Autumn is a second spring

80. Accident

Boun hung up the call with Prem and exhaled deeply, a sense of dread settling in his chest. He had spent the past hour talking to Prem, hoping they could find some way to help Ohm and Fluke. It was hard to see them like this. 

Prem, being closer to Fluke, was understandably more worried about Fluke's sudden disappearance, but Boun couldn't ignore Ohm's state either—heartbroken, reckless, and spiraling deeper into his pain. Neither of them knew how to reach him anymore.

Boun sat on the edge of the bed for a moment, lost in thought. He couldn't shake the feeling that something worse was looming over them, like a shadow that had yet to reveal its full form. With a quiet sigh, he stood up and walked down the hall to check on Bew. 

The soft glow of the nightlight illuminated the small room, casting a warm glow over the child who was curled up under his blanket, clutching a red panda plushie. 

Koi, his nanny, had done a good job of settling him down. Since Prem wasn't there and Boun would stay out late for work, Koi had moved into the house to take care of little Bew.

Boun's heart softened at the sight of the sleeping Bew, and he smiled gently, grateful for these small moments of peace in his otherwise tumultuous life.

He slowly closed the door to Bew's room, careful not to disturb the quiet, and started toward his own bedroom. Just as he was about to open the door, his phone rang. 

The screen showed an unknown number. He hesitated for a second before picking it up.

"Hello? This is Khun Boun."

There was a brief pause on the other end, followed by a voice that sent a chill down Boun's spine.

"Yes, this is Boun," he confirmed, his voice suddenly tight with worry.

Whatever the caller said next made Boun's blood run cold. His breath hitched as the words sank in, and he found himself standing frozen in the hallway, the phone pressed tightly to his ear.

"I will be there as fast as I can," Boun replied, trying to keep his voice steady.

He ended the call and rushed down the stairs, his heart pounding in his chest. Reaching Koi's door, he knocked urgently. It took a moment, but the door eventually creaked open, revealing Koi in her nightclothes, her face groggy with sleep.

"I am sorry for waking you, Phi" Boun began, trying to keep his voice calm despite the panic that was threatening to overwhelm him, "but there has been an emergency. I have to go out right now. Can you take care of Bew?"

Koi blinked, her tired eyes widening with concern as she nodded. "Of course, don't worry about a thing. I will stay with him."

"Thank you," Boun said hurriedly, already turning to leave. "I will call if anything happens."

Without waiting for a reply, Boun bolted out the door and jumped into his car. His hands shook as he fumbled with the keys, the urgency of the situation settling in his bones. 

The words from the phone call echoed in his mind: an accident, Ohm in critical condition, the paramedics en route to the hospital.

Boun's chest tightened as he sped down the dark, rain-soaked streets. His knuckles were white as he gripped the steering wheel, trying to calm himself down. 

"Everything will be alright," he muttered under his breath, as if saying it enough times would make it true. "It has to be."

But the image of Ohm—the strong, protective Ohm—flashed before his eyes, and Boun couldn't shake the feeling that everything was far from alright.

The hospital came into view, its glowing sign lighting up the night sky. 

Boun parked the car hastily in the emergency lot and dashed toward the entrance, not caring about the rain still drizzling down. His shoes squeaked on the wet floor as he rushed inside, heading straight for the reception desk.

"I got a call from the paramedics about an accident on the highway," he said, his voice breathless and urgent. "They said someone named Ohm was brought in. Do you know anything?"

The nurse at the desk checked her computer and then looked up. "The paramedics haven't arrived yet, but they should be here any moment."

Just as she spoke, the sound of sirens pierced the air, and the doors swung open. 

Boun's heart leapt into his throat as he turned to see the paramedics wheeling in a gurney. His stomach twisted when he saw the patient—Ohm.

Ohm was barely recognizable. His face was pale and streaked with blood, his body limp on the stretcher. His clothes were soaked and torn, and his skin was mottled with bruises. Various tubes and wires were attached to his body, and a breathing mask covered his mouth. 

Boun could see a blood-soaked bandage wrapped around Ohm's head, and his left arm was twisted at an unnatural angle. His legs, too, looked wrong, bent in ways they shouldn't be. The paramedics were talking rapidly to the doctors as they pushed the gurney toward the emergency room, but Boun could barely hear them over the roaring in his ears.

"Ohm..." Boun whispered, his knees threatening to give out beneath him.

He took a shaky step forward and stopped one of the paramedics. "What happened? Is he... Is he going to be okay?"

The paramedic gave him a grim look. "He was driving drunk. His car skidded on the wet road and crashed into a wall on the highway. He has got multiple fractures—his arm and legs, for sure. We suspect a cerebral hemorrhage, and there is internal bleeding in his torso. His condition is critical."

Boun's stomach lurched at the words. Cerebral hemorrhage. Internal bleeding. Critical.

The paramedic continued, "The car was completely totaled. It is a miracle he even made it out alive, but... well, the doctors will have to give you more details."

Boun felt like the ground had been ripped out from under him. He barely registered the paramedic walking away. 

All he could think about was Ohm, lying in that hospital bed, fighting for his life. He couldn't reconcile the image of his strong, dependable friend with the broken man he had just seen.

He and Kao had tucked Ohm into bed before cleaning the whole place and leaving. He never imagined that within just a few hours after their departure, he would meet Ohm again- not like this.

His hands trembled uncontrollably as he reached for his phone and dialed Kao's number. His breath was shallow, his thoughts racing in a thousand different directions. How was this happening? How had things gotten so bad without anyone realizing?

The phone rang in his ear, but Boun didn't even notice the tears slipping down his cheeks. He wiped them away with a shaking hand and waited for Kao to pick up, praying that he could hold himself together long enough to explain what had just happened.