37 Past Aquaintance

Damian was still a bit confused. He tried his best to remember who the woman at his side was.

"Mel… Melissa?" He wasn't sure, because the person he could recall looked way much younger than the person he was looking at.

Melissa smiled and said, "I'm glad you still remember me."

Damian looked around and was about to ask how he got there but Melissa spoke, "The officer you were with brought you in. Please lie back down…"

Damian stopped resisting and gently laid down, then asked "How long have I been out?"

Melissa went over to a cabinet to get painkillers and other drugs for Damian, then said on her way back, "I don't know, about 6 to 7 hours maybe?

"I'm wondering why you're awake. There's a chance you're in critical condition, so please rest a bit. And don't take deep breaths."

She brought a cup of water and helped feed Damian the drugs.

"How are you feeling?"

"Cough… Cough… normal."

Melissa had a calm smile across her face, "Don't worry, the pain will go down soon… hopefully. So, I heard you became the Director?

"Haha, how did you pull that off? Director Chris was so strict."

Damian smirked, "I framed him for being a d*ck."

Melissa burst out laughing as she walked to the kitchen, "Haha, Good one."

… 

Raymond and Junior entered the apartment and saw Melissa walking out of the kitchen.

"How's the white kid?" Raymond asked.

"He's awake." Melissa said.

"Good. Good."

Raymond signalled for Melissa to follow him to speak in private.

"Everyone wants him outta here." He whispered.

"Why? He's harmless."

"Sheryl convinced some of 'em but the others don't want him here longer than tomorrow."

"But he's dying."

"I ain't gon' lie, but that's why we gotta throw him out. You saw what was on the TV, didn't you? We're on our own, babe. We ain't got enough to keep us till the end of the week."

"That 'white kid' saved my life once before. I can't leave him to die."

"Whaddo you mean? You know the kid? How come?"

Melissa turned solemn, "It was… it was a long time ago. I'll explain later but help me get them to let him stay."

Damian was already getting up to leave. I don't have time to waste on old acquaintances, I have to run those tests before it's too late…

Melissa saw him from the corner of her eye, "Hey, hey, hey… why are you gettin' up? You need to rest."

"Thank you for treating me, Melissa. It was nice meeting you again." Damian held the table to help balance himself on his legs.

"But-But how are you gonna get back home?" Melissa asked worriedly.

Damian paused, then asked, "Where is Mark?"

"He went to get help. You're in critical condition. I told him if you don't have surgery then you will most likely die."

"Since I was in critical condition, how am I not just lying here? Dying…"

"I don't, I don't know. I'm surprised too."

"I'm fine now, thank you. I will take my leave."

Damian was about to exit the apartment but his stomach growled. Never in his life had he ever felt so embarrassed.

Melissa giggled and said, "We were about to have lunch. Wanna join us?

…

About 20 minutes later, Mark arrived in front of the apartment building.

He got out of the car feeling down. He didn't even know how to explain it to Melissa.

…Damn. His family is dead, and there's 'that' too. Did he really do it? I thought he was a cold but caring person. Maybe that's just me being naive. Although, there's still a chance that either Ivan is lying or he didn't actually do it…

He knocked on the apartment building door repeatedly until Sheryl opened it for him.

When he got to Melissa's apartment and opened the door, he saw Damian, who was about to die, in an oversized t-shirt and finishing a bowl of spaghetti.

"Wh-What?! How-How are you ok?" He blurted out.

Damian drank a glass of water and looked at Mark, "Great timing. Let's be on our way."

"Wait! What is all this?! How can you be enjoying lunch when I was out looking for ways to save you?" 

Damian pushed his head back to see behind Mark, "And where is the 'help'?"

Mark realized he made a fool out of himself, "W-Well…"

"Sigh, it doesn't matter." Damian stood up from the chair. Melissa also followed suit.

"Why don't you both stay for dinner?" She asked.

"Melissa!" Raymond blurted out in rage.

Damian smiled softly, "Thank you for everything, Melissa. Goodbye for now."

Melissa walked up to Damian and held his right hand with her two hands, "Damian… please… I hope you find it in your heart to forgive me."

Damian's expression turned grim. He sharply retracted his hand from Melissa's hold.

Mark, Raymond and Junior were stunned.

Damian walked to the door and said coldly, "To repay your hospitality I will send someone to give you supplies from time to time…

"Goodbye."

Damian left the apartment. Mark alternated gazes between Damian, Melissa and Raymond, trying to figure out what the hell was going on.

"O-Ok. Just by saving one man you've saved millions. Thank you very much." Mark awkwardly closed the door of the apartment and followed Damian

Melissa fell to the ground and started sobbing.

Raymond went to her and comforted her although he didn't even know why she was in tears.

…

Damian and Mark thanked Sheryl after they exited the apartment building.

Mark sat in the driver's seat, while Damian went over to the passenger's seat.

Damian searched his overcoat before Mark calmly took out Damian's phone from his pocket and handed it to him.

Damian held his phone and stared at Mark.

"W-What?" Mark couldn't bear the awkwardness of the atmosphere.

"Do you know how to use all your special powers now?" Damian inquired.

"S-Somewhat. I guess."

"Good."

…Should I ask him about it? No, I'll just tell him some of the things Ivan told me…

Damian looked at Mark, wondering why he was delaying their departure.

"I went to my precinct to get advanced medical help for you, but they couldn't help because of the emergency executive order…

"Then I quit. 'Cause if I stayed, I wouldn't be allowed to save my family… 

"Heh-heh, I thought you'll die so I wanted to contact your family. So I went back to your apartment and I saw Ivan inside…

"He told me your family is dead. He said he wasn't 'allowed' to tell me how he knows, or else I might suffer the same fate as you…

"He said I should run away. As far as possible if I don't want to get tied up in 'it'. You didn't know Ivan but he knew so much about you."

Damian was perplexed. Ivan… knows so much about me? Did David Dolan tell him?

Damian decided to recall all the unusual events he experienced.

…From TheGingerbreadFriend to the 'one wish'. I met David Dolan again and heard this apocalypse was predicted…

…I learnt David Dolan moved down a floor a week ago but moved back when the apocalypse started and tried to hide the fact. His son went missing and didn't do a thing about it… 

…There's also the ambush and back in Washington Heights, I felt a gaze on me. Then there's that old man that was either killed or he committed suicide…

…I felt sick when I met Father Vincent and Sister Deloris. Not to mention, they have ulterior motives. Followed by that weird event that made Mark unconscious and turned demons back to humans…

…What exactly is going on? Nothing adds up. I'll get to the bottom of this, eventually…