Flowers Were Blooming

Upon opening her eyes, Amber felt like her throat was too dry, she tried to move her hands but pain shot through her.

'Being numb is also good, my brain just registers it as pain, but still I felt like a whole boulder fell on me,' she thought as she slowly opened her eyes and adjusted her sight to where she was.

"You're awake!!" a girl's voice was what she first heard.

Looking towards her side, she saw Ashley on a wheelchair with her laptop on her lap.

"What is the brat doing here?" hearing the guilt in the girl's voice she acted like how they have met.

The word 'brat' instantly dispelled Ashley's worry and guilt.

"Well since the viscious woman decided to take her time in her sleep I was already wondering whether I should throw this laptop away or not," Ashley replied as she held up the laptop.

"I'm amazed, you can already retort back. Did the medicine not work?" Amber replied albeit still weakly.

"I still don't know if it worked but I haven't had any attack for a week now," Ashley replied.

She noticed how Amber kept clearing her throat so she placed the laptop on the bed side table and poured her a glass of water.

Amber wanted to reach for it but she also needed to sit down in order to drink it. The only problem is, it was pretty difficult for her.

"Here you go," Liana who just entered saw this scene and helped her up, putting a pillow behind her back to make her comfortable.

Amber smiled, "Thank you."

"A week? You didn't receive pain from administering it?" she asked before drinking the water up.

"I did, one week as well. You were asleep for two weeks," Ashley replied.

*COUGH COUGH*

"Two... *coughs* Two weeks!!??!!"

Amber who just drank water splurt it out after hearing Ashley's reply.

"Ew, so unlady like. Why are you splurting out whatever your drinking?" Ashley instead said as she handed her a tissue.

Liana also took some and wiped the blanket.

"I'm sorry about that," Amber apologized to Liana.

"Be careful, your wounds might open up," Liana smiled and got her another glass.

"I was actually asleep for two weeks? Getting beaten up will send you to sleep for two weeks?" she then asked looking at Liana as if she was being wronged.

"We- Well that depends on how much you were beaten up."

"Oh no, my works are gone, my money are gone. That was two weeks of earnings."

Both Liana and Ashley were agape upon hearing her speak about earning and money in her condition.

Most ladies her age would worry about their face or body upon hearing that they were severely beaten up, enough to send them to sleep for two weeks. But this one was actually talking about money as if she was a poor person.

Not to mention, she didn't even say anything about compensations for what she had done.

"Uhmmm Amber?" Liana tried to get her attention as she started muttering to herself about the money that flew out of her hand.

"Oh yes, ma'am. I'm sorry about that," Amber sat up straight.

Liana couldn't help but to chuckle, "You don't have to be so tense. I just want to know, how do you feel now?"

"Apart from knowing that I am in pain and still being a bit disoriented, I am completely fine. Thank you so much," Amber replied politely and respectfully.

"The pain..." she then looked back at Ashley.

"Was it bearable? Though I said that it has tremenduously lowered. I know it would still be so painful for a young child such as you."

Ashley was first taken a back before she replied, "Well it was very painful. And it lasted for a week, but since I am still here. As you can see I was able to endure it."

Amber nodded and decided to return to her sleeping position.

Liana and Ashley were actually touched by her concern. They have heard it from Ashton, that when the cure was administered to her. It took a year before the pain disappeared, her twelve to thirteen year old body was still considered that of a child.

And the pain she experienced was more than what Ashley have had. Ashley who experienced that pain knew very well that if it was lesser then what Amber experienced must have been hell.

"Hey, viscious woman," Ashley called.

Liana was about to reprimand her for insulting the one who saved her life but seeing that Amber was not even affected she chose to close her mouth.

"What is it brat?"

Liana was once again shocked, she didn't know that these two have such a relationship. If others would call Ashley a brat surely she would have thrown a tantrum but seeing a smile on her eyes, Liana understood that her viscious woman was an endearment she had given to Amber. Likewise brat was what Amber have given to Ashley.

A smile appeared in her lips seeing that the two was somehow on the first stage of friendship.

She knew why Ashley went out of her way to come here first, she didn't want her brother to suffer from a loveless marriage and that she liked Madison so much for her to go against Amber who has her cure. But it seems that her thoughts have changed.

"Thank you..." Ashley weakly said. But she meant it completely, she meant her gratitude.

Not just once, nor twice nor thrice, Amber have saved her four times.

The first was the lesson she had given when Ashley came to her without any guards.

The second was when she didn't even ask and just gave her a medicine.

The third was the kidnapping.

And the last was giving her the cure after having that last attack. Even though the contract was not yet signed and the fact that they could go back in their words.

"But, you could have just waited for my brother from outside. Why did you still decide to help me in the kidnapping and get beaten up?" Ashley weighed her words before asking.

"Truth be told. When I entered I was not aware that I would encounter the side effect of the cure. When I was untying you, I felt my strength slowly slipping away. That is why, being beaten up was not part of my plan."

Amber looked at her bandaged arms and hands, "But since I already gave you hope, I couldn't just crush it now, could I? That is the only solution I could come up with."

Her sheepish smile made Ashley want to cry. In the end it was her genuine heart that still saved Ashley.

"My brother had once someone beside you, you really are just like Ma-"

"Don't."

Before Liana could stop Ashley, Amber stopped her from talking. The mother and daughter was baffled upon seeing this.

"That is something about him, I don't want to hear it from anyone unless he himself have told me. I don't want to know something that might cause a bomb to suddenly explode, spare me from that will you, brat?"

Liana once again saw her in a new light. She was not someone who pries on things that she shouldn't pry into. If it was someone else surely they would have asked already. This is still information about Ashton after all.

"I'm starting to really like you now, viscious woman," Ashley realized her mistake and replied.

"Oh then, it is my pleasure."

"By the way, they must have been your friends, Alissa and Hayley Coleman have been calling you after a week of your slumber. My brother have told them that you will contact them once you wake up. We have informed them as well that you were the one who saved me," Ashley then said before handing Amber her phone.

"Thank you very much," was her reply before checking her call log.

Ashley and Liana then left her alone to catch up with the other two.

After just a ring, Hayley's voice came through the phone.

"AMBER!!! FOR GOODNESS SAKE!!! WHY THE HELL DID YOU GO AND BE A HERO?!? CAN'T YOU JUST WAIT FOR THE POLICE!!"

Amber could only put away the phone from her ears. She felt like her eardrums were ruptured.

"Yes, good day to you too. It was not part of the plan. I just ended up in such state due to certain circumstances. I tell you I would have been fine if not for that," she replied after waiting for Hayley to stop shouting.

She then heard both Hayley and Alissa's worried nagging about her taking care and such. Then Elloise took the phone and bombarded her with questions and making sure that she was truly fine now.

A smile bloomed in her face, a smile that reached the deepest of her eyes. And her heart felt light, she never thought that just a few months after her parent's death she would still feel such warmth from people.

And they are someone not even related to her by blood.

Ashton was standing by the door looking at her. A trace of shock was visible on his eyes. He never thought that when she really did smile from the bottom of her heart, she would look even more beautiful as if flowers were blooming around her.