Joker

35. Sick Aki but his dad is worse

Nakul was beginning to get worried. Aki should have been home by now. Where is he? He looked outside in the rain. Is he stuck? Traffic? He hasn't called me since he landed... I don't have a good feeling about this. I should call him... even if he's at work I just have to make sure he's safe so what happened with Liza doesn't repeat. He called up Aki. It rang a few times before Aki picked up "Aki! Aki where are you?"

Silence. Nakul could hear rain on the other side but not Aki. He tried again "Aki!"

"Nakul..." He whispered.

"Yes! Aki where are you-"

"Nakul..." He sobbed suddenly.

"Aki? Aki what happened? Are you okay? Where are you?"

"Nakul... Nakul... help..." He was crying.

"AKI WHERE ARE YOU? I'M ON MY WAY!" Nakul grabbed his coat and keys "AYU I'M GOING TO GET AKI! GO TO BHAIYA'S PLACE OR THE CHOIS IF YOU HAVE AN ISSUE!"

"OKAY DAD!" Ayu called back.

Nakul got in the car and spoke to Aki on speaker "Aki tell me where you are right now. I'm coming to get you."

"S-south side. Near Darnell Station." Aki coughed and sniffed.

"I'm coming there angel. Hold on okay?" Nakul drove as fast as he could, doing his best not to break any laws.

He parked the car near the station and looked for Aki. He held his hand up to get the rain out of his eyes. Should have taken an umbrella. Where is he? Nakul spotted Aki just standing on the sidewalk, soaked to the bone. His t-shirt was stuck to his thin torso and hair plastered to his face. His cheek was bruised too. Nakul ran over "AKI!"

Aki didn't look up, still staring at the ground with a dead look. Nakul grabbed him, he was cold and shivering... and in tears. Honey eyes tinged red and looking like shattered glass. Nakul whispered "Aki... angel..."

He pulled Aki into his coat and hugged him despite the cold. Aki sobbed and wrapped his arms around Nakul while Nakul pulled the trench coat around to cover Aki too. He just stood there while Aki cried into his shoulder, confused and worried. I feel like someone's looking at us. He looked around. Nothing. He spoke softly "Aki, let's go home."

He took off the coat and put it on Aki and Aki whispered "I- I can't move..."

Nakul just carried him bridal style "How long were you just standing there?"

"Since six." Aki whispered, voice hoarse.

"Aki it's almost nine thirty! Have you been just in the rain all this time?" Nakul put Aki in the passenger's seat, turned the heater on and rubbed his hair dry and checked the bruise on his cheek. Punched.

"I- I couldn't move- Nakul I broke I fucking broke." He buried his face in his hands and started crying again.

"Angel... What happened?" Nakul hugged him again. WHO HIT HIM? WHO HIT MY AKI?

Aki coughed as he cried. Nakul just held on, almost in tears himself hearing his beloved pixie cry so brokenly. Nakul whispered "Let's go home and talk. You'll get sick like this."

Aki already looked like he was sick. His face was flushed but paler, his freckles washy and skin dull. Nakul drove with Aki curling into a ball and crying with his face covered. He coughed once in a while and sneezed a few times. He's sick. Nakul got home and carried Aki in. Ayu ran up excitedly "AKI- oh- Aki? Dad what happened?"

"Not now please Ayu." Nakul carried Aki upstairs and spoke as soothingly as he could "Go take a warm shower okay?"

"NO! DON'T GO!" Aki yelled and grabbed onto Nakul "DON'T GO DON'T GO!"