MELODY MUSKETEERS (M911 & TTM)
088. LIVING IN A DREAM

Prothos sat in a waiting chair in front of the ICCU room where Athos was being treated. It's two o'clock at night, and he's not sleeping. Since his separation from his former lover, Prothos' life has been very chaotic.

Usually he arranged everything well, his meal and bedtime and the exercise he did every day, but now everything is a mess. Everything is irregular because Widia's departure still leaves wounds for him. Every night the pain was still engulfing him, and making a mess in his mind.

He still doesn't understand what he has to do. Mona's words are not easy to do. She did not want to see Widia for fear that it would make her feel even more guilty.

Prothus walked near the window of Athos' room. He stared at the twin who was still struggling to stay alive. At the moment he feels he needs Athos, he wants to tell his twin everything and ask for his opinion as usual. But now there was nothing he could do, and Athos still lay helpless, leaving anyone with grief. Tasya did not get married but even Athos cannot be with the girl now.

"For a long time Ato didn't let us know his plan." Aramis is coming. "He took it all on his own, and now he's fighting alone in there. I don't know between the three of us whose fate is better. Sometimes I envy her because she always looks calm even though she knows Tasya is getting married. When I found out about Anna's illness, I became jealous of you. At least the girl you love is okay even if she's not with you."

Prothos just silently turned his back on Aramis who had just arrived. He kept staring at Athos inside.

"I really wanted to accompany Anna but I can't leave you two at a time like this either. If only Ato was okay, things would be easier." Aramis. "Oto, I miss the three of us at the dinner table. Since you disappeared Ato has always been alone in the morning, because I rarely accompany him. We are both too selfish and always assume Ato can do everything without us. He could, but it must have been too much for him. Dad called me after Athos called him to ask him to come home.It was the first time Ato had asked someone else for help. But I still realized it too late."

"I'm the most outrageous, Ars." Prothos cried without looking. "I even left when I found out Anna was very ill, and did not comfort you. And I also didn't care when Niko came to tell me to go home at Ato's request. Worse yet, I ignored those dreams. I definitely won't forgive myself if Ato doesn't survive."

Aramis said nothing, he could see from the reflection on the windowpanes that his twin was now shedding tears of sadness.

...***...

Lion was sitting on the porch of his room at three in the morning. It had been two hours and two there, just sitting staring at the window of Melody's room whose room was already dark because the girl was sleeping.

He was startled when he heard Melody's voice that was like shouting.

The sleeping Melody became riled up when in her dream she looked back at the stabbing that had happened to Athos. The girl woke up screaming. Not long after his father went into his room.

"What's up, Melo?" Ask her father in a panic when he turns on the room light.

Lion saw Melody's father's presence from his place because the window curtain of the girl's room was never closed. He knows for sure that Melody is having nightmares about the Athos stabbing she saw.

"Dad, how's Ato's condition? I want to see it." Melody said in tears. "I dreamed of seeing Ato's brother stabbed yesterday. I want to see Brother Ato. Take me to the hospital, Dad."

"Relax baby, your brother is fine, he's asleep, if you come his sleep will be disturbed." Answer me hugging Melody.

"I miss Ato's brother, father. When will he wake up?"

Dad did not answer and just hugged his daughter who was crying in fear.

"I shouldn't have let you be there." Lion. He thought he should not have let Melody be at the wedding, when Athos's stabbing happened.

...***...

Lion entered the room where Anna was being treated after school. He brought food for Aramis and Anna.

"Where's Ars?" Lion asked as he did not see Aramis in the room.

"I asked him to buy me some sweet food. I'm gonna eat sweet food." Anna answered sitting on her bed.

"How are you, Anna?" Lion placed the food he was carrying on the table beside the entrance. "When are you going?" Lion asked standing beside Anna's right bed at a distance of two meters from Anna.

"Of course, you know for yourself that I'm the most reliable." Lion Smile. "What should I do for you?"

"It's likely that I'll be there a long time. After the surgery, I still have to recover. You also know the effect of the operation if I survive, so I'll be back when I'm able to collect my memory debris and put it together as before."

Anna raised her face and smiled at Lion.

"I want you to report every day what happened to your best friend to me. What he did, how he felt back then, even what stupidity he did." Anna said with laughter. "I want you to be my spy."

Lion smiled, "Alright, I'll be your spy. I'll lurk wherever the fool goes and report everything to you."

"You also have to promise me one thing." Said Anna again. "Because it's possible that I'll forget everything including about you, I want you to tell me the truth from now on, Lion."

Lion took his breath out first before replying. "Yes, okay."

"I heard that Uncle Leo would also approve of Niko's plan. I wonder how you feel right now? You all right? Are you sad right now?" Look Anna.

Lion put both his hands into his pants pocket and after that smiled with meaning.

"Just usually... Nothing I feel. I'm not sad or happy." Lion replied with a glare. "I mean, like I always laugh and make jokes all day, but it's all different when I'm alone at night, so I can't control it. And I don't know because of what. I don't understand what's going on with me either. Every night I was awake and unable to sleep. I always assured myself that I was fine but when the sun was approaching I became sorry. I should have slept because the reality I had to face made me realize I wasn't okay. When I realized that, I wanted to fall asleep all the time, but everything kept repeating without me changing."

"Why do you think you can't change it?"

"Because besides me, anyone has more right to live a good life." Answer Lion.

"You mean Niko?" Ask Anna.

"Yes, I will sleep all the time and live in my dreams when they finally get married." Lion smiles by describing a smile of sadness.

Suddenly the door opened and Prothos appeared listening to the conversation of the two of them from the beginning.

"How about Melo?" Prothos looked upset. "Does he also have to sleep all the time and live in his dreams?"

"No, she'll have a more beautiful life than her dreams. So beautiful he will not miss it by holding back his drowsiness. He wouldn't be willing to sleep because he didn't want to miss his happiness in the real world."

Prothos snorted annoyedly at Lion's reply.

"What if your guess is wrong? What if Melo prefers to fall asleep all the time?"

"I know your sister, she won't fall asleep all the time. It's easier for her than for me." Said Lion with teary eyes. "You know? How long do I want to live in my dreams? Which must have been a lot longer than before Niko was present, ah no, I mean, a lot longer when your sister liked Felix."

After saying so Lion walked away from Prothus and Anna.

"Even now to close my eyes and dream is very difficult for me." Lion muttered outside.

...–NATZSIMO–...