It's my fifth day in the hospital; five tortuous nothing to do, eat the slime, no television days. The doctor said my wound is healed but not completely, so I might have to stay for a day more or I might be sent home tomorrow.

Well, do you know what is coming soon? My birthday! That's right and I am so nervous. I am going crazy wondering about it. The more free time I get, you have to see the mountains I craft with my thoughts.

Also, Tom has been acting strange and weird these five days. He didn't allow anyone from my family to see me and that's fine by me, no worries. However, he used to come in randomly... just looks at me weirdly and then will go away kissing my forehead, saying nothing. Maybe, he is also concerned for me, considering my birthday is around the corner. Yay! Pfft.

I wonder how a normal eighteenth birthday would be. Even if I am not having these threats in my sleeves, I would have sulked in my room, eating something calorie building and looking out from the windows or I will be on my bike, riding. But, that would have been better than eating my worries and getting me a heart attack.

Ooh, and the strangest thing happened. One day, it must be my third day or so, Tiffany came surprising me. She was sniffling and was not wearing any makeup, no fancy dress, and no kill-her high heels. She was looking completely normal and strangely, so beautiful. She too, looked at me for a while, smiled- an actual human smile and walked away, again saying nothing. For the complete ten minutes she stood by me trying to speak, she looked distraught. 

Weird! A weird family, weird everything, and my insides are squirming, jittering and screaming. I have peed nine times already and I am having this urge to pee again. I wonder what made Tiffany into a crying caring maniac. I just want to get out from these white walls, white beddings and my white gown and my white lies life. All these whiteness are suffocating me.

Only three more days until my birthday and here I am in my hospital bed, thinking and screaming internally. I looked at the clock and it's one in the morning. Damn! I haven't slept at all. Luckily, tomorrow I will be sent home. My IV was taken away sometime in the evening. So, I slowly got down from my bed gingerly and walked to the center of the room.

All this time, I was being supported by nurses or Tom for even walking, so I am not sure if I can do this alone or not. Surprisingly, I am perfectly fine to walk on my own. So, I slowly turned on my sides, bending down like exercising. Even though there was a biting pain in my wound, there was nothing much wrong with me. Then why am I spending time in the hospital? 

I sigh again and sat on the sofa next to the bed. My stomach grumbled and I looked at my dinner tray. There was a bright apple left and I ate that. Food from the hospital was so bad. I can't believe I lived on it for all these days. Unfortunately, uncle didn't get my any fancy foods from the outside after that one time and neither did Stephen. He didn't even come. Simon seems like he didn't care at all and that's fine by me.

But Pete cared... a lot! Even that handsome hunk cared. Coming to them, I haven't said what happened after I left them in the diner, didn't I?

I walked out, really angry at everything; not just Seb being in the diner. So, Pete ran after me and confronted me, demanding an explanation for my behavior. Man, he is damn stubborn; more stubborn than me when being on periods. He demanded an explanation and all the torment in my heart, brain, and soul just... fell down. I fell to my knees but he held me in his arms and I cried. I cried to my heart's content and never once did he interrupt. He held me and that was all that I wanted.

When I was fine... he walked me back to the diner and brought me three scoops of ice cream. Cookies and cream, chocolate, vanilla and some other flavor along with so many chocolate sprinkles, chocolate this that and chocolate syrup. Luckily, Pete decided to share my ice cream and I ate only half of it. Oh, don't get me wrong, I can eat a whole tub of three ice creams without any interval, but at the moment, I didn't feel like it.

Oddly, Seb was fun too.

Well, after that, Seb as well, occasionally messaged me and sometimes I replied. But, Pete and I were thick like concrete. I haven't said to him about this accident. He doesn't know I am in the hospital. I don't know what will happen if I told him what happened.

Interrupting my thought, there was a vibration from my phone. I have got two messages. One was from Pete and the other from an unknown number. I checked on Pete first.

"When were you gonna tell me?" the message said. Uh-oh! Did he know?

"What, that you are pregnant?" I replied.

"Be serious. When were you gonna tell me?"

"It's 2 in the morning and you are barking already, Pete?"

"That fuc*tard shot you and you were hospitalized for the past five days?" this was a voicemail with his oh so hot, tempered voice. I cringed!

"I wasn't."

"You weren't what?"

"Gonna tell you. I wasn't gonna tell you."

"Damn!" and there was this typing indication but no message came. I was really scared and happy that at least one person does care about me.

When the message came after three minutes and fifty-nine seconds; yea, after four minutes... it said, "I know where you are and I am coming over."

I was surprised. How did he know where I am?

"How do you know where I am?"

"I stalked your uncle, that handsome hulk. Btw, what is he doing at the Downtown rig spot?"

"Where..."

"Nothing." oh, he must be talking about the warehouse Tom took me ages ago.

"Oh, he works there if you are talking about the zombie zone kind of place. And if you are coming, bring me something to eat and big..."

I said and his reply must be a roll of his eye.

And after thirty minutes, my room was illuminated with the white harsh light from the outside. Pete stood in all his glory with a reddish face. He marched towards me, slapped me on my head and then hugged me hard. I laughed and hugged him back. By the time, the smell was overpowering in my room and I squealed seeing McDonald's takeout. He smiled as he watched me eat.

"You should have told me lil."

"I am sorry," I said in between munching my food. little scraps of food hit on Pete. He cringed and cursed at my childish behavior.

"It is getting dangerous lil. Do you want to runaway with me? I can keep you safe."

That comment came out abruptly out of the blue and it got me thinking. I really thought about it hard. Is he hiding something from me? Moreover, runaway... but, wasn't that cowardice? I am Lillian, who looks into adventure and danger, eye to eye... but, then, why am I scared now? What is so significant about my birthday? I stopped munching and he looked at me just as hard.

"No! I am gonna face this. I want to know what is so special about my birthday."

"Well, I want to know too but isn't this suicide?" he looked down to his combat boots.

I scrunched up my brows and stopped munching. To be honest, I don't know Pete. Like for real. And here he is, suddenly stuck to me like a friend and had been there for me in all the right time. He speaks like he knows more than what he is really saying.

Stephen's 'don't trust anyone' rang in my ears and I looked away. I just wanted to trust someone. To confide in someone! To talk to someone! But, my problems are not even letting me do that. I was about to cry when Pete held my hands and squeezed it.

I snapped at it. I don't like being touched when I don't want to. I looked at him hard and wondered about everything. He looked confused at my hard glare but kept it.

"What are you not telling me, Pete?"

He was taken aback by my question. The brown paper bag was wetting my bed clothes. I peered in to see milkshake and the condensation were leaking out. I ignored it and looked at him; inviting the biting cold on my thighs.

"I am not hiding anything. But think about it, a man, your father's business associate shot you. What's more to come?"

I was beyond fazed now. How did he know that? I never said anything about it.

"How do you know about that? I never told you anything."

With all my knowledge of body language, he didn't show anxiety, nervousness or anything like that. He was as cool as the milkshake numbing my thighs.

"Things spread around too fast these days lil."

"There was no one in the vicinity that was not family and unless you ask my family about it, you won't know."

"Sheesh, woman... I tampered your security tapes and saw what happened, live. Okay?"

"You tampered security tapes?"

"Now, don't act so confused!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Your whole house is filled with security tapes that are hidden in plain sight. Don't tell me the brilliant little lil haven't seen any of that," he smirked.

I was beyond confused and shocked. My whole house was bugged and I didn't even know about it. But, how come Pete knew about it?

"How did you know Pete? You are obviously hiding something from me." I was close to tears and angry.

"Look, I have this sensor to know if there are any security tapes in a place and I was notified and I was shocked by the number of it in your house. Since you went missing and nobody knew anything and there were no friends that I can ask to and obviously, you didn't tell me anything, so, I thought something was fishy. Thus, I went to your home and man; aren't they living in the old age; they kicked me out. I am not gonna say what they said. So, I used my device, tampered your bugs and saw what happened to you, live. Though, I didn't hear anything. I tried to decipher the sound but it was strictly secured. And don't get me wrong, I could have gotten what I wanted but when I saw that as*wipe shooting you, I lost it. I was really angry at you."

"Hmm!" I wasn't convinced.

"Look, I know you are thinking if I am lying to you or not. Honey, I am not lying. But, I do want to help you."

"Pete, if you know anything, just spill."

"Just be careful, your birthday is here."

"Pete..."

"I swear..." I knew he was about to say something when the door burst open and in came an angry bull ready to fight. He tackled Pete to the floor and started shouting at him. I quickly got down from the bed and pulled Tom back.

"What is wrong with you Tom? He is my friend?"I bellowed.

"And when did friends have the permission to come see you in the middle of the night?"

"He only knew about it now and he came to me pronto! At least he cares about me to come visit, so you stay away from this uncle!" I was breathing hard.

"Your stitch, it will get broken." He turned around to Pete who was still sitting on the ground with a confused expression. "You... leave!"

"I was... you old freak! Man, you didn't have to hurl at me like a lion on rabies." Pete exclaimed. I stifled my laughter.

"Leave!" Tom ordered. A few nurses were standing by the door to see what the commotion was. Breathing hard, he looked at me. He saw the McDonalds takeout.

"He brought you food? It's not safe for you to eat such greasy food and you asked him to bring you food?"

"I was hungry. Tom, please... I am tried. I don't want to fight." I said in my most girlish voice and he softened by that.

"I am sorry. I got scared when I heard voices coming from your room. I was just coming by to check on you." he said, holding me in a side hug.

"Oh!" I didn't know what else to tell. He held me for some more and then left me.

"You ok?" he asked?

"Yea"

"Good. Now sleep, we are gonna go home tomorrow if you don't have a problem with your sides."

"I don't have any problem uncle, I am fine. I just want to go home."

Tom chuckled. "Eager much... we will go tomorrow."

With a goodbye kiss, he left me.

And that's when my head started to throb with all that's happening. My house is being bugged and from what he said, the security tapes can collect audio too. Hmm! Strange! It then hit me; hard and fast... it must be the reason why they never say anything but tried to tell much with their eyes and Linda typed me that message even under the oak tree. Whoa! So, someone is listening to us speaking. Wow!

I was about to fall asleep when I remembered that second message.

I opened it and fell asleep or dead; I was not sure.

"Oh baby, I am sorry you got shot. But, I am waiting for you to come home because we are gonna treasure hunt or else we are gonna dig up a special grave for you!"

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From now on, it's show time! :D