The doctor has a mile-long of orders for Callea. She couldn't understand it well either because her head was still throbbing. She had a gash at the back of her head because it was hit by a rock and the doctor had to stitch it. She and Marina were rushed to Nagcarlan District Hospital to be treated. Marina had new wounds, bruises, and scrapes but nothing critical. Luna was treated as well as she was relieved because she had no broken bones despite the stupid stunt that the bully kids pulled on her.
She was cooped inside her room and Deive didn't want her to move much. It was just an hour since she got home and she was bored as hell. She got up to pick up the photo of her best friend that was placed on top of the best drawer when the door opened. Deive went in with a tray of food. His face darkened when he saw her attempt to get out of the bed.
"The doctor told you to stay put and don't move much," he reminded her.
"I will just get something," she said then pointed at the picture frame.
Deive put the tray on the bedside table and picked up her photo with her closest friend. "If you need something, just ask me to do it for you. I will handle it. Is your head still in pain?" he asked then gave her the frame.
"A bit." He didn't need to know that she was still a bit dizzy. She didn't want him to worry anymore. "How's Luna and Marina?"
"Your cat is fine. She has nine lives. I would bring her back to a veterinarian tomorrow if you want to be sure. Marina's bruises and wounds are healing nicely. Your injuries are worse but you are still thinking about them?"
"I want to see them." She wanted to make sure that they were okay. She must see them with her own two eyes. She wanted to know that they didn't have the same fate as her best friend.
"You will see them tomorrow. For now, you eat and rest. The three of you need it. I helped Manang Soling prepare dinner."
It was spiced pumpkin soup with rye bread, steamed vegetables with grilled fish steak, and aloe vera juice. She ate in silence while Deive assisted her. "Thank you for taking care of me. I am sorry for the bother."
He sighed. "You didn't tell me that there are delinquents around here."
"Usually, Marina and I don't leave the premises of Villa Celesta. We didn't care about the rude people outside the villa. Luna usually goes to an abandoned house not far from here to play with other stray cats. Maybe those bullies saw him and played with him. Marina looked for him. I was about to look for him when Mang Lito's nephew told me that they were at the field and being bullied by a group of teenagers." Then she took a spoonful of pumpkin soup. It tasted a bit bitter maybe because she was still sick or the reminder of what happened the other night left a bad taste in her mouth.
"You shouldn't have confronted them without the authority. Now, you are also hurt."
"I don't have the luxury of time, Deive," Callea argued. "If I didn't arrive, Marina would be hurt. Maybe Luna won't be alive anymore. I... I can't take a chance on that."
He dampened the side of her lips with tissue paper. "You really love your friends. Marina told me how you found Luna. She said Luna was almost dead when you picked her up at the cemetery."
"Well, you know how unwanted kittens were left at odd places like the cemetery. Some kids had fun with her and took away one of her eyes. I thought she would die but I just got there on time. The town veterinarian helped her out and kept her alive. Callea became Luna's mother from then on. I don't want her to engage with other cats because they could be bitchy as well. She got into a fight with them because of her appearance."
"And you also helped Marina."
"Well, nobody wants to accept her even her own family. They were cruel and abusive. They were the first people who didn't accept her and treated her like a slave. When I found her after people thought that she was the reason for the dengue epidemic here, I took her to my house and let her live here. From then on, the three of us became friends. I feel like we were destined to be together because we understand each other."
"No wonder you earned their loyalty. You would do everything for them. You really love them so much," Deive said with so much admiration for her.
"I don't want them to experience what happened to my best friend." She touched her face's friend on the photo. "She's Luna. We were classmates in Fine Arts and we hit it off. She was very much interested in ancient antiquities and stone structure restoration. So, we were so elated when we were both invited to train for Angkor Wat's restoration team. But she died saving me. I think I failed her as a friend. So, I returned to the Philippines and decided not to care about the world outside."
Even her own grandfather and her cousins couldn't convince her to get out of the house and live normally. She preferred to stay inside the villa. She could release her own frustrations there. In the world of graphic novels, she could control anything. She could punish the bad guys in her own way.
"So, you named your cat after your best friend," Deive concluded.
"Yes. Whenever I hug Luna, I don't feel so sad anymore. I have a friend again. Then Marina came. At least I have someone to talk to. I never thought that I will have a new friend. I don't feel so alone in this world anymore, right?"
He took her hand. "You are ready to protect her while I am ready to protect you always."