Guardian Angel

Karma

A night ago

"I was hospitalized for two weeks in a coma, and when I woke up, my right leg, two toes of my left foot and one kidney were gone."

Beam stared blankly at his hand on Forth's hand. Beam never look at the man in front of him--Gain--the perpetrator of his mother's hit-and-run.

Forth gripped Beam's hand tightly, making sure Beam didn't do anything that could hurt himself, even if it was just fainting.

However, Beam was silent with his lips pursed tightly, as Torn introduced Gain to Forth and Beam. Torn was very calm. He had prepared himself for whatever the worst could happen. Beam will probably go berserk and hit Gain badly.

He had heard from his twin brothers who Beam was and what he could do. He could claim Forth as his own before they even started dating, kick Forth's fiercest, bulky seniors and make him fall, even make a Forth plead and cry, Beam is not someone to be underestimated.

"The image of your mother I left on the pavement terrified me and I lost control until I finally hit a wall on the side of the road. I felt like my life was falling apart after losing my leg and kidney and being in depression for almost a year. I was hospitalized many times for depression and on the third time, I finally came to my senses. I was determined to heal, make myself useful and start looking for you. I must apologize to you and at least offer to make amends for my mistakes."

"We met when Gain was the wood supplier for one of the hotels I built. The partnership continued and we ended up together. When Wine and Grant told me about the accident that happened to Forth, they also mentioned about Forth's boyfriend they met at the hospital-you ," Torn told Beam. "I talked about it with Gain and when I was trying to find out about you with Gain, he suddenly started crying and then said that you are most likely the person he has been looking for. I knew about the accident, Gain told me when we started to be close."

Gain touched Torn's knee gently. "When I found out that you were Forth's lover, that was the second I realized the situation. I had a long talk with Torn and I realized we might never be together again."

"I . . . love Gain," Torn said in a heavy tone. "But I know you're going to go and leave Jamorhnoom behind you for Beam. I don't want to lose my brother because if I did it for Gain, I would definitely lose not only you, but all parts of my family, even Mom and Dad."

"What do you mean, Phi?" asked Beam quietly. He didn't look at Gain at all, only Torn.

"I'll part with Gain, so you don't feel awkward being a part of Jamorhnoom," Torn replied with a smile. "I just hope, before Gain actually leaves me, forgive him. I want to let him go in peace, believing that once you forgive him, he can live his life without the guilt that has plagued him for years after the accident. He even already paid for it by losing his leg and kidney."

Forth looked at Gain with an icy gaze. He turned to Beam. "Are you going to hit him? Or let me do it for you?"

"No need, Babe. I don't want to get my hands dirty touching a murderer. Neither do you. He's handicapped, after all. We don't hit woman, kid, and handicapped."

Torn and Gain gasped at Beam's calm and gentle words. Beam stared at Torn without blinking. "Pardon my impoliteness, Phi. I know you are Forth's eldest brother and you are also not involved in my troubles with the person next to you. However, I also can't lie to myself that I will hate you so much when I see you side by side with that person and my hatred will surely grow and hurt Poom. It's true, there are only two choices, you let him go or I let Forth go. Me and that person can't be together in the same room, sharing the same oxygen let alone the same name."

Gain was in tears. Beam called him "that guy" as if he were invisible, adding the words murderer and cripple to him in a cold, bone-chilling tone.

He had prepared himself to receive verbal abuse, even beatings and physical injuries, but what happened now, with Beam's words and behavior, turned out to be a thousand times more painful.

Torn squeezed Gain's shoulder in concern, but he realized there was nothing he could do. He saw the look in Forth's eyes and knew that his youngest brother, the beloved of the Jamorhnoom family, would do anything to keep Beam by his side, even to trade his life for Beam's happiness. The name Jamorhnoom is nothing compared to Beam.

"I'm sorry, Phi," Forth said sharply. "I have to ask you to leave now. It's almost midnight and Beam needs to rest. I'll let you know whether we're coming to Mom and Dad's show, or we'll give you a chance to take your sweetheart to Mom and Dad's show. But, Phi, you already know, that there is no way the four of us could be in the same place and event."

Forth looked at Beam with concern as Torn and Gain had already left Forth's room. Beam shifted his seat closer to Forth and rested his head on Forth's chest.

When Forth's hand hugged him, Beam burst into tears.

*****