Hours later, in a ward, April blinked awake.
"You are awake," Jorge said happily, his hands hovering near her in cautious support. She squinted against the bright lights. "Where are we, Jorge?" Her voice was weak, hoarse.
"Jupiter. We were chased off Earth," he replied dryly.
"What happened to me?" She pressed her fingers to her throbbing head.
"You died after Lana pushed you. Could have hit your head on the sand bucket and had a brain hemorrhage if he hadn't caught you," Jorge explained.
"He? Who?"
Jorge's grin widened. "Can't you guess?"
"Lu?" she asked tentatively.
He shook his head. "No. Your psycho."
April's eyes widened. "What? Was he there?"
"They would have shot Lana if they had guns," Jorge added, miming a small dramatic reenactment.
"They? Who?" April asked again.
"Your psycho and Lu. They went… no, Adrian went… what the hell, Lana? Do you want to rot in jail? Are you trying to kill her? And Lu went, 'I think you need to undergo surgery for a brain implant?'" he laughed.
But April didn't find it funny. If Lu was the cleaner's son, then why was he so interested in her welfare?
"And guess who carried you in here?" Jorge continued, leaning in with a teasing smirk.
"My dad?" April guessed hesitantly.
"No. Your psycho," Jorge said firmly.
"Oh my God! Stop kidding, Jorge!" She pushed herself upright, finally taking a deep breath.
Jorge leaned back, crossing his arms. "Right now, you are the most popular staff in the hospital, and it's only your first day.
"Really?" April's disbelief made her laugh nervously.
"Everyone has you on their lips, including the group chats. You are a total celebrity," Jorge said, fanning himself with a mock-dramatic flourish.
"Seriously?" April shook her head, trying to process it all.
"And the guy has been restless ever since. He has asked Lu to check on you a thousand times. I think he… likes you," Jorge said with a sly grin.
The mention of Lu now suddenly made her stomach dip. Who the hell was he and what was he up to?
"Stop dreaming," April waved Jorge off, though worry weighed heavily on her mind. "And my dad? What about him?"
"Don't worry, your dad doesn't have any idea about this. I told him you needed to clear your mind a bit, and would be on duty till evening," Jorge explained patiently.
"Okay… so where is he now? And Maya?" April asked, rubbing her temples gently, trying to keep her headache at bay.
Jorge leaned closer, lowering his voice slightly. "I think he is with Dr. Patrick… or maybe went to the pharmacy to grab some meds… or hustling for more cash… you know how your dad is."
April groaned, swiping a hand over her face. "Alright, I get it. Just… shut up." Her voice held more frustration.
Jorge sighed, his shoulders stiffening as he spoke. "I'm sorry about the house."
April arched an eyebrow. "You know about it?"
He nodded, shrugging slightly. "Your dad told me. Said you were pretty mad at him."
"Good thing he knows I am," April blurted quietly, her gaze drifting to space.
"But it's gonna be cool, April. He is buying a rooftop apartment. A developer wants your house," Jorge continued, his voice bubbling with excitement.
"Rooftop? He said that?" Her ears heated as if she could feel them burning.
"Yeah. Sounds cool, right?" Jorge grinned.
"Cool? What's cool about a dumb, two bedroom apartment from a six bedroom duplex? What developer? He said Frank was buying!" April snapped, deeper frustration lacing her words.
Jorge scratched his head, pretending to think deeply. "Ned told me. Frank is sly, you see. He is gonna buy it from your dad at a lower rate, then sell it to the developer at his desired price."
Ned was their close pal.
April's stare sharpened, incredulous. "Are you sure, Jorge? Why would he want to do that to us? Why not just lend us the money?"
"Because he is broke too. He is getting the cash to buy it from a loan, then after selling to the developer, he will get his profit and return the loan. You don't wanna know how much the profit will be," Jorge explained, leaning back in his chair.
"And how did Ned find out?" April pressed further, her curiosity getting the better of her.
"Ned's got big ears. Frank talks too much. Plus, he is a regular at the Rollers Café, so Ned overheard," Jorge said, pulling his chair closer to her bed. "If I were you, I would focus on the upside, your own personal space on a whole roof. Have you thought about the view? The space? Have you imagined it?" His mischievous smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
April rolled her eyes and punched the bed lightly, shaking her head. "Why is everyone so crazy today, saying the stupidest things to me? Why do you think I passed out, Jorge?"
Jorge shook his head stiffly, like a robot trying to maintain composure. "I don't know," he admitted, but there was a faint smirk on his face. "Listen… another plus for the house is this: when you guys share a room, you get to be with your sisters all the time. You get closer…"
April's voice shot out before he could finish. "Just shut it, Jorge!!" Her hands flew to her head, rubbing furiously. Her frustration bubbled over.
Jorge chuckled at her reaction, shaking his head. April grabbed a pillow and threw it at him, her eyes wide with mock fury. He dodged with ease, and the pillow sailed past him… hitting Adrian squarely on the head. Adrian, who had just entered without knocking, spun around, red faced and glaring.
"Who did that?" His voice boomed through the room.
"Me?" April pointed to her chest, then at Jorge. "It was meant for him!"
Adrian's eyes roamed over her, assessing her ruffled hair and flushed cheeks. His gaze was piercing, like he was reading her thoughts.
"Do you need a brain check?" he asked, tilting his head slightly.
April froze for a moment, her senses tingling.
"What? Just because I threw an ordinary pillow?" she said, incredulous.
Adrian took a deep breath, hands in his pockets, and let his gaze linger on her. "..And you don't see the need to apologize?" he added, his voice even but heavy with unspoken tension.
"I owe you an explanation, sir, which you've received," April replied stiffly.
"That it was meant for Jorge, and I took the blow?" he demanded, eyebrow raised.
"What else do you want to hear?" April's defiance was unwavering.
Jorge spoke up quickly. "We are sorry about that, sir," he said politely.
Adrian nodded, turning his piercing gaze back to April. She met his stare head-on, feeling the thrill of the silent challenge. A small smile tugged at her lips. "Uhm… I think I'm gonna need that brain check," she decided.
"Obviously," he replied, not breaking eye contact.
"What?" she asked, noticing a flicker of something unreadable in his expression.
"I'm still waiting for the apology," Adrian said finally.