A SIGN

“Gia? Why are you seated here by yourself all alone? Is everything okay? What did Martin say?” Grace spoke when they finally spotted Gia seated alone and engrossed in thoughts.

Gia pulled herself up, scraping her face with her palms. Then she spoke to them."He spoke to the general," Gia began, her voice tinged with caution. "He has finally agreed to meet with me.” She paused, and everyone could tell that there was something else she kept behind her throat.

“We have all been waiting for this, most especially you, my dear. So, why are you now like this? Is there something else?” Mr. Azzua spoke after studying Gia‘s face.

She knew she could not lie. She could not keep her worries a secret. She looked at them with skepticism on her face. “I am just concerned. He is keeping the place and time of our meeting a secret. He just told Martin that we were meeting before twenty-four hours ended and kept all the other details to himself."

They all pulled their faces apart, furrows forming in their faces. That sounded like dread to them all, causing a ripple of suspiciousness in their bodies.

Grace's brow furrowed with concern, her eyes reflecting the same worry shared by Deep's parents. "Why keep it a secret? That doesn't sound safe at all."

Gia nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. "I know. I know. I feel the same. It is so alarming that he is being so secretive about it. I don’t like it either, but we all know what this meeting means to us, right? I mean, this is a golden opportunity that we cannot afford to miss." She said.

Mr. Azzua, his voice edged with concern, added, "We know, Gia. I can only advise you to be very cautious. If he is hiding the details, there must be a good reason for this, which I doubt is good intention. It is not safe to walk into the unknown. It is too dangerous."

"I know," Gia affirmed, her resolve firm. "But I have to meet him. Martin promised that he and his men would be there for me. I just need to alert them once I get the details. I won't let my guard down, either. But I need to confront him about everything—the truth needs to come out right now."

Mrs. Azzua placed a comforting hand on Gia's shoulder, her gaze filled with motherly concern. She was beginning to fear for the girl, and seeing how much she was risking her life to solve the case, she could not help but feel grateful. She was like their moving action. "We understand, Gia. Just promise us that you will be careful. We don't want to see anyone else hurt. Deep needs to wake up to keep us all safe."

"I promise," Gia assured them, her determination unwavering. "I won't take any unnecessary risks."

Grace leaned in closer, her voice laced with concern. "If you sense anything amiss, anything at all, do not hesitate to leave. Your safety is the priority here."

Gia nodded gratefully, touched by their support and understanding. "Thank you, Grace. I'll keep that in mind." Grace nodded, and Gia added. “May I go see Deep for one last moment? Before we go for lunch."

“Of course, dear. Go ahead. We will wait for you right here.” Mr. Azzua said, patting her on the shoulder.

Gia nodded and walked inside, her face still dull but her heart throbbing as she anticipated seeing Deep. Even in his sick bed, the man was able to arouse the same old sweet feelings that made her hair stand erect, even just by the mere thought of him or the mention of his name.

A gentle silence fell over the room as Gia stood next to Deep's hospital bed, the constant beep of the monitors resounding in the background. She saw his frail condition, his once-bright spirit now imprisoned in a lifeless body, struggling to break free from the bonds of injury.

Her heart tightened at the sight of his quiet battle, his body stuck in a near-paralysis state with the bruises receding. She extended her hand and softly wiped a tear from her face that fell into Deep's hand while she lay still on the hospital sheets.

"Deep. I don’t know what you think of me right now after everything that happened between us, but I want you to know that I love you so much. Please wake up already so that I can tell this to your face. I miss you so much. I need you. We all do need you. Please come to us." Gia whispered softly, her voice a delicate echo in the room. She pulled back a sob that was nearing and continued. "I also promise that I will never hold anything back from you from now on. I will always be transparent with you about everything. That is how much life has taught me to value you. Well, I always did, but I was just a stupid, stubborn egotistical bitch to admit it. So, as early as now, I need you to know that I'm going to meet the general. Within twenty-four hours,. I have to confront him about everything. He will bathe in the pool of my questions, and he better have answers. When you wake up, I want you to wake up in a terror-free world."

Her words hung in the air, an unspoken plea for understanding and strength from her comatose secret lover. She wished she could discern his thoughts and receive some sign of acknowledgment, but Deep remained still, his eyes closed, his body unresponsive. A deep sense of longing swept through Gia.

"I know you can't respond, but I hope you can hear me, Deep." Gia continued, her voice trembling with emotion. "I need to do this, Deep. For you, for me, for everything we've been through. And for everyone’s sake,. This needs to end."

Her heart ached as she looked at him, her beauty god, in a state of perpetual stillness, locked within the confines of unconsciousness. Gia yearned for a sign—any sign—that he could hear her, feel her presence, and acknowledge the words she spoke in his proximity. Just anything that could give her a sign.

Hoping to break through the curtain separating his unconscious world from the aware one, she pushed in closer. She murmured, "Deep," in a voice that was laced with need and hopelessness. "I wish you could hear me. Know that I'm here."

A little rippling in Deep's hand occurred as she spoke, her voice bearing the weight of words unsaid. It started off as a slight vibration that appeared almost imagined, scarcely audible.