Lena did not know what to do. She poked Kris on the shoulder and then slapped his back really hard.
"Hmm… he's really dead." Lena was deciding if she should leave him here or drag him to her apartment. Since he was unconscious, she was sure he would not know that she moved him. She'll make sure to tell him that James moved him instead.
Lena put her bag down and get into the position to drag Kris across the hallway to her door. She was somewhat enjoying doing this. It was like practicing dragging a dead body.
She got to the door and opened it with her keys. She dragged Kris just enough so she could close the door. She went to lock the door but suddenly something pulled her hand.
Kris slammed shut the door. With his left hand, he held down Lena's right wrist. Kris pushed Lena against the door and choked her with his right hand.
"Kris…?" Lena cough. "KRIS!"
He was very strong. He was pushing her weight higher off the floor. Lena stared straight into his eyes and saw nothing. It was like he was not even there. 'Is he sleepwalking?'
Lena used her free hand and raised it to hold onto Kris's hand that was chocking her. She scratched it deep with her nails but his eyes were still the same. It was blank. The pain was not affecting him at all.
Kris used more pressure on her and her entire legs went up in the air. Lena choked hard. She moved her legs to kick Kris and she abruptly put her left hand gently on his cheeks.
He felt that cold hand on his face. He blinked once to stare at Lena and twice to loosen the choke. Lena's feet were back on the ground and she took several deep breaths. His hand was still on her neck and her hand on his cheek.
"Mom," Kris spoke softly. It was the most sincere and caring voice that Lena had heard. It was the voice a young child would call for when they woke up from a nightmare. She similarly has done that with James.
"Mom?" Lena replied back. She saw that his eyes were different. They were more alive and soft like a child. Lena swallowed. "Um… my son?"
"Mom." Kris suddenly stopped and went for a big hug. He picked Lena up from the floor. Her back was still against the door and he settled his head on her shoulder area.
"Oh..oh.." Lena was confused big time. She just stood quietly and made no movement, hoping that it will pass. After what felt like 10 minutes, they were still in the same position.
His arms were fully around her waist and he was embracing her completely with his head resting on her.
"Um.. son?" Lena spoke.
"Mhm.."
"You should go sleep on the bed."
"Ok."
Lena's eyes lit up that it worked. However, Kris suddenly picked her up and carried her to the first bedroom, which was astonishingly hers.
"Hey, hey. You're a big boy now, you can sleep by yourself. Let mommy go." Lena shrieked.
This time Kris ignore that and lay her gently on the bed and cuddle in with her. It was like a mom and son cuddle, similar to the one before. Kris tightly had her waist in his arms and he rested his head on her shoulder pads.
'This is awkward… I should have left him in the hallway.' Lena instantly regretted her decision and rolled her eyes. Each time she struggled to get out, he tightened his grip.
"Mom... Please don't leave me again."
Lena's hand were loose so she put them over her eyes. She remembered saying something similar to Gary. She got emotional and a smile formed on her lips. She wiped off a small tear and gave in. 'I don't know if I will kill him tomorrow or he will kill me before that.'
She tilted her body towards Kris and hugged him back. "Mommy won't."
Lena initially planned to wait out for Kris to fall asleep, but the funny thing was that she went to sleep first. After Kris was sure his "mom" was not leaving, he then finally slept soundlessly.
In the middle of the night, Lena released her short arms from Kris and turned her back facing him. Her hands tried to grab hold of a blanket but found nothing. Instead, she curled up into a ball from the cold. Kris's body reacted and scooped up the escaping warmth back to his embrace. They both continued to sleep, unawaringly of their position.
---- ---- ----
James was up early the next morning as Lena had instructed him to. He was a few minutes early but he waited. He looked at the clock again and it was 10 past 6 a.m. James knew that Lena was not much of a late person.
He turned off the engine and walked inside the apartment building. He told the front desk to buzz Lena, but after a few times, James started to get worried. He went up.
When the elevator doors opened, he saw an unknown cell phone on the floor and Lena's bag. James was alerted and pulled out his gun. He slowly went to the door, which was unlocked.
"Dammit." He silently swore. He gently pushed opened the door. He cleared the living room then the kitchen. Next was Lena's room. With his gun ready, he quickly opened the door.
"Miss. Shen?" He walked in and his eyes went wide open. He relaxed his stance and quickly shut the door with a loud bang.
Kris was the first one to be awoken from the bang. Usually, he would wake up right away, but somehow, he felt that he had a good night sleep. When did his bed get so tiny?
Kris tried to move but his arm was heavy. He opened his eyes to see a woman on his bed! He got off the bed to the side and Lena's body suddenly woke up like a ghost.
"AHHHH!" Kris screamed.
Lena turned to face him and screamed very loudly too. James who was still outside thought best if he did not go in. He will stay outside.
"Why are you screaming?!" Kris shouted at her.
"Because you are screaming."
"Why are you here?!"
"This is my bed!"
Kris stopped and looked around the room. He ruffled his hair. This was not his room. He gave Lena a deadly stare. Lena jumped from the bed, standing on the opposite side of Kris.
"Don't look at me like that, I didn't do anything!"
"What did you do!!"
At this point, James opened the door. He knew that something was wrong with the situation. Lena quickly moved behind James. She poked her head out.
"You fainted in my hallway and I dragged you inside. You were like a zombie and you choked me and then you called me mom and then you hugged me and then you dragged me to sleep and then that's it!" Lena said all that in one breath. She tucked her head back, making sure James was her shield.
Kris was trying to remember what happened. Lena stuck her head back out.
"Except that part... where I dragged you in." She stumbled to say that out. She had promised herself to put the blame on James last night but it already slipped out of her mouth.
From all the experience Lena had with Kris, she knew that he gets aggressive whenever he touches a woman.
"You called me mom too." Lena reiterated that part.
"Get out!"
"But this is my--"
"OUT!"
Lena dragged James and shut the door behind them. She looked up at James and then back at the door. "Do you think he's mad?"
Lena was going to walk to the door and put her ear on it but it suddenly opened again. Kris stuck out his hand.
"Give me your phone."
"I don't have mine."
James quickly took out his cellphone and gave it to Kris. "Passcode is 1015." It was the birthday of his daughter.
Kris abruptly closed the door again. James looked down at Lena. She was still wearing the clothes she had on yesterday.
"Did you change your bandage?" James asked.
"Ah.. no." Lena looked down at her wound. The skin has healed but she still needed to clean it until it fully heals. An infection would cause the wound to be reopened and take longer to heal.
Lena grabbed the first aid kit from the living room and entered the bathroom in the hallway. She cleaned and changed her bandages. She looked at her neckline and luckily, there were only some slight redness and no bruises. They were barely noticeable unless you looked very close. When she came out, her bedroom door was still shut tight.
"What is he doing?" Lena went to the door and put her ear by it. She could hear the water of the shower running. "He's taking a shower?" Lena looked at James. "What is going to wear?"
James shrugged his shoulders. Lena shook her head and went into her kitchen to brew herself some coffee. This is going to be a while. Her coffee finished brewing and she gave one to James. She walked to listen to the door again, and the shower was still running.
Lena sighed. "Is this how it feels when you wait for me while I get ready?" Lena asked James. He nodded slightly.
They both drank their coffee and stared at the bedroom door, hoping that it would open any minute. Lena's doorbell rung and James went to see who it was.
"It's his Secretary."
"Let him in."
Collin walked into the apartment with a set of clothes. "Oh, Miss. Shen is still here?"
"This is my apartment. And your boss is in my room. How do you think I am going to get change? Call my secretary with my imaginary phone and hopefully, she flies over and gives me clothes?" Lena responded.
Collin cleared his throat. He walked towards the bedroom, assuming it was the correct one because Lena kept staring at it like she wanted to break the door down. He knocked on it.
"It is me." Collin spoke.
Kris suddenly opened the door. His hair was still dripping wet but he had a long towel tied to his waist. Lena popped her head out to see that.
"Hey! That's my towel!" She pointed out.
"You're still here?"
"Why do you guys keep asking me that? This is my home. I just moved in and then I got shot so I never unpack much stuff. All of my clothes are in there!"
"Oh. Why didn't you knock? Do you have another room?"
Lena just stared wide-eyed at Kris. 'Is he f*cken kidding me?' Kris grabbed the suit Collin prepared for him and walk to a different room to change. Lena stomped to her room and slammed the door.
Collin looked at James and he just shrugged.
Lena quickly took a shower, but also made sure her wound was still fine. Her day was already starting later than she had planned. She got dressed and walked out the door. Kris was casually drinking her coffee.
"You are still here?" This time she asked the question.
"I was waiting for you."
Why does she feel like the situation got flipped? Kris placed his coffee cup on the table. He stood up to Lena, making sure there was a good distance between them.
"I want to apologize to you."
"Huh?" Lena was a bit of a shock. Last time she asked for an apology, it was… problematic. Did he learn how to apologize?
"I am sorry. There are…" Kris cleared his throat and try to think of the proper way to say it. "Some things that I need to do before I can talk to you about what happened this morning."
Lena could tell that Kris was struggling to get the word out. She recalled how he called her mom yesterday too. Was her heart too big? "Ok."
Kris nodded and he walked out of the apartment. Collin stood up and bow to Lena.
"Kriss… he had a relapse from his sickness. He needs to go see his therapist first. I do hope that Miss. Shen doesn't take what happened today to the heart. Sorry again." Collin stared out to Kris who had left already without him. "He needs some time before he can talk to Miss. Shen about it."
Collin bowed again and left. Lena stared at the door for a while before she broke eye contact with it.
She looked at James who was standing alert, waiting for her next command. Lena recalled that James told her that some people use anger as a way to deal with trauma. 'Just what trauma haunted Kris?' Lena wondered.
"Let's go."
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