Wednesday

The wind was absolutely biting. The rain driving sideways. There were already two call-outs, and Ayan was fighting to gain the motivation to step outside his door into the chaos. Would anyone even show up to the cafe today? It seemed like he should just tell them not to come in and close down. Maybe catch up on some more sleep.

“There’s a line of cars at the Starbucks by my apartment, so I imagine people will still come in. It’s the ambiance of the place,” Junna texted back when he texted her his concerns.

He threw a change of clothes into a plastic bag and zipped that into his backpack before braving the storm. Cold rain bit at his cheeks and eyes, sloshed down the back of his shirt, soaked through his shoes. There was a deafening rumble as he turned the corner out of the alleyway, and a blinding flash of lightning cut across his vision at the same moment he spotted Soren and a familiar girl crossing the parking lot toward the cafe. Neither saw him, nor did they see the white car come peeling around the corner, slamming into the both of them with a thump and a crunch, before taking off just as suddenly as it had arrived.

With a gasp, Ayan ran toward them. There was a growing stream of blood washing down the road from the girl’s mouth. Soren was crumpled up on the ground a few yards from her, moaning in pain. He rolled onto his side, and Ayan winced at the gutteral scream as Soren cried out for his sister. Ayan threw his backpack on the ground, and put his ear to Sakura’s chest to listen for her heartbeat in the crashing storm. He couldn’t hear it.

Ayan weighed the situation. He knew you weren’t supposed to move a body, especially if there was a chance of paralysis. He also knew that the water around them was knee deep, and rain was driving into Sakura’s mouth and nose. If he wanted to try to help her, he had to get her inside. He looked at Soren, who was desperately trying to stand, but kept screaming and falling back down on his wounded leg.

There were footsteps thudding across the parking lot toward them. He looked up to see Elijah, running from the direction of the cafe, reaching them in moments.

“How can I help?” Elijah squinting hard against the driving rain.

“I have to get her inside!” shouted Ayan in the whipping gale, “Help Soren! And call 9-1-1!”

Without any more hesitation, Ayan lifted Sakura in one fluid motion, and rushed her across the street into the cafe. The storm seemed to be getting stronger by the minute, the wind driving rain up and sideways, nearly blinding him. Junna pulled the door open as he reached it and skidded his way far enough in to find a dry bit of floor to lay Sakura down and begin doing CPR. He straddled Sakura, placed one hand over the other, fingers intertwined palms down, and began to press down hard on Sakura’s breastplate at roughly the rate of 120 beats per minute, for thirty beats. Then he took a second to lean over and tilt her head back, blowing a long deep breath into her mouth, and watching her chest rise up.

He heard the door open. Heard Elijah come in and set down a crying Soren with a grunt. Then he set about doing compressions again.

“Yes, we’re at Ravi’s Respite, on Pleasant Street. Two people have been hit by a car. One of them appears to not be breathing. My friend is performing CPR on her now.” Elijah’s words carried across the dining area.

Ayan did the compressions again. Two quick breaths again. Compressions. Breaths. Repeat.

There was another crash of thunder. He could hear Soren crying, hear Junna attempting to console him.

“She’s going to live,” Ayan said. “She’ll live.”

He kept going.

She’s breathing.

Ayan paused. He looked down at Sakura’s chest. Sure enough, she had begun to breathe on her own.

“She’s breathing!” he exclaimed. He heard a gentle moan coming from her mouth, saw her eyes flutter open and close again.

“Soren, she’s alive. She’s breathing!” Ayan said. “Junna, bring me something soft to lay her head on please.”

The storm seemed to be reaching its crescendo in that moment. Ayan heard a whimper, and looked up to see a little girl that was holding her mother’s hand looking out the window with wide terrified eyes. The place wasn’t open yet, but Junna must have let them in to get out of the storm.

“Mommy, I’m scared!” the little girl cried.

The mother, who had been watching Ayan perform CPR in shock looked down at her little girl. Suddenly there was a loud crash, and the window shattered as something outside smashed into it and rolled away. The little girl screamed. Ayan wasn’t sure what came over him. Perhaps the need to create a sense of calm for Soren and Sakura. Perhaps some paternal instinct.

He smiled at the little girl, and in a calming voice he said, “The storm will be over soon.”

Then it was silent. Eerily silent. The wind outside had stopped. The driving rain was now the lightest trickle. Ayan looked at the broken window, at the shattered glass, and sat in awe at the strangeness of the moment.

“Mommy, he stopped the storm,” the little girl whispered.

Ayan happened to be glancing at Soren, who was lying on the floor crying in pain, or perhaps relief, when he caught Elijah’s eye. There was something so strange in Elijah’s gaze. Almost a reverence. Ayan felt a shiver of revulsion in the moment that he couldn’t put into words. He turned his gaze back to Sakura. Her mouth was no longer bleeding. She was breathing easily, her eyes still occasionally fluttering open. He hoped there was no lasting damage. No traumatic brain injury, especially since her parents didn’t seem to be the type to follow up on something like that. He hoped that moving her had not paralyzed her, and that getting her out of the torrential downpour had been the right thing to do.

Only time would tell.

Junna brought over a wet paper towel, and gestured to Ayan’s mouth, “There’s blood. I just…her blood is on your mouth.”

Ayan gratefully took it and wiped his mouth vigorously, looking down at the reddish orange patch of blood on the paper towel when he was done. Junna held out a hand to take it from him, but he hesitated, not wanting to hand her something so dirty.

“It’s okay,” she said in a soothing voice. “I’ve got it.”

He smiled at her appreciatively as she took the paper towel and walked toward the counter to throw it away. Ayan’s head was swimming as he tried to take in what had just happened. Junna went to the back and returned with warm coats to cover Sakura and Soren.

An hour later, Sakura and Soren were already gone after being loaded up into an ambulance. Everyone present in the cafe gave their statements. Ayan gave police footage of the parking lot, but with the downpour, they hadn’t been able to get the license plate on the car. Soren’s parents still hadn’t answered any of their calls or texts. Ayan vaguely wondered why Soren bothered putting them as his emergency contact, but he realized that they were probably the only support system Soren and his sister currently had, even if that support was as strong as a bridge built of toothpicks.

With the window shattered, there was no choice but to send everyone home and call about getting it repaired. Elijah had jumped in with the offer to pay for it, but Ayan quickly explained to him that they were insured for such events, and would be fine.

“Can I drive you home?” Elijah asked, once everyone else was gone and Ayan was locking up.

“I’ll be fine. Thank you, Elijah, for all of your help today,” said Ayan.

“Strange day. What a miracle that you showed up when you did, huh?” Elijah said.

“A happy coincidence, maybe,” said Ayan.

“What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!” cried Elijah.

Ayan swallowed uncomfortably, “Thank you again, Elijah. I’ll see you around.”

“If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask,” said Elijah.

“For now, I think I just need some rest. Goodbye, Elijah. Stay safe out there,” said Ayan, closing and locking the door behind Elijah.

He turned to see Junna, who was mopping up the last of the water and blood off the floor.

“You don’t have to do that,” Ayan said, “I can-”

“You just saved Sakura’s life,” said Junna. “The least I can do is mop a floor.” She hesitated, before leaning the mop against the counter and flopping down into the nearest chair, staring off into space. “That was crazy, Ayan. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Well, no. We don’t exactly work at a hospital,” Ayan said. “Life and death shouldn’t be an every day thing at a cafe.”

Junna turned her face to look at him, “I saw it happen. Saw the car hit them, saw you running up, picking her up, giving her life…again. I honestly feel like I witnessed some sort of miracle. That was, I mean…Jesus, Ayan, what is going through your mind right now?”

Ayan shrugged, feeling a twinge of nausea at the raw anxiety of Junna’s emotions, “I just want to get home and shower, maybe take a nap. I’m exhausted.”

Junna nodded vaguely, “You should get going. I can take care of everything here. Put in a call to maintenance about the window.”

“Are you alright?” Ayan asked, walking over to place a hand on her shoulder. She automatically put her hand on top of his and squeezed reassuringly.

“I’m okay,” she said, gazing up at him with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

“I’m more than happy to stay and help with-”

“You need to get going,” Junna said, “before you crash. Go home, get some rest. I’ve got this.”

Ayan squeezed her shoulder again, knowing that when Junna gave an order, you didn’t fight it. You just followed through. He turned toward the door, seeing the spot on the floor where Soren had been lying down, crying, as Elijah tended to him.

“I guess it was lucky that Elijah was here to help out,” Ayan said vaguely. “Maybe he isn’t so bad after all.”

“He was waiting in his car when I got here. Got out and offered to help me with setting up. I let him in so he wouldn’t get soaked, but I told him we were all good. He seemed pretty freaked out by the weather. Maybe figured you wouldn’t be coming in. Kept glancing out the door. He’s the one that spotted that mom and her daughter and asked me if we could let them in.”

What a guy.

“I kind of want to get him a gift to say thanks, but I fear that might give him the wrong idea?” Ayan said.

Don’t even think about it.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” said Junna. “He’s got a good heart in there, but his boundaries are sketchy at best. And when I finally remember to look into him, who knows what we’ll find. You don’t want him ending up sleeping in your bed like what’s her face…Megan? Marie? Minnie?”

“Melissa,” Ayan chuckled, glancing at Junna. “No, you’re right. You’re always right.”

“Now, go home. Shower. Sleep. Take care of yourself,” Junna said, standing and crossing the floor to give Ayan a strong hug, one that squeezed him with warmth and reassurance, and reminded him that everything would be okay.

“Don’t work too long, okay? And I’m paying everyone for the day. It’s the least I can do.”

“Don’t worry. I can’t wait to sleep too. The cats are gonna be so happy to see me. Sasha, maybe not so much. She gets testy when people interrupt her creative time. That’s if she’s home.”

“I’m sure she can use our strange day as inspiration for one of her paintings.”

Junna nodded, “You know, I think you’re right.”

Ayan realized they had been hugging for a long time, and he found himself not wanting to let go. However, a moment later, Junna was stepping back, wiping her face quickly as she turned and headed back to the mop.

“I’ll be out in half an hour, I promise,” she said. “Enjoy the rest of your day, Boss.”

“Don’t call me that,” Ayan muttered with a grin as he turned and headed out, anxious about leaving Junna to clean up the mess, but knowing she wouldn’t have it any other way.

He picked up his sopping wet backpack out of the road with a sigh, holding it at his side so he didn’t have the water dripping down his back. He was beginning to shiver from the aftermath of the adrenaline rush, and returning to the cold after the warm hug moments ago. Almost as soon as he got home, he threw the backpack in the kitchen sink, stripped out of his wet clothes, and jumped into the shower to warm up.

Once the hot water hit him, running down his shoulders, washing off the cold pressure of the morning, he burst into tears. Ayan steadied himself on the shower wall as the horrifying events washed over him. He thought of poor Soren, wondering what would become of his sister. Sweet Sakura, lying in a hospital bed unconscious, unaware of the cruel monster who hit her and left her to die.

He thought of Ravi.

Ravi lying on the floor with the pool of blood growing around him.

Like the pool of blood that had grown around Sakura.

Ayan jumped out of the shower and began to vomit violently into the toilet.