The reality of Rain and Phayu [LITA fanfic]

Chapter 3: Rainfall of Consequences

Phayu sped through the rain-soaked streets, his bike roaring as he ignored red lights and the angry blare of horns from other cars. Each second felt like an eternity, his mind a whirlwind of fear and regret. The rain pelted down, making the road slick and treacherous, but he pushed on, adrenaline driving him forward. When he finally reached the hospital, he barely registered the screech of his brakes or the spray of water as he skidded to a stop. Heart pounding, he burst through the hospital doors, his eyes scanning frantically for any sign of Rain or their teacher. When he saw neither, panic surged anew.  Desperation clawed at his chest, each heartbeat echoing with a singular thought: "Please let him be okay." He turned sharply and sprinted towards the emergency section, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

“Rain! I’m looking for Varain!” he shouted as he burst through the doors.

A nurse looked up from her desk, her expression quickly shifting to irritation at Phayu's loud, intrusive entrance. “I’m sorry, who?” she snapped, clearly exasperated by his rudeness. The emergency section was already chaotic, and his shouting only added to the stress.

“Varain,” Phayu repeated, his voice trembling. “He was in a car accident. He might’ve been brought in recently. Please, I need to know if he’s here!” His hands gripped the edge of the desk, knuckles white, his eyes wide with fear and desperation.

Before Phayu could ask again, a door separating the patient area from the emergency waiting area swung open, and his teacher stepped out, having recognized Phayu’s voice. The teacher's face showed a mix of shock and confusion upon seeing him. “Phayu, what are you doing here?” he asked, but before he could continue, Phayu rushed forward, anxiety etched across his features.

“Ajarn, where’s Rain? Is he okay?” Phayu blurted out, his voice trembling with fear.

The teacher frowned, clearly puzzled. “Why should Varain be here?”

Phayu's eyes widened with panic. “I heard that Rain was involved in an accident. I thought he might be hurt.”

The teacher's face softened slightly as he shook his head. “No, Phayu, it’s not Varain. It’s your senior, Phukong, who was in the accident.”

Phayu felt a rush of relief mingled with confusion. “Phukong? What happened?”

The teacher sighed, his disappointment evident. "From what I heard from someone who witnessed the accident, Phukong was driving well above the speed limit. The doctor also confirmed he was driving under the influence. I think he overdrank at the gathering just now." The teacher now slowly move to  take a seat in the waiting room, his face etched with worry. "Thankfully, no one else was involved in the accident. Phukong's car flipped when he tried to brake to avoid a dog on the street."

Phayu sat down beside the teacher, his concern evident. "So, how is he now, Ajarn?"

The teacher sighed heavily. "He's still in the yellow zone. He's having trouble breathing, and his leg is obviously broken. I saw the bone sticking out of his shin. So now I am waiting for his parents to arrive and sign some documents before going home. It seems he’ll take a long time to recover."

Phayu placed a comforting hand on the teacher's shoulder. "I’ll wait with you, Ajarn."

However, not a moment later, the nurse who had replied to Phayu earlier approached them. "I'm sorry, but only one family member is allowed to wait here."

Phayu shot a side glance at the nurse, frustration evident in his eyes. Reluctantly, he stood up and turned to the teacher. "Goodbye, Ajarn. I'll check on Phukong later."

As he walked out, he couldn’t resist leaving a sarcastic remark directed at the nurse. "Thanks for the hospitality. It help alot." He exited the emergency area, his mind racing with thoughts of how to support his senior and his mind was preoccupied with worry about Rain. He hadn’t returned to the dorm, and Phayu had no way of knowing where he was.