A World comes Crashing Down

A/N: Here’s the second part.

17th April, 2017

Aviel awoke with a pained groan as her heavy eyelids slowly opened, struggling to adjust to the bright light shining in her eyes. A dull ache registered in her head, and she slowly awoke to hear the dull, monotonous beeping of a heart monitor.

She was the only person in the ward, a lone nurse looming over her as she inspected a bag of IV Drip hooked to her arm. He looked rather young – perhaps about 17-20 years of age, of Asian descent. Chinese? Korean? No, the shape of his eye lids told her he was Japanese.

Don’t really see many Japanese in Israel – not even tourists, Thought Aviel.

“Ah, I see you’re awake,” Said the Japanese nurse, his thick accent colouring his words, “Are you alright?”

“…Peachy,” Said Aviel.

Another groan was heard, and Aviel turned to see the tired form of Wakeyo rubbing his eyes as he yawned loudly from his seat.

Once sufficiently awake, Wakeyo saw Aviel and was instantly beset with relief, and walking to Aviel’s side, he said, “It’s so good to see you’re awake; you’ve been in a coma for nearly a month.”

“A month?” Muttered Aviel, “Argh!”

Aviel clutched her forehead, feeling the ache return with a vengeance.

“Please be careful, the blunt trauma your head sustained is quite severe,” Said the Japanese nurse, “Your skull took the brunt of the impact, and thankfully you sustained no brain damage, but I urge you to be careful.”

Aviel nodded at the nurse’s words, and then asked, “If I might, what’s your name?”

“Oh right, I’m Ebinuma Bussho, a nurse working at the Tel Aviv General Hospital,” Said the nurse, “And Ebinuma’s my family name, so you know.”

Aviel nodded, and asked, “What brings you here so far from home? As far as I know, I don’t see many Japanese around these parts.”

“It’s a… personal thing for me,” The nurse said hesitantly, “Please don’t ask.”

“I won’t,” Said Aviel, “By the way, Wakeyo, what exactly happened while I was ? What was that explosion?”

Wakeyo’s face darkened, and he said, “The Knesset’s headquarters was utterly demolished in that explosion; too many politicians of all parties holding seats were killed, including your father.”

Aviel felt a pit form in her stomach, and hurriedly asked, “What the hell do you mean? Dad’s dead!?”

At Aviel’s panicked tone, Wakeyo could only offer a gesture of helplessness as he said, “He and other politicians of all parties were gathered for a Knesset meeting when the explosion happened; only one survivor was reported: Harrell Lyons of the Makid party.”

“What?” Asked Aviel.

“Apparently, he was inside the only structurally-sound room left untouched somehow by the explosion,” Said Wakeyo, “If he wasn’t there, he’d have died as well.”

Listening to this explanation, Aviel instantly sensed something amiss; how did that single room still stand if the Knesset Headquarters was utterly demolished in the explosion? As far as she knew, C4 was effective at taking out stone buildings like the White House. Was there a more powerful explosive used?

And furthermore, why was this Harrell inside the room when all others were gathered in the Knesset Hall?

“What about my family? My father’s business contacts?” Asked Aviel.

“Too many of your dad’s contacts died in that explosion, and the remaining few have little real power and influence in the Knesset – all easily encompassed by what the Makid party offers,” Said Wakeyo, “As for your family…”

At the hesitance in Wakeyo’s words, Aviel frantically gripped his arms, her pleading eyes fixed on Wakeyo’s own – which refused to meet her in the eye.

Eventually, at Aviel’s insistent behaviour, Wakeyo relented, though his next words would come to haunt Aviel for months onward.

“Debt collectors came and said that your family’s estate was being taken as collateral for unpaid debts,” Said Wakeyo, “Naturally, your mother tried to perform damage control, but things only took a turn for the worse.”

Wakeyo, pausing for a pregnant moment, then said, “When your mother and sisters refused to give in, they were forcefully taken away by mysterious men; they held me hostage somewhere with no contact with the outside world, so I couldn’t act at all to rescue them.”

Aviel began gritting her teeth in frustration, her tightening grip causing Wakeyo’s arms to feel numb.

“All of your family’s wealth and assets have been taken away, and I don’t know who’s responsible, but I believe someone in the Makid party is,” Said Wakeyo, “Though right now, against them, we’re effectively powerless.”

Aviel, at that moment, chose to slacken her grip on Wakeyo’s arms, and laying back on her bed, she was unable to mount a reaction in the slightest. She wanted to cry, she wanted to curse and swear at the culprits who dared drag her family down like this, rob Israel of its government – divided between parties as it was, and see them dead.

Her hands clenched so tightly her knuckles turned white, and a hot rage burned so brightly in her heart it engulfed all other desires she once held.

Whoever did this to me and my family… I will see them suffer. I’ll make sure they don’t get away with that they’ve done! And yet… Israel is also under threat; the recent Knesset bombing must have the whole nation on edge, and if we show even a moment of weakness…

Tempering her hot rage with pragmatism and logical thought, Aviel carefully evaluated her options.

Alright, so first thing I have to do is find new allies, Thought Aviel, Perhaps Wakeyo knows a few contacts in the IDF I can rely on. I’d need to get myself politicians as well; politicians who can form a new party with me and run for the seat of President. Otherwise, I might as well be swimming ten feet under. And who knows? Perhaps I might even need to take complete control of the Knesset if Israel’s going to pull itself out of this quagmire.

And yet, as fate would have it, Aviel’s phone suddenly beeped loudly, and Aviel saw a notification from an unfamiliar app she definitely did not install before.