"You can't sue them, Clara." I looked at her with a hopeless stare.
"Sure I can." She shrugged casually, like it wasn't a big deal. "My parents are best friends with two amazing judges. They don't take abroad cases often, but I'm sure if it escalated to that point, they would definitely take on your case, if my parents referred you. Their family is basically full of law enforcement professionals. I think only their youngest is still in school, but you merely say their name and people tremble and will do anything to not get sued by them. I forgot their surname though. Something with an H? Or was it an L? Maybe a W! Man, my memory sucks sometimes."
"So...I'm not bringing you down?"
"Nope. Not at all!" she vowed. "I'll assist you as best I can, and many other students have your back as well. Don't stress about school either. If you end up having to miss the start of it, we've already made a plan to rotate positions in making notes for you to study and recording the lectures if you learn better that way. Also, CloverSpell assured us that you wouldn't be penalized for taking the next semester a little slower to recover. Without health, we can't excel towards our goals, right? That means you have to rest a lot and allow yourself to mourn and recover so you can be stronger than ever."
Her eyes focused on me as they held a slight red tint in seriousness. "Whoever did this is going to pay, but what better way to grind their gears than by proving that you're still moving forward and getting stronger by the day?"
"I guess." She had a point, but the mere idea of trying to move on made me fear the worst. What would people think of me for moving on so quickly?
"Alice."
I looked up to her again and she reached out to hold my hand, being careful to not brush the red skin of my wrist.
"Don't worry about other's opinions. Focus on your life, recovery, and goals to claim vengeance. Obviously not revenge, as that will leave you heading into a killing spree of all those potentially involved. Work on yourself and become more of a threat so they pull back from trying to hurt you."
"What if they try to hurt those I love again?"
"They wouldn't dare, unless they want to feel your wrath," Clara said with pride. "Let them try. They would be pulling off some risky moves to try and target someone else that's close to you. With the investigation on going and something that may take longer for a detailed inspection of all those potentially involved, it would only be smart for them to lay low."
She squeezed my hand comfortingly as she gave me a firm nod.
"Also, if you didn't know, Blazing Horsemen get certain privileges that others don't. Sometimes you're gifted with certain abilities or given further protection or aid. I'm sure they'll think of something that will benefit your group."
"No wonder they're pissed off for losing it," I whispered.
"It's their loss. Maybe next semester they'll work harder to try and keep their statuses, but I heard requirements change every semester."
"Every single semester?" I inquired. "Isn't that..."
"Excessive?" Clara offered and nodded. "Yup, but I mean they get a lot of power and are basically like the student council of Blazing Academy, when you look at it. It’s far more unique than that, but the perks have always been known to be amazing. It's difficult for the same individuals to remain as Horsemen for their entire four years here. Obviously, Semester One is a rarity since most people have connections to get their positions so it doesn't necessarily count, but the rest of the years? I think only a couple have been able to stay as Horsemen for the majority of their years at Blazing, and now they're at some elite university."
"How do you know all of this, Clara?" I asked.
She clapped her hands. "The amount of information we get in a single night of being open can ruin lives," she whispered and winked. "If you ever need dirt on someone, just let me know. I’ve got you," she encouraged, and her support morphed an actual smile on my face.
"Thank you, Clara," I humbly expressed my gratitude.
"We're tight friends and no one’s gonna get in the way of that," she assured me. "Now all you have to do is rest!" she emphasized.
"Yes," I replied. "I'm a little tired, actually."
"Good. Just sleep and I'll come back tomorrow for breakfast. Did you like the pancakes from this morning?"
"Yes," I replied. "They were really good."
"Excellent. I'm thinking waffles or buttery French toast with maple syrup slathered in blueberries with some eggs and bacon on the side. Yum. Now I'm hungry. I better go eat." She rose up and took a good look at me before she seemed to nod in approval.
"You're looking better today." She kept her voice low. "I'll see what my parents can do. They're really concerned about the staff here. This hospital doesn't have good reviews, but we had to make due because of the circumstances of how the police found you and Westley."
"Is Westley okay?" I asked. I hadn't seen him or the others in a few days, and I'd only gotten a glimpse of Westley through a video call since he was on a different hospital floor, getting treatment on his back.
"He's good! I think he was discharged this afternoon. He's probably resting if anything. I think he mentioned emailing the CEO to bypass the rules about visitors not staying the night in your case."
"T-The CEO?" I blinked in shock. "He didn't...or I mean...that sounds like a lot of work that he'd have to input over a silly rule. That time could be used for, well...napping?" I concluded.
"I agree with your reasoning, but that one is madly in love with you, so all bets are off," she summarized and lifted the tray up. "From what I've heard, Westley's deadly when angry, which is considered a rare sight."
"True," I muttered. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"
"For sure." She winked. "French Toast Delight. I'll see if I can sneak in a latte. The water here tastes funny."
I smirked and gave a slight wave as she headed to the door. The very metal object opened up before she reached for it, and I could see her frown from the angle she was standing at as the same nurse who'd uncuffed me was back to put them on once again.
The mere sight of her seemed to dim my mood once more as I stared down at my red wrists that still proved how tight those metal restraints were. Being kept against my will in this cooped-up, dull-walled place was merely adding to my anxiety, but seeing the wounds on my flesh that would surely grow made me shiver as I fought to remain calm.
It won't hurt like when we saved Clara and the others. They're being placed for my protection and those I love. Protect them from me...I'm a threat.
I let out a heavy sigh and flinched at the nurse's closeness as she reached for my hand without warning.
"If you're going to restrain anyone, it's best to tell them first. Otherwise you're going against the mental health act and rules of restraining compliant patients."
My head darted up as I looked to the door to see Westley leaning against the door frame. Instead of his usual casual attire, he wore a teal silk dress shirt, black dress pants, and black tie that went with his sleek black dress shoes.