"Heirs of the Heart" (Pondphuwin, Geminifourth, Joongdunk)

Chapter:6_A Night of Shadows_

" Open your eyes, Fot," Satang cried out , his voice cracked as his best friend's unconscious body.Guilt gnawed at him.He had insisted Fourth to come to the bar, despite knowing his Severe Haphephobia.Now , Fourth lay unconscious , a victim of a vicious assualt.

" Is he breathing?" Winny asked as he sped through the road, desperate to get Fourth to the hospital in time..

" His pulse is weak and he is not waking up." Satang replied, his voice trembling .." Fourth, buddy, open your eyes..."

Winny's hand tightened on the steering wheel , feeling of weave of helplessness..His boyfriend is in tears, his best friend is in critical condition because of the drunken bastard's Action.

As soon as they reached the hospital, Winny jumped out and ran to get help.." Someone please help, we need a Stretcher!" He shouted frantically..

" What happened to him? " A nurse asked as they wheeled Fourth inside..

" He was assaulted" Winny said , barely keeping his composure..

" Take him to emergency immediately" a doctor instructed the nurses, eyeing Fourth with concern..

Satang and Winny were left at the waiting area, the tension between them palpable..Satang was beside himself with guilt.."It's all my fault, Winny..If I hadn't pushed him, none of this would have happened."

Winny hugged him tightly.." It's not your fault, babe..The blame lies with that bastard.. Fourth will be okay..We have to stay strong for him."

Satang nodded, though the guilt still weighed heavily on him.." We need to call P' Mix."

Winny nodded and dialled Mix's number.The cheerful voice on the other hand was a stark contrast to the gravity of their situation.." Hello,Nong Win! What's up?"

" P'Mix,you need to come to Bangkok hospital now..It's Fourth's.."Winny's voice broke , unable to finish the sentence..

" What?What happened to him? Okay,I am on my way," Mix's panic is evident even through the phone..

After the call , Winny and Satang sat on the bench..Time seemed to crawl.The doctor finally emerged from the emergency room and they rushed over.

" How is he?" Winny asked anxiously.

" First, Tell me does he have any special conditions?" The doctor asked.

" Severe Haphephobia from childhood trauma.." ,Satang answered quickly.

" That explains his reactions.He fainted and his pulse got weakened due to hyperventilation..There are no bruises, but he has deep nail scratches and teeth marks from the attack.. You should contact his therapist immediately.Are you his family?"

" I am his brother " Mix said, running up to the doctor with his boyfriend, Earth..Their faces were pale with fear.

" Then please contact his therapist for his medications.This incident will have severe psychological effects on him "The doctor warned.." Aside from that, he is stable..but we will keep him for overnight observations ." The doctor said and left..

Mix looked at his unconscious brother, rage and fear  battling in his eyes.." Tell me what happened.Who did this to him.I swear I will make them pay."

"Mix,calm down.." Earth said , trying to soothe his boyfriend.." We need to focus on Fourth."

"And you!why did you drag him to the bar? Didn't you know his conditions?" Mix demanded, glaring at Satang..

"Mix,it was an accident.. Satang never wanted that to happen."Earth interjected, tried to defuse the situation.." Let's just be here for Fourth."

Satang nodded, tears streaming down his face " I am sorry , P' Mix.I never wanted any of this..Trust me , P'Mix."

Mix's expression softened slightly, though the anger is still There.. He just sat down on the opposite chair of Satang , Winny's..Earth tried to calm down his boyfriend's mind sitting beside him....

--

"Dunk, are you back, my son?" A lady in a wheelchair welcomed her son with a warm smile as she wheeled herself towards the door.

"Yes, Mae. Why did you come all the way here? I was just about to go to your room. Look, I brought your favorite strawberries," Dunk said, kneeling to meet his mother's eyes, now level with hers as she sat in the wheelchair.

"Thank you, son. Are you tired? You have dark circles under your eyes... didn't you sleep well last night?" She gently caressed her son's cheek. He was her golden child. She and her husband had sheltered him from every sorrow, but the accident had changed everything.

The boy they once pampered had become a resilient man, shouldering the responsibilities of running the family cafe. Pride mingled with guilt in her heart. She admired his strength but felt helpless, unable to support him as her legs were paralyzed. She could only offer her prayers and blessings.

"Mae, you sit here," Dunk said, helping his mother onto the sofa. "I'll take care of dinner tonight."

--

"Please let me go! I can't breathe !,I am begging you!" Gemini jolted awake, his heart pounding like a drum against his ribs. Beads of sweat trickled down his face as remnants of the nightmare lingered. "What... what just happened?" His voice trembled in the darkness of his room. 

A knock on the door shattered his confusion. "Gemini, open up. It's Mark," his friend's urgent voice called out.Confusion etched across Gemini's face as he stumbled to the door.

Mark's silhouette was a stark contrast against the dim hallway lights. "Mark, what are you doing here?"Mark's expression darkened. "You don't remember, do you?"Gemini's stomach dropped. "Remember what?"

"You lost control last night, Gemini." Mark's voice was low, filled with disappointment. "You nearly crossed a line with someone innocent. If it weren't for his friends, things could've turned ugly." Shock and disbelief washed over Gemini. "No, that can't be true. I would never..."

Mark's gaze bore into him. "You did, Gemini. And now, we're lucky he hasn't pressed charges yet. He's vanished, scared out of his wits because of what you almost did."Gemini's hands clenched into fists, his mind racing to piece together the fragments of the night before. "I... I don't understand. How could I have...?"

"You let your inner demons take over," Mark said bitterly. "Your name saved you from public disgrace, but it doesn't change what happened."

Gemini's world spun. His own reflection in the mirror felt foreign, tainted by the darkness of his actions.

"I need to find him, apologize.""It might be too late for apologies," Mark warned. "But you owe it to him and yourself to try."