chapter 5

Ashton had to undergo a minor surgery to stop the internal bleeding caused due to the stab wounds and he was shifted to the VIP ward afterwards. He woke up ten hours after the surgery, his parents at his bedside all the while.
He opened his eyes slowly, blinking it a few times, adjusting to the surrounding lights. He tried to sit up holding his abdomen with a growl but was pushed back slowly by his dad. He scanned around the room to see his parents and friends standing there anxiously waiting for him to regain consciousness. He spotted his mom who was sitting at the edge of the bed and wiping away her tears. 
He opened his arms and his mom rushed to hugg him and started sobbing loudly.
“Oh my sweet child, for a moment we thought we lost you.” His dad rubbed his mom's shoulder. He looked pale and his eyes were red from crying.
“Shh.. shhh... I'm okay mom. Stop crying now.” He cooed into her ears, trying to reassure her but his mom kept crying loudly for a good long while. He could see Noah, Mike and Laura standing near the door looking at him fretfully. Judy was seated on the couch and Callie was standing next to his mom, consoling her.
His friends slowly started gathering next to his bed and started to wish for his speedy recovery.
“We will be outside, if you want us.” His parents got up to give him some space with his friends.
“You scared the shit out of us, man.” Stated Mike.
“How did I end up in a hospital?” Asked Ashton trying to remember. 
“Cathy had called the ambulance and she brought you here. She had called Callie from your mobile.” Noah narrated the whole incident. 
“You were lucky that they got you to the hospital on time.” Spoke Callie for the first time after he woke up. “I just don't understand why you had picked up a fight with those robbers. What were you doing there so late at night. Anything could have happened to you. And what were you doing until they stabbed you?” she berated him for his foolish act.
“Is she here?” He asked, ignoring the lecture from his friend. Callie was in utter shock. They were all worried about his health but even then, all he wanted to do was to see that girl. Shaking her head in disbelief, she stood up from the bed and walked to the couch, sitting next to Judy. 
“She's been waiting outside, the whole time with Ann and Hudson. Do you want me to call her in?” Laura queried her friend before he nodded his head to let her in.
Laura came back with Cathy trailing behind her with a worried expression. She looked up at Ashton and suddenly tears welled up her eyes. She was the only one, other that Ashton to know what exactly happened there that night. If not for Ashton, she would have been probably dead by now. She felt grateful to him but at the same time she blamed herself for his present condition. She stood behind Laura, hanging her head low, feeling sorry for Ashton.
“Can you guys give us a second, please?” Ashton requested his friends politely to leave them alone for a while and immediately, everyone started moving out of the room. Judy walked away throwing daggers at Cathy. She knew that Ashton was here because of Cathy.
Cathy did not try to move at all and stood there staring at the ground.
“How long are you going to stand there?”
She walked closer to Ashton's bed and looked at him carefully. He was wearing a light blue hospital dress and he had a cervical collar around his neck. A cannula was connected to his veins which was held in place by tapes and bandages.
“Sit.” He patted the space near him on the bed and she surprisingly obeyed him. “Don't look at me like that. I’m not going to die.” He joked but right at that moment Cathy started crying and shedding the tears that she was trying to hold back from a long time.
“Was it... you that followed... me all this time?” She spoke in between her sobs.
“Cathy let me explain. Yes it was me but believe me. I did not have any bad intentions behind it. Remember when I first saw you in the cafe late one night? Since then, I was really worried about you walking back all alone to your hostel. I wanted to make sure you reached your place safe every night. Hence I decided to follow you and I am not a bit sorry about it. In fact, I am glad I did so.” 
“It's all because of me that you had to go through all this.” She shook her head, burying it into her palms and sobbed again even louder.
“Cathy, look at me.” He pulled her hands away from her face and dragged her closer to him. “Stop blaming yourself for what had happened. I am glad that I was there around when it happened.” 
She suddenly lifted his shirt up to his chest and observed the stab wound. It was well dressed by bandages and gauze. She cautiously traced her hands over the dressing.
“You did not have to do that for me, Ashton.” She murmured sadly. She never imagined that someone would risk their life for her. No one has ever done that for her.
“I would do that again if needed.” His smirk was back on his face. She tried hard not to blush but failed miserably.
“Ahm... About that weekend trip you were asking about earlier.. I would love to go with you.” She said smiling lightly.
“And will you go out on a dinner date with me?” He asked her, grinning from his ear to ear.
“Yeah and that too.” She agreed shyly, pushing her locks behind her ear.
“So, all I had to do was to get a few knife stabs to make you go out with me?” He mused playfully keeping his finger on his chin. “if I had known, I would have done that earlier.”
“Don't say that.” She chided him. “Should I call everyone inside?”
He simple nodded his head and Cathy opened the door for their friends. 
“Is everything okay here?” Laura asked entering the room along with the others.
Ashton just smiled and waved at them to come inside.
“So what exactly happened yesterday night? Why where you two there?” Judy started throwing questions at them. They both kept quiet for a while then eventually Ashton narrating the day's events one by one.
“Oh my God, so, it was you all along, who followed Cathy? That grey car belongs to you?” Ann was shocked to know that Ashton was the one following her friend. “So we were worrying unnecessarily all this time, huh?”
“I did not even know that she was being followed be someone.” Whined Hudson. 

"We just did not want to worry you, Hudson" Ann stroked him arm.
Everyone was as astonished as Hudson.
“So are we still going on the weekend trip?” Asked Noah.
“Yes however we are postponing it for the next week. Cathy, Ann and Hudson will be joining us.” He informed winking at Cathy.

"Wow that would be fun." Laura jumped in excitement.