CHAPTER 8: BONDED

2 days later Sage opened her eyes to the white ceiling of the hospital. Hot tears spills out of her eyes due to her loss of strength. A nurse walked in to take her temperature

"You're awake Ms Raven, I'll get the doctor..."

"Wait, why am I here?" Sage asked as she pressed her temples down in pain

"Oh.. you were brought here by your friends along sides a fellow female"

"Fellow female?"

"Yes, her condition seemed more critical than yours so she was moved to another ward" The nurse said as Sage froze

"Does this patient have a named called Diane?"

"Exactly, she..." The nurse said before Sage removed her drop getting her blanket off her body

"What are you doing?"

"Checking up on her"

"You can't... You just woke up after 2 days your body would be weak, you need to rest..."

"I'm alright, I just need to see her" Sage said as she attempted to stand up but failed, falling back to the bed

"You're too weak, you need more rest"

"I just need to see her" Sage replied as the nurse sighed

"Fine, wait here" -The nurse said walking out as she came back with a wheelchair

-"This might cost me my job but I see how important the patient is to you"

" Thank you" Sage replied as the nurse wheeled her out of her room

They snuck into Diane's room as the lights were turned off and the curtains dropped

"That's weird, the ICU is a critical place and should never be closed, so who turned off the lights?" The nurse muttered looking for the light switch.

The lights get turned on as they see a body covered with white cloth

"What's that?" Sage asked as the nurse frowned

" The only person admitted to this ward was your friend" The nurse said as she walked up to the body slowly then removed the cloth covering it.

Diane's body and face came to view in it's pale white and skinny body, her eyes had extremely dark circles around it, her lips chapped and dry and black veins surrounded her skin. The nurse gasped at the sight of her as Sage wheeled herself to her.

"D .... Diane? Diane?!-" Sage called out as Diane was unresponsive

"-CALL THE DOCTOR!!!" Sage ordered as the nurse ran out.

"Diane, Diane please wake up" Sage begged as Diane was still unresponsive.

2 doctors and 3 nurses ran in checking the situation.

"What the ..." The doctors said recognizing Sage as fear washed over them

"You need to rest young mistress" The first doctor said in fear

" Fine but if she dies, you won't survive either" Sage threatens as they nodded, Sage got wheeled out

"She's been poisoned severely, she had a fever so severe and was left unattended for days, most of her organs are damaged due to that, and it worsened the effect of the poison, she's barely hanging by a thread"

" Thing is... Who attended to her? "

" I... I saw a doctor attend to her" One of the nurses blurted out as they turned to her shocked

" Who? " They asked in unison

" I... I don't know I've never seen him before"

"Is there anyone in this hospital you don't know?"

"N.. no?" The nurse replied

" THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU REPORT IT?!"

"Well, you were all worked up on treating Ms Raven I thought it was nothing"

" Yeah and now this nothing seems to matter to Ms Raven than her life!! " One of the doctors screamed as the nurse flinched back in fear

" It's no use shouting at her man, let's try to wake her" The nurses snapped as the doctors get scared nodding

Sage wheeled out as she meets the girls walking in, they seemed to look guilty of something as they didn't notice her for a while. Harley raised her head up first noticing Sage

"S.... Sage?" She muttered as Astrid looked up seeing Sage on a wheel chair, her eyes gets filled with tears as she ran to embrace her crying

However Sage didn't return the hug as her gaze became colder. Astrid pulled away in shock. Ruby noticed as she walked ahead

" It's my fault, I left her there..."

"Move." Sage ordered coldly as Ruby looked back to the girls

"Sage, listen they didn't..."

"Don't make me hurt you Ruby" Sage cut in with a deep voice filled with pain as Ruby sighed walking away

Sage wheeled herself back to her room quietly leaving everyone shocked.

3 weeks later, Diane's condition got worse as she seemed at the edge of death. Sage had recovered fully from her fever as she dressed up packing her bags. Astrid and the girls walked in

" Sage... Sage we're sorry, we didn't mean to get her hurt, we didn't know they'll...do that to her" Astrid explained with tear filled eyes as Sage didn't reply

"Sage, she'll be fine...we really didn't mean it, we just wanted to quickly get you to the hospital your fever was really high, you scared us" Vanna explained as Sage didn't reply again

The girls turned to Ruby who sighed

"Dude..."

" We got sick at the same time, fine. You tried to save us both, thanks...but that you gave her out willingly to some stranger you didn't know, just because you don't know her well enough? That was f****d up!" Sage roared angrily for the first time startling the girls

" Move"

"SAGE!! Why would you talk to us over a stranger you don't even know?!" Astrid screamed in tears as Sage froze

"Because that stranger is the reason I'm here, without that stranger there wouldn't be a Sage right now!"

*FLASH BACK*

*"Diane: This should keep you safe anytime you are in danger, also seems like you caught a pretty bad fever, you just broke through your cultivation level an unannounced fever could kill you...you won't be angry if took away some of it would you? Besides I have Astrid, Harley, Ruby, Vanna, Vanessa, and Courtney, they'll make sure I'm fine.... I'll receive your scolding later okay?"*

Sage said angrily as the girls froze.

" We're losing her!" A nurse screamed as Sage stood up impulsively, she tried to run towards Diane's ward as she fell

"Sage!" The girls ran to her as they helped her up, wheeling her into Diane's ward

Diane looked dead, bony and lifeless. Sage wheeled herself to the bed as her hand shook in weakness and denial as she held Diane's bowing her head as tears feel from her eyes

A silver line appeared passing through Sage's arm into Diane's as she slowing recovered her body and the dark circles disappeared.

"I didn't know you were capable of crying" Diane muttered as Sage raised her head

" I guess I was rejected up there too" Diane joked as she giggled. Sage bowed her head back on the bed as Diane smiled stroking her head.

"Hi guys, sorry I bothered...." Diane muttered as Sage flicked her forehead

"... Ouch! What was that for?!" Diane asked

"Idiot! Who asked you to draw out my fever?! Didn't you know you were running a high fever too?!"

" I was?" Diane asked as Sage growled then pulled her hair

" Ahh, ahh not the hair, I've told you not to pull my hair..." Diane replied in pain as she pulled Sage's hair back

" Hey let go...let go" They said in unison

" You let go!" They replied in unison

" We'll let go on three"

" One..."

"...Two.."

"....Three!" The girls said as they flicked each other's forehead.

"OUCH!" Diane and Sage replied as they smiled

"It's good to see you again..." Diane muttered as she looked up at the girls who now had shocked expressions

"...All of you" Diane added as Sage scoffed

"What was that for? I was being sincere" Diane said as Sage scoffed again

"I know, but some people don't deserve sincerity" Sage said as the girls bowed

"Come on, if it were you won't you choose family?" Diane asked as the girls froze

"That's not it, it was...wait did you just...." Sage said as Diane giggled nervously rubbing the back of her hair

"YOU COMPELLED THEM TO HELP ME?!"

"Oh..oh.." Diane replied as Ruby nodded

"It all makes sense now, I felt serious pain when I tried to go back" Ruby muttered as Diane spell wore off

" YOU DID WHAT?!" Astrid said as angrily

" Oh..oh.." Diane said as she ran out of the hospital.

"DIANE!!! I'LL KILL YOU!!!" Astrid shouted as she ran after her. Seconds later Diane ran back in as she hid at Sage's back

" I'm sorry, I'm so sorry" Diane said as Astrid tried to catch her. Diane's visions became blurry as she falls unconscious again

"DIANE!!" The girls called out as Sage caught her

"I can't transfer any energy to her, her spiritual veins are locked! " Sage muttered as the girls got shocked

" She..." Astrid muttered as they lay Diane in the bed watching her.

Diane woke up again hours later as the girls were all asleep, they looked tired as they seemed to have stayed up for a while before giving out.

Diane smiled walking out of bed slowly as she went to the window, sitting by the edge, the moonlight shone on her seemingly making her condition a little better. The wind roughened her red hair which flew freely in it's direction

"So how do you feel lying to us like that?" Sage's voice said as Diane smirked without looking at her

" Bad, but I've been worse, do you forgive me?" Diane muttered as Sage sighed

" If you were given another chance would you do the same thing?"

"If you were me wouldn't you?" Diane asked as a brief silence was observed between the girls who stared at each other

"Sigh, why do I try?"

"I also wonder"

"You're crazy"

"No seriously, why do you all say that?" Diane asked as Sage sat at the other side of the window

"Because you are?"

"Fair enough"

"Do you know who ambushed you and who poisoned you?"

"Maybe?"

"What next? What's your plan?"

" My plan? My plan is no plan" Diane said as she tied a black bandana to her forehead raising up her brows

" You're joking right?" Sage asked surprised

" Nope"

" What?! You almost got assainated and you got poisoned on the same day and you have no plan to protect get revenge?!"

" Exactly " Diane said as Sage growled

" You.."

" But before you tear me into pieces...know that I have no plan for a reason "

" And that is..."

" Simple, right now everyone is trying to figure out my next move and for that I need a plan but if I have no plan or next move they'll just rack their brain in fear thinking I have a huge plan to get back at them"

" Won't that make them more furious come for you?"

" My aim exactly"

" I see, you're not stupid, just crazy"

" No seriously why do you all keep saying that...I..." Diane said before Sage fed her some water

"Drink, you need strength to carry out your plan" Sage said as Diane smiled from the cup drinking from Sage's hand.

"Hey wanna join my gang? I'll throw you in on some bandanas" Diane said bringing out a red bandana as Sage rolled her eyes

"Fine but only to keep an eye on you"

Sage muttered collecting it as she tied it to her forehead

"See we look like twins!" Diane exclaimed pointing at their same red hair colour, with a bright smile as Sage smirked too.

"Don't do that again"

"Do what?"

"Die without telling me, that...." Sage said

" Makes no sense, I know"- Diane replied

-"Okay, I swear to tell you when I want to die, that..."

"Yeah makes no sense" Sage replied as the girls laughed.

3 days later Diane gets discharged as the girls packed up her bags heading out.

" You coming? " Sage asked as Diane smiled

"Go ahead I'll be right behind you" She replied as Sage nodded walking out

Diane checked her wrist as a thin black vein grew on her wrist seemingly growing by the week

*Diane: It seems the more energy I receive, the faster the poison spreads, not good, I need my core and moon to find father and help him regain his title as the king once again, I also need to bring sister back home to mom... But if I take back the core and moon I'll die a painful death, I mean I don't fear death or pain but what about the others? "* Diane mumbled before Ruby interrupted her

" You coming for real?" She asked with her arms folded and an eyebrow arched

"Sorry" Diane squealed as she ran out of the room meeting 8 power bikes

"Woah..." Diane said as the girls walked out

"Surprise!" The girls said walking out as they had different colour of bandana on their head wrapped in different styles for each person except Ruby, Sage and Diane who preferred to fold and tie it on their forehead like a gangster.

Astrid walked up to Diane as she had a pink bandana on

"We forgive you Diane, and we can all hope we can start all over again and you can trust us, and tell us anything okay?" Astrid asked as Diane turned to the others who nodded

"Does that include telling you if I wanted to die? " Diane asked as Astrid raised her hand to hit her

" You... " She said as Diane and the rest laughed

" Sorry, I won't tell you that then but I promise to talk with you all from now on"

"It's a good start" Courtney said as Astrid sighed

" Now... Can we ride?" Diane asked as the girls nodded, she ran to the bike starting it

" Woah, roars like a lion!! "

" Of course it does who do you think built it? " Astrid asked as Diane froze then gave her a salute

" Now let's take this baby out for a race" Harley said as Diane smirked

" You're on" She replied as they zoomed off back to the hostel. Sage shook her head as she zoomed off too

" Yup..Diane and Sage are hiding something" Astrid said as they turned to Ruby

" What are you looking at me for? "

" You also know something "