulance? Did grandfather…? “…I’m here for Akihiro Zen.”
The nurse didn’t even have to type the name into the computer. “I believe the patient has arrived a few minutes earlier, ma’am.”
Oh. Good. “Where is he now?”
“The doctors are still running tests on him.”
Her eyes narrowed, “Doctor Florentino?”
“Yes, he was amongst them.”
So, her request has been accommodated… good for them. Cassandra nodded before prompting: “And…? What is the condition of the patient? Is he okay now?”
The woman’s voice immediately shifted into a honeyed, sympathetic, and so infuriatingly fake tone, “I'm sorry, ma’am… but it is the hospital’s policy. We are not allowed to reveal the details to anyone outside of the patient’s family, especially with how–”
Cassandra slammed her hands down onto the counter and leaned forward until the woman flinched back.
A look of bewilderment crossed the other woman’s face, and while she was sure people are looking now, Cassandra still couldn’t find within her to give a single fuck in that moment as her voice dropped into a low and menacing tone:
“Then look at the other way and pretend that I’m his fiancé or something–I'll be filling out the forms and paying the bills anyway. Now tell me what Akihiro’s condition is.”
She waited.
The nurse swallowed as she inched away from her, uneasily. From the corner of her eye, Cassandra can spot a security guard just hovering by, looking tense as if preparing himself to step in on a potential crime scene.
That won’t do. “Don’t make me repeat myself… Amanda. I can and I will get you fired if he’s dying without my knowing.”
At hearing her name–or most likely, the threat, the nurse buckled under the pressure of Cassandra’s glare. “I couldn’t be too sure ma’am, but I overheard some of the other nurses saying the patient might be under the influence of some sort of drug.”
Cassandra’s brow furrowed at the information. Drugs? That doesn’t make sense. “I was told that he’d been shot.”
The nurse nodded, “Yes. But the bullet seems to have been laden with some liquified drugs and when it has been forced in his bloodstream, I… w-well, that’s all I know, ma’am. I swear.” At Cassandra’s prolonged stare, the nurse immediately pulled out a clipboard and slid it across the counter, “This is the paperwork. Please fill it up with the necessary details.”
Pursing her lips, Cassandra grabbed the paperwork, pointedly ignoring the way her hands throbbed. She’d deal with it. Later.
“Make sure that I’ll be notified.”
As Cassandra sits down, not bothering to acknowledge Anton’s presence as he stands by her side as she fills up the form, she kept her face pointedly neutral.
Too many people, too many eyes.
She couldn’t reveal how much the new information bothered her. It… wasn't life-threatening, as far as she can deduce, not the worst-case scenario–Hiro can still recover from this. He will live.
And yet…
Cassandra wasn’t a stranger to drunks and addicts, and she knew for a fact that Akihiro didn't do drugs nor did Akihiro drink–or at least, he does… but not to the point of getting smashed.
Akihiro’s too responsible for that. Not to mention, too busy to bother to get drunk. It was one of the many things that Cassandra liked about him. If Akihiro had been the type of person who enjoyed getting drunk or high, she never would have… admired him.
While she busied herself with filling out Akihiro’s paperwork (despite the stinging on her palms), Cassandra simply identified herself as his spouse to avoid further questioning.
Anton must have read that because he snorted.
Defiant, she stared at him.
Fortunately, her bodyguard said nothing.
Identifying herself as Akihiro’s wife was the only lie Cassandra had filled out on the form. Anton would surely know that because if the only daughter of the Lunamor family had gotten married (to anyone that isn’t Damian), it would have been a big deal… but since her bodyguard must have figured he had antagonized her far enough for the night, he didn’t dare to call her out on it.
Besides, it would make it easier for them to give him Cassandra’s information, so they would be able to let her make any important decisions while he rests.
Easier and less complicated.
“LUNAMOR!”
Her head snapped up, and Anton immediately inched closer to her as he scanned the waiting room. Are the doctors done? Did they have the results already?
But there was no nurses or doctors… only a familiar man (somewhere in his late 20s) was approaching them, he was practically running just to get to her. He barely her bodyguard a passing glance as he slumped down on the seat next to her.
“The nurse wouldn't tell me a thing!” Professor Anderson complained as he angrily ran a hand through his hair, his face pale and beaded with sweat, “Did you hear anything from them?!”
“The bullet was infused with liquified drugs which caused him to become overdosed on it–and judging by earlier, I assumed he lost quite a lot of blood. Professor, did you saw who shot him? What happened before Akihiro passed out?”
Anderson must have been panicking, even until now, because it completely flew past him that he didn’t even react on Cassandra being on first-name basis with her former professor.
“I literally don't know!” he cried, ignoring the looks they received as he groaned, hands flying to cover his face as he hunched forward, “We were just messing around with this new console I had–that’s why he came over by the way–and then, the next thing I know, Hiro was pushing me down the floor just as glasses were raining down on us!”
Good reflexes, Cassandra thought.
Although Cassandra might end up having to pull some strings in order to make sure the assailant will be found before they get the chance to get out of the city.
“What happened after that?” was what she asked instead as she folded the paper (Anderson might read it and end up pestering her with questions), “…and may I ask why your first thought is to call me, not the authorities?”
Anderson gave her a slightly sheepish look, “I don’t know, okay? Look, kid, I wasn’t really thinking straight…”
Obviously, she thought.
“–but your number was the first thing I saw on his contact list, so I just rolled with it. I mean, I know you’re a smart kid and… w-well, maybe I was just hoping you’d have a half in mind to get help while I was losing my marbles,” he winced, rubbing at him arm, “Yeah, sorry about that.”
Cassandra has often been praised as smart, even academically inclined so much that it no longer fazed her, but to have someone put an actual faith on her in a situation like that…
Best not to think about it.
“What happened after he pushed you?” Cassandra opted to ask instead, “Did you see where he’s been hit?”
“No, not really… he fell over the other side of my couch, and it was a few minutes later before it was safe for me to get to him. But at that point, I don’t know, he seemed to just stop breathing.” Anderson’s gaze flitted over Anton who was still hovering by her side, “I couldn’t be too sure but… one of the neighbors told me the shooter spoke Italian.”
…At least there’s a witness.
It’s only a matter of time before they are found and brought to her. Looks like she doesn’t have to involve the police, after all.
“Thanks, by the way,” Anderson finally opts to say.
“I didn’t do anything.” And what’s worse, Cassandra may as well be the real reason why Akihiro’s in a hospital instead of having fun with his friends…
“Aw, come on. Don’t sell yourself short, kid,” her professor huffs out a laugh, “When you heard my buddy was in trouble, you immediately come running here even at such a late hour, you’re handling his paperwork and… and you’re even dealing with this a whole lot better than I ever did. It’s really embarrassing.”
“One of us has to be calm.”
“So yeah, thanks for that.”
Anton shifts on his spot and Cassandra knows her bodyguard was no doubt thinking about her bleeding hands she had… and the broken window.
Glaring proofs of her being ‘calm’.
With nothing else to do, Cassandra scans the paperwork again, checking for anything she might have missed to fill out. The faster she’s done with this, the sooner she could insist that they take him to Akihiro’s room. If they were still busy, Cassandra can wait by the door.
“Signorina?” Cassandra doesn’t spared Anton a glance as he looks up from his phone, “Tuo fratello sta chiedendo di te.” (Your brother is asking about you.)
Anderson raised an eyebrow.
Cassandra wasn’t sure if her professor can understand Italian but so far, Anderson had been… so trusting around her. It was rather nice. And for all the times he’d tease her about Akihiro during class, she thinks it wouldn’t hurt to be civil. Not to mention, he’s a good friend of Akihiro.
Still with the two of them being essentially polar opposites, Cassandra briefly wonders how is that possible.
“My brother’s probably wondering why I’m still not home,” she tells her professor in lieu of answering as she gestures for Anton to lend her his phone (she left her’s on the car), “I’ll just leave a message.”
“Ah, no, no, no! It’s fine!” Anderson waves a hand, looking equal parts guilty and ashamed which Cassandra ignores as she types in a quick text to Cyan. She’s sure her brother will understand… “You don’t have to do that, Lunamor. Really! You can go home if you want. I’m really sorry for getting you in this mess–”
“Signorina Lunamor?”
That was Doctor Florentino.
Anderson hurriedly stood up with her as well, but Cassandra simply gave him a sharp glance. “You can wait here or go home, professor.”
“But Hiro is still—!”
“It’s a hospital policy. They will not tell me anything with you looking like you’re about to pass out. Please, get some rest and do not follow me.”
Cassandra sincerely hoped that Anderson isn’t stupid enough to go against her. She didn’t want to be forced to threaten or kick Anderson out of the hospital, especially when he was just worried about his friend. Cassandra doubted that Akihiro would be fine if she ever goes along with that…
And to be fair, she didn’t really want to start a fight with one of the very few professors who were genuinely nice to her.
“Qual è la situazione?”
(What’s the situation?)
“Abbiamo finito i test. Abbiamo trovato grandi quantità di fenciclidina nel suo corpo da ferite da proiettile sul lato sinistro della spalla e del braccio. Abbiamo dovuto pompargli lo stomaco per sbarazzarci di tutto. Per ora, l'abbiamo collegato a una flebo. I suoi segni vitali sono già stabili, quindi dovrebbe svegliarsi presto.”
“What did he say?” Anderson prompts.
Cassandra resists the urge to sigh out loud as she translates for him: “The doctors have finished running the tests. They found large amounts of phencyclidine in Akihiro’s body from bullet wounds on the left side of his shoulder and arm... they had to pump his stomach to get rid of everything. For now, they had hooked him up to an IV. His vital signs are already stable, so he should be waking up in a bit. Anyway–”
“Dont you ‘anyway’ me!” Anderson protested, “Holy shit. This is great news... this means Hiro’s okay now... right?!”
“Yes, sir, he is.”
She resists the urge to sigh at Anderson’s cheering, more so since a lot of people are staring at them now. Honestly, what a child.
Cassandra should be heading home and getting some rest. It’s been a long day, after all. Or maybe, she should let Anderson handle his friend and start turning this city upside-down in search of the scumbag who’d done the hit so she can get even for what they did to Akihiro.

Besides, Akihiro might be more inclined to see the last person he was with, someone whom he considers a good enough friend to shield away from a hail of bullets rather than having her face the first thing he sees upon waking up. And yet–
And yet...
Cassandra nodded, “Portaci nella sua stanza.”
(Take us to his room.)