Campus Parking Lot - Evening
The sun was setting, casting long shadows across the nearly empty parking lot. Chima was walking to her car after a late study session, her bag slung over one shoulder, her phone in her hand.
She was texting Naila. "I'm heading home. Want me to pick up food?"
Naila's reply came quickly. "Yes. I'm hungry. Too lazy to cook."
Chima smiled. "Lazy as always."
She was about to type another message when she heard footsteps behind her.
She turned.
Two men in dark clothes were approaching. Fast.
Chima's instincts kicked in. She dropped her bag and prepared to fight.
"What do you want?" she demanded.
One of the men pulled out a gun.
"Boss wants you dead," he said flatly. "You rejected him yesterday. Publicly. He doesn't forget that."
Chima's eyes widened. "Wait—"
The gun fired.
BANG!
Chima felt a sharp pain in her head. Then everything went black.
***
Naila's Apartment - 15 Minutes Later
Naila was still waiting for Chima's reply. She'd been waiting for ten minutes.
"Where is she?" Naila muttered. "She said she was coming."
She texted again. "Chima? You there?"
But no reply.
Naila felt a knot form in her stomach. Something was wrong. She could feel it.
She called Fatimah.
"Fatimah? Have you heard from Chima?"
"No. Why?"
"She was supposed to pick up food. She hasn't replied."
"Maybe she's driving."
"She always texts back. Even when she's driving."
The knot in Naila's stomach tightened.
"Something's wrong," she said. "I can feel it."
***
Campus Parking Lot - 20 Minutes Later
Fatimah, Naila, Alice, and Wony arrived at the parking lot. They found Chima's car. They found her bag on the ground.
And they found Chima.
She was lying in a pool of blood. A gunshot wound to the head.
Alice screamed. Wony started crying. Fatimah dropped to her knees and checked for a pulse.
"She's alive," Fatimah said, her voice shaking. "She's alive. Call an ambulance. NOW!"
Naila stood frozen, staring at Chima's body. Her best friend. Her fiercest protector.
The person who had held her when she wanted to give up.
"Chima..." she whispered. "Chima, no..."
***84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsonvcSb8Ln
Hospital - Emergency Room - 2 Hours Later
The waiting room was cold and sterile. The four girls sat in a row, staring at the doors that led to the operating room.
None of them had said a word in an hour.
Finally, the doctor came out.
"Family of Chima?"
They all stood up.
"How is she?" Fatimah asked, her voice desperate.
The doctor's face was grim. "She's alive. But she's in critical condition. The bullet grazed her skull. She's in a coma."
"A coma?" Naila's voice was barely a whisper.
"We don't know when she'll wake up. Or if she will. The next 48 hours are crucial."
Naila collapsed onto a chair. "This is my fault."
Everyone turned to look at her.
"What?" Fatimah asked. "How is this your fault?"
"Because..." Naila's voice cracked. "Because she was coming to see me. She was coming to bring me food. If I hadn't asked her to come... if I hadn't been so lazy..."
"Naila, stop," Alice said firmly. "This is NOT your fault."84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnO3pYSCfEQ
Naila shook her head. "I can't... I can't lose her. She's my best friend. She's the one who always protects me. Who always takes care of me. Who never gives up on me."
Alice put an arm around her. "She's strong, Naila. She's the strongest person I know. She's going to make it."
Naila started crying. "She has to. She has to."
***
Hospital Room - Night
They took turns sitting by Chima's bedside. She was connected to machines, her face pale, her head bandaged.
Naila refused to leave. She sat in the chair beside the bed, holding Chima's hand.
"Come on, Chima," she whispered. "You can't leave me. You can't."
Chima didn't respond. The machines beeped steadily.
"I know I'm lazy," Naila continued. "I know I sleep too much. I know I'm useless. But you never made me feel that way. You always made me feel like I mattered. Even when I didn't believe it myself."
Tears streamed down Naila's face.
"You were the first person who made me feel like I was worth something. When I wanted to give up... you held me. You told me I was important. You made me promise to live."
She squeezed Chima's hand.
"You can't break your promise. I need you. We all need you. Please... please come back."
***
Hospital Waiting Room - Next Morning
Fatimah, Alice, and Wony were making phone calls.
"Any word on who did this?" Wony asked.
Fatimah shook her head. "The police are investigating. They think it was someone Chima rejected."
Alice was furious. "That's so STUPID! Someone shot her because she said NO?!"
"Some people can't handle rejection."
"But to SHOOT someone?!"
Fatimah nodded grimly. "The police are checking security footage. They'll find him."
Wony was pacing. "She was shot because she didn't want to date someone. That's insane."
"That's the world we live in."
***
Chima's Hospital Room - Evening
Naila was still there. She hadn't left all day.
"Hey, Chima," she said softly. "I know you can't hear me. But I want to say something."
She took Chima's hand.
"You're my best friend. You're my protector. And I realized something today. I need to be stronger. For you. For everyone."
She took a deep breath.
"I'm going to change. I'm going to be less lazy. I'm going to be more present. I'm going to be the friend you deserve."
She smiled through her tears.
"So you have to wake up, okay? You have to see me become a better person. You have to see the person you always believed I could be."
She squeezed Chima's hand.
"I love you, Chima. Please come back."
***
Hospital Room - 48 Hours Later
The doctor came in with a serious expression.
"Her condition hasn't changed," he said. "She's still in a coma. But her vitals are stable."
Naila looked up, hope flickering in her eyes. "So she could wake up?"
"She could. But there's no guarantee."
Naila nodded. "She will. I know she will."
The doctor left.
Naila turned back to Chima.
"Did you hear that?" she whispered. "You're stable. That's good. That's progress."
She smiled.
"So you can take your time. I'll be here. I'm not going anywhere."
She leaned forward and kissed Chima's forehead.
"Come back to me. Please."84Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtQ2Rw2mOPg
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