Everything was dark and cold. No, actually not all cold. Something large and heavy covered Meeki's chest. There was a feeling of leather against her hand as she felt it. Something was very wrong with her chest, but she couldn't quite tell what it was. Memory returned to her in an instant and she started out of bed, shooting upright. A searing pain focused from her chest and shot out across her entire body. She couldn't help but let out a terrifying shriek and fell back, gasping as the pain lingered.
The memory wasn't pleasant. She had been shot. Of course. In remembering her injury she had many important questions. Hadn't she died? No, she seemed very much alive. What happened since she passed out? She remembered vaguely that some men threatened to kill her. Maybe they saw that Meeki was already on her way and spared her? But then what about Braya and everyone else?
After the pain faded just enough, Meeki finally opened her teary eyes and found herself in a white room. A little table sat in the corner, filled with many bloody tools. This was Kiluana's ranch, more specifically the surgery room. So she was rescued.
Many loud thumping footsteps came through the hall. The door swung open and everyone that Meeki knew as of late pushed their way inside. The Innocent Girls all had bandages and other injuries in one place or another. Mister Collins accompanied Meeki's husband and daughter in the back. They were all talking at once and the noise became dizzying. There was such a focused feeling of relief and hopefulness that Meeki blushed. They were all truly worried for her. Braya and the irritable doctor made their way through the crowd.
“Everyone be quiet,” the doctor roared. “Let me check her vitals. She is far from sufficiently healed.”
They quieted down in suspense as he performed a number of tests. He checked for her pulse, her blood, and asked her a number of simple questions. He recorded everything in a small computer and showed no emotion through the examination. It was hard to tell if things were going well or otherwise. Everyone stared at him with eyes begging to have his verdict. After wrapping it up, he turned to Kiluana.
“She's okay to talk, healing nicely, but she still has to stay in bed for a number of weeks.”
He made his way out and everyone chattered loudly in light of the great news. But Kiluana's face was dark. Meeki figured she wanted to talk business, and the business wasn't good.
“Everyone out, I need to talk to her. Braya, you can stay.”
They all looked to Meeki one last moment before leaving. Her husband and Miao especially took their time. Miao's eyes were reddened from a recent cry. Meeki thought herself responsible for this and looked away in shame. She felt a deep guilt and most of her joy for living paled in comparison.
Braya stood by the bed and wrapped her warm furred hands around Meeki's wrist. Though she was still feeling very weak, Meeki did the same for her friend. This response inspired a grateful smile from Braya.
“I'm so happy you're getting better. I don't know what I'd do if you died again,” she said.
“Again?” Meeki asked.
“Never mind that, we have to fill you in on the situation so far,” Kiluana said.
Braya went into the hall and brought in two chairs. They sat some distance away from the bed. Meeki took a deep breath and prepared herself for unhappy news.
“They told me you passed out just after Elian ran?” Kiluana asked.
“Yeah, I guess. Some guys came along too,” Meeki said.
“Right. Those were Elian's friends, the ones my papa warned you about. They almost killed you and Braya, but my staff came around right on time. They tried to shoot them, but these guys just vanished. Some kind of Newhope teleportation technology or something.”
“I'm pretty sure they came to us that way. They came from nowhere,” Braya added.
Kiluana nodded. “The doctor gave you some treatment right on time. He wasn't convinced you'd live but I forced him.”
That wasn't much of a surprise, even Meeki thought she was just about dead at the time. So Kiluana's stubbornness had its use after all.
“Thanks. But I guess I won't be helping you out now. Like the doctor said, I'm going to be here a few weeks,” Meeki said.
“Mister Collins will prepare some medicine to help you, but that is hardly the issue right now.”
“Then what is it?”
Kiluana looked to Braya for a moment and then slowly turned back. Her face was extremely grim.
“Lucifer's gone missing, so Elian's the next ranking Gonsalez member. He's been temporarily promoted to the sole Administrator of Aster, and the first thing he did was label us as the actual assassins. Everyone believes him, of course. And just so you know, it's been two days since he killed them.”
Through Kiluana's account, or perhaps the entire time Meeki had been awake, Braya's mood gradually sunk. Now she looked abysmal and Meeki understood why. It was bad enough that Elian would persecute them, they also had Clara to deal with. That girl would undoubtedly come to “punish” them as promised.
“I know what you're thinking,” Kiluana said, though Meeki doubted that. “Will Elian find and arrest us? We're safe for the moment, but I'm working to keep us out of sight. We also have an escape plan if it comes to that.”
Keeping confident in Kiluana wasn't easy after the failure in the tower, but it was better than nothing.
“Excuse me,” Mister Collins announced from the door.
“What?” Kiluana asked.
“I've received a report from Roberto, you'll want to hear it now.”
Kiluana turned to Meeki and almost smiled, but her exuberance was missing now. “Relax, we'll manage.”
Mister Collins frowned and shook his head a little, perhaps thinking that Meeki wasn't looking. Kiluana pulled herself from the chair and walked out in slow and dreary silence. Braya then pulled her chair closer to the bed. Her blue eyes filled with tears as she looked Meeki over.
“I'm so sorry, it's my fault you got so hurt. I could have done better, but I was just so angry with Elian,” Braya said.
“I would be more worried about Clara.”
“Oh. I don't know what's going on with her,” Braya said, her ears flattening back to the thought. “She should've been here by now. She jumps between these planets like it's nothing.”
“She isn't the sort of girl who wastes time, right?”
Braya shook her head. “It could be that she has some other business before she gets to us, but I don't know.”
Meeki sighed and looked up to the pure white ceiling. Despite their efforts, things hadn't gotten better at all. Everything was only getting worse, actually. Now she couldn't even leave the bed. This wasn't the best time to be so helpless.
Braya gave Meeki an ambitious glance. “When she comes here, I'm going to stop her, no matter what it takes.”
“Just make sure nothing happens to my daughter, that's the important thing,” Meeki said.
“No, it won't just be Miao. I swear I'll protect everyone from Clara.”
Meeki nodded, though Braya didn't exactly have her vote of confidence. The last time Clara showed herself, Braya could do nothing but cry and wail out loud.
Braya's ears shot up to hear something. Meeki could see in the corner of her eye that Miao was looking through the crack of the door.
“I guess I better go and keep watch. I can see her from a distance sometimes.”
Braya stood up and looked over Meeki one last time. She was no longer sad. There was ambition in her eyes now, but also great caution. She walked out the room without a word.
Meeki spent the next few hours with her family. She told them the truth of the situation and left out no details. They were surprised to hear of Clara and had their doubts, but Meeki insisted that Braya took it very seriously. Aside from that, Meeki made it clear that there was little chance their lives would ever be the same. Even if Elian and Clara both spared them, they'd probably have to live in a world of Elian's new twisted political design.
A heavy rain picked up that night. Aster had a habit of sweeping a string of heavy rain clouds across the world. It would take several days for the constant rain to pass. This weather was familiar and expected by most everyone on the planet, but it disturbed Meeki that night. Hearing the constant taps on the roof gave her a feeling of incredible constriction. She would have tossed and turned, but the large cast on her chest was too cumbersome to reposition. She could only lay on her back and face against the torrent of rain. Even though she had survived her ordeals so far, she didn't feel happy. The inability to protect her own daughter made her feel like there wasn't much point in her existence anymore. Without hope of giving Miao a safe and peaceful life, Meeki cried herself to sleep.