Michael still could not see properly. There was still the TV static-like fuzziness around him but now it was a bit clearer. He could semi-make out a few shapes around him and the screams that he heard were a bit clearer now. As he moved forward, he saw that the chained figure was indeed a woman judging by the shape of the body and the long hair. He could make out the word 'me' just barely. It was being repeated between gibberish screams that Michael could not understand. Again, Michael's recognition of the woman was on the tip of his tongue but he could not ascertain who it was.
Michael woke up covered in sweat feeling the same dizziness he had felt when he had woken up that night at the homestead. He did not remember the dream but somehow the static was buzzing through his mind.
Michael could hear the gentle snores of Sidra who was clutching to Elena. Her back was towards Michael in the far corner of the room where her bed was. Michael could hear snoring from the outside of the room too where the guard was fast asleep. For the last few days, the guards had become a bit more relaxed at their job and often fell asleep on their watch duty.
Michael quietly walked up to the window and looked out at the sky. The moon looked as clear as the night when he had had his first encounter with Rose. Michael had pretty much moved on from the pain that he had had felt from being separated from her.
Michael was glad that he had been reunited with his friends. These were the people that he was meant to be with. He had just been side-tracked because of Rose and the need for an escape that she had provided. He needed to remember that it was Elena who had saved him when no one else did. Now all he felt was embarrassment and regret whenever he thought about his encounters with her.
The memories of him acting out the book made him cringe. How had he been so gullible? He bet Chuck would have had a proper laugh if he had heard of the moment. You're such a kid, Mikey boy. Michael missed Chuck in a strange way. He had had a connection with him that he could not explain. They didn't have that many interests and likenesses but the way the guy had made him laugh was something that could be unrivalled. He wished he was here although he knew that would not work. Elena and he had a history which he could not explain.
The scent of Rose's perfume had even become faint in his memory. He found the feeling strange. He had thought that he had loved her and yet only a few days after he felt semi- indifferent towards the memories they had shared.
If that wasn't love, then what is love?
"You can't sleep too, huh?"
Michael was startled when he saw that Elena had come to his side at the window. Her hair and clothes were unkempt but her eyes seemed awake.
"Yeah, just can't stop thinking about tomorrow," Michael lied although now he had started to and that made him nervous.
"You looked pretty deep in thought though," said Elena. "Anything you got on your mind?"
Michael shook his head. There was no way he was going to tell her about Rose. It was too embarrassing.
There was a brief silence in which both of them looked out without speaking anything. "I loved him, you know," said Elena breaking the silence suddenly.
Michael turned to look at her. She was in deep thought, somewhere far away.
"Chuck," she continued as if to confirm it to Michael. "I loved him from the second he appeared at my clinic. He was funny and playful and we instantly clicked. He was always trying to impress me and, although I found his pride annoying, he always succeeded in doing so. We were together after a year and things were really good. Then… he just left me."
Michael could sense the pain in her voice now. There was a slight quiver in it with a mixture of rage and sadness. Her fists were clenched.
"He threw me away just like I was nothing. I found him later with another girl… He left me… just like that. Not a word, no message, nothing. He told me he loved me and when he was done having his way with me, he left me."
Michael wasn't exactly shocked to hear that because he had always assumed it was something normal from him. But now, it hit him how much this must've hurt and he felt guiltier than ever.
"He would come back at times full of apologies and I would believe him. Then he would leave me again, and I would forgive him and so on… I was his play toy."
There were tears welling up in her eyes and Michael had the impulse to hug her but he resisted. He wasn't sure what to do and instead listened to her.
"I loved him and all he did was give me pain," she said now wiping away at her tears. Her expression suddenly turned to one of intense anger. "I hope… I hope he found his end there. Serves the bastard right."
Michael was stunned. Guilt surged through his body. If only I'd known.
Elena wiped away the tears and suddenly felt very embarrassed. She looked away from Michael and said in a low voice. "Oh god, I shouldn't have even told you that. I don't know why I told you that. I just… goddamn it…"
"It's fine," said Michael. "It's totally cool. I won't tell anybody. I don't even have anyone else really to tell that to."
"But you were his friend, Michael, were you not?" said Elena. When Michael didn't reply she sighed and sunk her head into her palm. "God, why did I even tell you that? That was a pretty big secret. That was so stupid."
"It really didn't sound stupid at all…"
"But I don't even know you…" she said. "You haven't even been conscious for so long so I can't even ask you for a secret from you."
"Uhhh…"
Her eyebrows narrowed and she looked him in the eye with a searching look. "You don't have any spicy secrets about yourself, do you?"
"Umm… no. I don't think so."
"C'mon, tell me anything," she implored. "You owe me a secret for a secret. It would make me feel so much better about what you said."
The kiss with Rose appeared in his head and he felt himself go red. I can't tell her that. Fuck no. But something about the fact that Elena had trusted him with her secret in the first place
compelled him. It's the least I could do. They had been becoming good friends ever since she had forgiven him and this would be a good chance to strengthen their friendship.
"Well… there is one…"
Interest flared within Elena and she arched her eye-brow. This was going to be interesting.
"It's a pretty big one so you have to swear you won't tell anyone." "I swear. Now tell me."
"It's pretty embarrassing…" "Tell me!"
So, Michael reluctantly told her about his encounters with Rose, his voice lowering whenever he got to important parts of the story. Elena listened intently though the amusement on her face made Michael's face burn up. He would stop talking at times out of embarrassment and only continue when Elena assured him that she wasn't judging him.
"Don't tell anyone this," he told her after he was done. Michael felt the sweat sticking to his back after he was done. Anxiety flared through him as he waited for Elena to respond. He half-hoped she didn't speak at all for fear of what she would think of him but to his surprise, she didn't think what happened was unusual.
"It happens," she said with a reassuring smile. "Happens to the best of us. It's just the timing of it and your forgotten past that makes it so amusing. But it happens."
"We're ever now then?" asked Michael. "We're even."