Slowly you opened your eyes, and you gazed at the ceiling. Your body felt weak and stiff from lying flat on your back for so long and your eyes felt a little dry.

   " What the hell happened? "

You placed your palms flat on the bed and pushed yourself upward. You sat upright in the bed and looked around the room. The walls were a light blue color, and the floor was a white color. There was only one window in the room, and it was on the opposite wall from the wall that the door was on. A TV hung on the wall in front of the bed, and there was another door that was open, and it led to the bathroom. There was a couch and a small table in the corner of the room near the door; there were blankets and pillows on the sofa. The pillow was against one of the headrests while one of the blankets hung over the couch, and the other was lying on the couch knotted. 

   ' I'm in a hospital? The last thing I remember was Kenzou, forcing me to go back with him. What happened after I blacked out? '

You heard the shaking of the door handle, and the door opened to reveal someone familiar.

   " Hey, I'm glad to see you're awake. "

   " Celestino? I thought you left. "

Celestino walked into the room and shut the door behind him. He set a bag on the table and started to take out the contents. It was a lot of food that he had bought.

   " First eat, and I'll explain to you what happened. You haven't eaten in a while. "

Celestino handed you some food, and you started to eat while you listened to his story. Celestino leaned against the table and folded his arms as he explained the story.

   " Well, I left after you went inside your house. I stayed a while to find an airport to take me back to the city, but I left after that. But I got a mile away before I felt my stomach lurch. I had a bad feeling about leaving you behind so I turned around and went back. As soon as I got back I heard you scream inside. I called the police and they arrived when Kenzou was a few feet from his car. You were unconscious on his shoulder, and I was very concerned. The police aimed their guns at Kenzou and demanded that he set you down. He fought with them at first and said that he wasn't going to put you down. He technically held you hostage. I got out of the truck, but when I did the cops jumped him, and took you from him. The police handed your body to me and I set you down in my truck waiting for an ambulance. The police arrested Kenzou on the spot, and now he's awaiting trial. When the ambulance arrived I rode with you to the hospital. They said you were fine, but they noticed there was something wrong with your system. The doctors looked at your parent's past medical history and that was when I remembered you told me about your mom having a disease. I told the medics and they immediately went to work on you. "

   " And? "

   " And now, they think they beat it before it could get any worse or before it hit anything vital. "

   " But I'm not cured? "

   " No. But they said if you come every month for a check-up and for a certain injection, they think it'll go away eventually. "

   " So, where is Kenzou now? "

   " Jail. They're waiting to send him to prison. The court wants to hear your testimony before doing anything rash. ANd I insisted they wait to hear your side of the story because once they heard it, they'll put more charges on him. "

   " How long have I been asleep? "

   " Almost a week. "

   " That long!? "

   " Well, yeah. You did lose all of your energy and you passed out. It takes a while for a person to get all of their energy back. "

You finished eating, and Celestino took the wrapping around the food from your hands and put the bag in the garbage. He took a chair and set it beside your bed, and leaned his head on the sheets, looking up at you.

   " What about your flight? I thought you wanted to go home? "

   " I did, but it didn't feel right to leave you here alone. They've taken care of your father, but I didn't want to leave you alone. "

You smiled and placed your hand on Celestino's head, and he looked up at you.

   " Thank you, Celestino. I'm glad you stayed. "

   " I am too. " He said, closing his eyes and placing his hand on top of yours. 

You noticed the dark circles under his eyes and figured he stayed up at night to make sure you were alright and wait for you to wake up, and your assumption was correct. Celestino was worried about you, beyond the point he had stayed awake at night to make sure when you woke up, he was there. He held your hand in his as he went into slumber, and you continued to hold his hand as you took the TV remote and turned the TV on. You adjusted the bed and made sure Celestino was comfortable before relaxing and watching the TV. All the while, you and Celestino never let go of each other. Everything was better now. No one was there to force you into a marriage, or to have children, or to force you to love someone. Your business was your business, no one else's.