Autumn is a second spring

88. Just friends

Ohm strolled down the quiet hospital hallway, feeling the cool linoleum under his feet and savoring the chance to stretch his legs. 

He had spent far too many hours lying in bed, and the boredom was beginning to gnaw at him. He didn't have many visitors to break up the long days either. 

Sure, Kao and Boun came by regularly, but Ohm didn't want to burden them. They had their own lives, and he hated to rely on them just to pass the time.

His own parents had only visited once, but the memory of that brief encounter had left him feeling hollow. They had shown up with a fruit basket and flowers, staying just long enough to chat with Boun before mentioning some "urgent appointment." 

They had left without so much as asking how he felt. But honestly, he hadn't expected anything different. It had been over a decade, and his relationship with them was as distant as ever. He didn't feel sad about it, really—just resigned.

Just as he turned a corner, lost in thought, he bumped into someone hurrying in the opposite direction. 

Startled, both he and the man froze for a second as papers, pens, and folders scattered across the floor. 

The stranger immediately knelt down, apologizing as he tried to gather everything up. Ohm, ever the gentleman, crouched to help, carefully gathering the scattered items with his free hand.

"Oh, I am really sorry about this na Khrab!" the man said, flashing an apologetic smile as Ohm handed him a few papers. 

Ohm caught the man's gaze and noticed something—a hint of recognition. 

The man looked at Ohm as if he knew him, though Ohm didn't recognize the man at all. His heart skipped a beat. The last thing he wanted was to be recognized as a celebrity in the middle of a hospital. 

He quickly stuffed the remaining papers into the man's hands and muttered a polite "No problem," before hurrying away.

Only when he'd reached the VIP area did he let out a breath of relief. The last thing he needed right now was attention from strangers, especially with his recent memory issues. 

Being in the public eye was exhausting on the best of days, and he wasn't in any shape to be dodging fans or paparazzi.

As he walked down the hall toward his room, his mind drifted back to the man he had just bumped into. He had definitely seen that guy before, smoking on the terrace garden in the evenings. Maybe he was a staff member, or perhaps he visited a patient regularly.

Opening the door to his room, he was surprised to see Linlalin sitting inside, waiting for him. A warm smile spread across his face as he greeted her. 

Linlalin had been a classmate back in high school, and now she worked as a doctor at the hospital. She visited him almost every day, sometimes bringing her younger brother, Atom, who was a resident. 

Atom was energetic and always had a story to share, his liveliness a refreshing change in the sterile environment.

"Wadee, Lin!" Ohm said, closing the door behind him. "I thought you had left for the day."

"Oh, I had a bit of free time, so I thought I would stop by," she replied, smiling.

They chatted easily for a few minutes until there was a knock on the door. Ohm turned, surprised to see Tee standing there, peeking in with a grin.

"Ohm! Got a minute?" Tee asked, stepping inside and looking around curiously. His gaze landed on Linlalin, and he raised an eyebrow, clearly taken aback to find Ohm with company. "Didn't expect to see you with someone else."

Ohm greeted him cheerfully, "P' Tee! Of course I remember you."

Tee chuckled, visibly pleased. "Nice to know I am not forgotten." He looked at Linlalin with playful curiosity. "I didn't mean to intrude. Just stopping by to check on him."

Linlalin gave a small, slightly embarrassed smile. "I was just leaving anyway, Kha" she said, waiing as she stood up to excuse herself. With a nod to Ohm, she slipped out of the room, leaving them alone.

As soon as the door closed, Tee turned back to Ohm with a sly grin. "So, wasn't that the girl everyone thought was your girlfriend back in high school?" he asked, nudging him playfully. "I don't know, Ohm... old flames?"

Ohm laughed, shaking his head. "There was no flame, Phi. Just rumors. Lin and I were classmates, sure, but we were only ever in the same club. We worked together a couple of times, but that's it. At most, you could call us friends."

"Cold-hearted, aren't you?" Tee teased, crossing his arms with an exaggerated sigh. "Poor girl, probably waiting for you all these years, and here you are, just 'friends'?"

Ohm rolled his eyes, clearly amused but eager to change the subject. "So, what brings you here, Phi? Were you actually just checking on me?"

Tee's face lit up, and he shifted a little, looking almost smug. "Well, I was here to check on you," he said, leaning forward conspiratorially, "but I am also here to meet my boyfriend's patient."

Ohm blinked, surprised. "Boyfriend?" he asked, a bit incredulous. Then a grin spread across his face. "Wait, you are talking about Dr. Dravid, aren't you? The guy who operated on me?"

Tee's smile widened as he nodded proudly. "That's the one."

Ohm let out a low whistle, looking impressed. "I thought Dr. Dravid was P' Sing's ex. Didn't they date a while back?"

"Oh, they did," Tee admitted, chuckling. "But Singto was just a phase. I am the real deal," he added, puffing his chest out comically.

Ohm laughed at Tee's antics, his spirits lifting as Tee fell into his usual teasing older-brother mode. "Well, I guess I should be flattered. Only the best doctors for me, right?"

"Obviously," Tee replied, grinning. "We wouldn't let just anyone operate on our little superstar. Now, how're you feeling? Actually sleeping well, or just lying there staring at the ceiling?"

Ohm sighed, rolling his eyes with a playful exasperation. "A bit of both, to be honest. I am sleeping more, but it's tough when I have nothing to do all day."

Tee nodded, the playful glint in his eye softening a little. "You have been through a lot, Ohm. It's okay to take it easy. You don't have to jump back into things too fast."

They chatted like that for a while, Tee's warm, familiar teasing a comfort to Ohm's restless mind.

 Tee had always known how to balance humor and genuine care, and he could see that Ohm's spirits were slowly lifting. 

After a while, Tee glanced at his watch and sighed. "I should get going. Tae might just scold me if I keep you up too late," he said, winking. "But you should better believe I will be back. Who else is gonna keep you entertained?"

Ohm grinned. "Looking forward to it, P' Tee."

As Tee turned to leave, he threw a final glance over his shoulder. "And remember, if Linlalin comes back, maybe think about being a little less 'just friends,' yeah?"

Ohm laughed, shaking his head as Tee left the room, the door clicking softly behind him. He leaned back in his bed, smiling to himself. For the first time in days, the room didn't feel quite so quiet or lonely.

✨✨✨

For those who doesn't remember who Tee is, Tee is one of Seth's (Ohm's father's) subordinates and the psychiatrist who had been treating Boun since the kidnaping episode that I mentioned in the previous book.