COSMOS

Dry your tears with love

Eddy couldn't bear to look at Brett when he came out from the surgery room. The white sheet of the hospital bed only made Brett's bloodless face turn paler. Maybe the correct reaction was to walk away right then and there, unforgiving of what Brett has done. After all, with or without intention, Brett was the one who killed his girlfriend.

Still, Eddy couldn't make himself do that. It was hard enough to see Brett like this, vulnerable and in pain. Justin rushed to Brett's side, swiftly stroking his cold cheek reassuringly. Brett was still unconscious, recovering from the anesthesia.

Eddy stood still next to the surgery room, looking at Brett's bed disappearing into the patient's room along with Justin. Eddy turned to the doctor who came back from the surgery room. He was holding a metal tray filled with bloody flowers.

"How did the surgery go?" Eddy asked quietly, unable to keep his eyes off from all the colorful flowers that were killing Brett from the inside.

"It went well. A small part of the root was left because it was too close to the heart but the rest of the flowers and the roots were successfully extracted. We believe the root would probably die on its own without further stimuli so the most important part from now is to isolate the patient so that the disease wouldn't relapse."

Let Brett forget Eddy.

Now was really the time to say goodbye to Brett.

Eddy stood there blankly as the police officers rushed to the blood-stained flowers, taking the sample for the DNA test. The officers explained to Eddy that even if the DNA from the cosmos match Brett's, Brett would not be charged from homicidal sleepwalking. After all, their killer, the cosmos was already wilting while Brett has lost his memory of the incident.

"Can I...?" Eddy hesitantly stretched his hands toward the metal tray, containing the last pink cosmos.

"Are you saying you want to keep it?" The doctor raised his eyebrows skeptically.

"Is it still contagious?"

"I'm pretty sure you are immune to hanahaki already as long as you don't ingest the flower fully. But are you sure you want to keep it?"

"I do indoor gardening."

"That is a peculiar choice of flower."

Eddy carefully took the feeble stem from the tray. The pink flower drooped from his hand weakly. The root was covered with blood and what he can only imagine as some of the flesh left from the surgery.

"I think I can handle it," Eddy murmured.

For me, this will be the only thing that is left of Brett.

Without further words, Eddy staggered through a long corridor to the hospital exit, standing briefly in front of Brett's recovery room in hesitation.

"Goodbye, Brett," Eddy whispered as he walked away, holding the tender stem in his hand.

***

The first vivid memory of Brett Yang was a field of cosmoses. Eddy was still laying down in the field even after Brett has gone back home for dinner. He remembered how Brett's face beamed when Eddy handed him the last petal for their little flower game. How Brett squealed in his high-tone voice:

"She loves me!"

Eddy leisurely picked up a pink cosmos next to him. He stared at the tender colors for a long time before beginning to pick the petals gingerly, one by one.

"He loves me," Eddy slowly picked the first petal.

"Eddy, you are my best friend forever!"