Chapter # 60

They got down only to be greeted with familiar gunshots that took out the few men approaching them accompanied by a growl from the owl-masked man. 'The fuck do you think you are doing to my people?" Looking up, the injured duo found the Plague Doctor before him, holding Zoran by his hair. Amanda and Mark were also with him. She came for the checkup since she was feeling well and found Nathaniel dragging Zoran from the backdoor. She stubbornly joined them too and the second she saw De Villiers, she gasped, rushing to his sides, holding him desperately. 'Oh my God, De Villiers, you are bleeding so much," The strong and vile woman she once was, the torture specialist found herself being tormented. The distress gleaming in her eyes, stiff Zariah, moving back when she came to her man. Holding him to her chest, shaky hands holding down his wounds from causing further damage, releasing an unsuppressable sobbing. 'Haha, you deserve it!" Zoran laughed wickedly. Although Nathaniel's face was concealed, the wrath emerging from him could be felt openly. 'N-Nathaniel?" Zariah gulped hard, afraid of the situation that was created. And being the indirect fault behind this, it disheartened her. 'One more step and this piece of shit ends here," He threatened openly, yanking Zoran's head who was insanely smirking. A heartbroken lover and heavily injured best friend. He gained what he tended to achieve- Nathaniel's worst nightmare. 'And if you won't hand Boss to us, your friend will die," Bashar threatened as well, pointing his gun at Zariah who held her head low out of remorse. 'Tsk," 'Boss, hurry, he called the cops and media too," Mark honked the horn, gesturing to them to get in and leave before they get caught. Scowling, Nathaniel hit Zoran harshly, drawing blood, 'You surely got the devil's luck, motherfucker," 'Hah, I know," 'Here is your trash," Throwing Zoran to the ground, where Nathaniel believed he belonged, they carried De Villiers to the ambulance. The second they left, the façade of dominance Nathaniel held disappeared, all replaced with anguish to find his find in this terrible state. Gasping in horror, he quickly rolled his sleeves and ripped his shirt open to treat his wounds. His hands were shaking, tears filling them as he grabbed the emergency kit and started cleaning his wound. 'De Villiers, are going to be alright, my brother," To his hopeless whisper, only a weak laugh came from the wounded man. Amanda held his hand with both hands, tears streaming down her face, sobbing endlessly at his terrible condition, piercing the home she imagined to build. 'De Villiers, no… no, no, you can't leave me, you promised we will be together always," 'Ah, Amanda…" His eyes stopped at his wife who was devastated. Kissing his hands and out of affection, he cupped her cheek, blood flowing uncontrollably, weakening him too much. 'Sorry our time… was brief," 'Shut it, asshole, no one's time is brief," Nathaniel snarled, voice breaking painfully, unable to bring out the bullet, it was deep. His hands were quivering too much, his senses were hindered while he grabbed a cotton ball. 'Press it on his arm," He instructed. Doing whatever he could to keep him alive until they reached the hospital because he needed surgery. The bullet hit his spinal cord and removing this in this van was too dangerous. Feelings frustrated, disturbed, he knew holding the wound down was not helping. 'Fuck it," Scowling, he grabbed the needle, preparing a drip, filling it with his blood. 'W-What are you doing?" 'Our blood group is the same. I don't have time to do proper procedure. He needs blood, he has lost too much of it," He growled, collecting his blood in the bag and transmitting it to him. De Villiers smiled weakly at his hopeless attempt, 'Nathaniel, I want to.. Confess something…" 'No, no, no, don't speak anything, I will heal you, I know all the cure. You- You can't die," Nathaniel whispered expectantly. 'Everything will be alright, De Villiers, I am here for you, my brother," 'You didn't lose… your memories.. When Prince shot you," 'Shut up! We can talk about it later." Pouring all his knowledge and efforts into saving his friend as the tears he held back were no longer suppressible and burst. He broke into a wail, placing his head on the stretching, hitting it powerlessly when he knew he might not be able to survive. His endeavors were resulting in naught. 'You… you can't leave me, you are my biggest support, the only person who was truly there for me always," He sobbed badly, very badly. feeling suffocated at the nightmarish imagination to be without him. Tears gleaned over his face, rejecting the premise of losing his most important and precious person. He was done with sufferings and sorrows. 'No, no, no, no, not you, dammit! Not you too!" Crying his agony out, De Villiers spared a compassionate look, knowing if he didn't confess now, he would carry the guilt forever. 'I am the one who forced the psychologist… to eradicate them… I wanted you to forget what happened… it was never Brandon who killed Alice," Those words stiff Nathaniel in horror, blinked in pure confusion when he was mentioning that old memory now and why. 'Wh- what…?... Why?" 'Ask Prince…" Breathing out, his heartbeats dropped, becoming faint and faint, horrifying Nathaniel who shook his head. Holding him close, sunk in anguish of losing him. 'De Villiers, please man, stay with me, please," Nathaniel begged in a whisper, holding his hand in a tight grip, incapable of holding back his weeping. 'I can't lose you too, dammit!" 'I have already lost too many people I love, not you too! You are the brother I always wanted!" Amanda released the loud and most painful cries of her life, holding onto him hopelessly. After becoming her day and night, her smile, her passion, she couldn't permit departure. 'What am I without you anymore, De Villiers, don't leave me at least, think about our future. You promised me, Baby!" Placing his hand over her stomach where he sensed a movement that brought a smile on his life. 'My.. Baby…" 'See! You can't just leave yet! Your baby, my wedding, heck, my children too, don't you want to witness this all!?" Nathaniel shouted painfully. Losing his composure, his senses, his mind to witness another death of a beloved. Misery took over him, making it extremely hard to fathom his future without him. 'Please, De Villiers, don't leave me too, please, please, I am begging you," Nathaniel kept on pleading, tears smeared across his face, hitting the stretcher. Resenting himself for being called the talented one yet failing to rescue his own friend. That moment stole the arrogance he held as a doctor. It shattered Nathaniel absolutely. 'Nathaniel," 'De Villiers," And making eye-contact with Zariah who was silent crying all the time, holding his arm to stop the bleeding, overwhelmed with shame. 'Don't hate… her, it's not her… fault," De Villiers left his last words for his friend… 'Don't-" He was about to scowl but he gave his hand a squeeze to not do it now. 'Amanda, you were dying to hear it… right?" Inhaling sharply, he turned to his wife who was consumed by darkness upon losing the man she loved passionately. And fulfilling her deepest wish, he whispered sincerely. 'I love you," 'I love you too," He pressed his hand firmly over her stomach, 'And you too," 'You are the only person who has loved me truly and purely, as a friend, as a husband, I am glad I met you," Amanda murmured. Kissing him for the last time, connecting her lips, mixing her tears along. The destructive feeling of losing her happily ever left a deep scar. Unable to halt her cries as he stared at her in mesmerization, hoping to live a long and colorful life with her but the longing remained incomplete. 'I love you and our baby… I know you will be a good mother," Closing his eyes, abysmal darkness wrapped De Villiers in its world eternally. Purloining his final breaths as the line on the monitor turned straight indicating his heart had stopped beating. Sniffling, Nathaniel, overwhelmed with an aching sensation, glanced at the monitor and back to his friend, clasping him desperately. 'De… Villiers?" Shaking him, he received no response. Amanda burst into deafening wailing, clutching her chest agonizingly. Her yearning to live a dreamy life with him razed in a moment. 'Hey, hey, hey, we are almost there… you…. Can't…" Swallowing hard, Nathaniel removed hair from his face, waiting to earn a response but to no avail. He was no longer there for them. He lost his best friend too… The second the realization of his ceased breaths sank in, he shut his eyes, rupturing into limitless tears accompanied by a scream of anguish. 'NOO!!"