Fates and Art (MeenPing)

Trials and Triumphs

Moon's racing heartbeat startled him, and without thinking, he pushed Vee away. They locked eyes in an awkward silence before Moon quickly stood up and headed to the bathroom, eager to avoid Vee's intense gaze. Once inside, Moon splashed his face repeatedly with cold water. "Get a grip, Moon. Have you lost your mind?" he muttered to his reflection, trying to calm down. After a few moments, feeling somewhat collected, Moon returned to the waiting room, and find that Nut had arrived and was now speaking with Vee.

"Ah, Moon, where were you?" Nut asked as he noticed Moon entering the room.

Moon glanced at Vee, who seemed to be trying to make eye contact with him. "I was just in the bathroom," he replied briefly, with Nut nodding in acknowledgment.

Moments later, May was wheeled out of the operating room, still unconscious. The three of them quickly approached her to check on her condition. A nurse gave them instructions to follow her to the recovery room. They did so without hesitation. In the room, Vee sat on the sofa while Nut and Moon remained by May's bedside, waiting for her to regain consciousness. "You two should go home. I'll stay here with May, and I might head to the office a bit later." Nut suggested, trying to reassure them.

"It's okay, phi, I'll stay and keep you company." Moon offered.

"No, you've already done so much by bringing her to the hospital early this morning. Now, you should go home and rest. Besides, you both have work today, don't you?" Nut said gently.

"Ah, that's right. I should go then, phi." Moon said, waving to Nut as he prepared to leave.

Nut noticed a wound on Moon's hand. "What happened to your hand?" he asked with concern.

Moon looked down at his hand and replied, "Oh, I must have scraped it when I rushed to grab the car keys earlier." Without hesitation, Vee stood up and quickly grabbed Moon's hand, examining the wound on his palm. Moon tried to pull his hand away, but Vee held it firmly.

"I'm heading out first. Call me if anything comes up." Vee said to Nut, who nodded in response.

"I'll give you a ride," Vee added, pulling Moon out of the room.

"That's not necessary, khun. I drove here myself." Moon said as they stood outside the room, trying to free himself from Vee's grip.

"I know," Vee replied, his gaze unwavering. "I'll drive you home, and I'll use your car to get back to my apartment." Vee held out his hand for the car keys, and with a resigned sigh, Moon handed them over. It was almost 6 AM, and there seemed to be little point in arguing any further.

"Thank you for driving me. I'll head to the office asap. Feel free to use my car." said Moon as he unbuckled his seatbelt.

"Give me your hand," Vee said abruptly.

"Huh?" Moon mumbled in confusion. Without further explanation, Vee took hold of Moon's injured hand. He quickly pulled a band-aid from his pocket and carefully placed it over the wound, making sure it was neatly applied. Afterward, he gazed at Moon in silence.

Moon's face flushed red, and he remained speechless, lost in thought, until Vee snapped him out of his daze. "Moon?"

"Oh, uh, khap khun..." Moon stammered.

"It's done," Vee said, gesturing toward Moon's hand now covered in the bandage.

"Ah, right. Thank you." Moon replied awkwardly, gently pulling his hand away from Vee's grip.

Moon quickly got out of the car, opened the gate, and locked it again. He was startled, however, when he suddenly heard his mother's voice from behind. "Where's your car, son?" she asked.