arrived, Yahya said in a tone that was weary, though he tried to hide it: "Marcus... I hope you've prepared double pay for us for risking our lives."
Marcus answered, shifting his gaze back to the truck: "With what you've brought back, even if it took a week, you certainly deserve a raise. But since you smashed the gate, your request is denied."
Yahya answered heatedly, anger plain on his face: "What are you saying?! We put our lives on the line for this mission of yours, and in the end we don't even get a reward for it? Even so, that's Maria's problem. She was the one driving. It's not our problem. She should take the responsibility."
Marcus's eyes left the truck for a moment. He turned his body slowly toward him and said in a calm voice: "We can negotiate that later. For now, go and give a report on everything that happened on your mission."
Yahya calmed his anger a little and answered: "Obviously Luke has already gone to give the report. As for Maria, I don't know where she is. She was in the front seat, but she's vanished." (He sighed.) "I wish she'd die."
Marcus answered, trying to end the conversation: "Maria has already been taken to the hospital by Mira. Now go to the village center. I'll join you shortly."
Yahya took a deep breath, then turned and walked wearily off toward the village center, leaving Marcus behind, still watching the work in silence.
Elsewhere, at a later time, in a place resembling a traditional hospital, Mira sat outside on a chair, her fingers tightly interlaced and her knees trembling with worry. Every few seconds she looked toward the door of the cabin where Maria lay, her eyes red from crying.
The moment Alexander stepped out of the door, her heart leapt, and she said to him in a voice full of tension: "Maria! Is Maria okay?!"
Alexander took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes, saying calmly: "Relax. Her condition isn't that bad. Just a number of wounds to the head, stomach, and hands, along with some broken fingers."
Mira answered him heatedly: "That's not that bad?!"
Alexander cut her off as he put his glasses back on: "What matters is that she's still alive, and that's most likely thanks to the truck's airbag, which spared her any serious damage. (Cough.) But the strange thing is that her injuries weren't actually caused by the crash."
She asked in bewilderment: "What? Then what caused them?"
He answered: "I don't know, but most likely she was attacked by those creatures."
The tension eased from her face as she replied: "What matters is that she's alive."
He stepped aside to let her in: "Yes. And you can talk to her now."
By the time Alexander finished speaking, Mira had already gone inside.
Mira entered the small room, lit by sunlight slipping in through the windows. Maria lay on a narrow bed, one of many occupied by other patients, her head wrapped in white bandages and her hands held in small splints. She was shouting at Nicholas, who sat in front of her eating from a bowl full of apples:
"You moron, put the bowl down, it's mine... Can you even hear me, you insensitive brute?" Then she stopped speaking as she noticed Mira standing at the door, and looked at her in surprise. "Why are you looking at me like that? And get this damned scum out of here."
Nicholas answered mockingly: "Quiet, you lunatic. Nobody told you to start cursing at me the moment you woke up."
Suddenly Mira rushed toward Maria, trying to hug her and crying tears of joy: "Mariaaaaaa!! You're alive!"
Maria shrieked back in irritation: "Get off me, you idiot! Everything in my body hurts, and you're only making it worse!"
Mira recoiled in alarm and said anxiously: "Sorry... I was just worried about you... I thought you were dead."
Maria replied sarcastically and sourly: "And here I am, alive, wow. Now go kill that vile dark one next to me."
Nicholas laughed at her mockingly: "No, I don't want to."
Mira snatched the bowl of apples from him and quickly pulled his chair away from Maria, so fast that Nicholas barely understood what was happening. She said to him angrily: "Get out, please."
Nicholas gave Maria a mocking look and answered calmly: "Gladly. See you later, mummy."
Mira turned to Maria and found her on the verge of exploding with rage.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaargh, I'll kill him, I swear I'll kill him!"
Mira took a deep breath to calm her nerves, then sighed, took an apple from the bowl, and handed it to Maria, saying: "Calm down a little. You really worried me... You idiot, can't you drive?! You smashed the gate and nearly got yourself killed!"
Maria took the apple and began nibbling at it slowly, mumbling with her mouth full: "No, I can't drive. What did you expect? I'm only nineteen. Besides, the brakes were broken, there was nothing I could do. What matters is that I'm alive, yaaay!"
Mira replied teasingly: "You look like a one-eyed monkey and you say you're fine. Stop talking nonsense."
The two girls started laughing, especially Maria, who nearly choked and would have if Mira hadn't helped her.
"Hehehehehehe, haaa, I love your terrible jokes."
The other answered cheerfully: "And I love how you react to them."
Silence fell for a few moments before Maria spoke: "Give me another apple."
Mira looked at the bowl, then turned back to her and said: "They're gone."
Maria replied in surprise: "Huh?"
Mira showed her the empty bowl and shrugged mockingly, and Maria began groaning in anger and contempt: "I'll kill him! I swear if I see him again, I'll strangle him with just my eyes!"
Meanwhile, Nicholas stood outside, staring at the ground, his fingers laced together and his face full of worry and thought, as though hesitating over some decision, barely hearing anything but the voices of resolve and seriousness between his ears.
"The time has come... I mustn't hesitate or slow down. I've already fallen far behind her..."
He placed his hands over his face quietly, a grave look taking over his features.
"It's time to put an end to this weakness... There are no justifications, and I don't need any. I have what I need, and now the time has come."
He rose to his feet, his face filled with seriousness and resolve, and pulled off the bandages that covered his eyes, revealing his blind eye, surrounded by skin burned in some old battle.
His eyes shone with a determination untouched by hesitation.
(To be continued)