Tan’s hands gripped the steering wheel tightly as he sped to the nearby hospital, his mind racing. His heart pounded in his chest, and all he could think about was Fang—his lover, his partner—lying unconscious, his life in danger.
Once they reached the hospital, Tan rushed out of the car, his legs unsteady as he lifted Fang into his arms. The hospital doors slid open, and Tan nearly collapsed into the emergency room entrance, his voice shaky as he called for help.
"Help! Someone help!" he yelled, frantic.
The nurses immediately sprang into action, one of them quickly taking charge. “Bring him over here,” she said, guiding Tan to a nearby bed. “We need to assess him right away.”
Tan carefully placed Fang down on the bed, not wanting to let go of him for a second. “Please, you have to help him,” Tan begged, his voice raw with fear.
A doctor quickly arrived, and the nurses began their work, hooking Fang up to machines and running scans. Tan was left standing by his side, his breath shallow, heart hammering in his chest.
Minutes felt like hours as Tan stood helpless, watching the doctors and nurses move quickly around Fang, performing tests and checking his vitals.
Finally, a nurse came over to Tan, her face serious but not alarmed. “Mr. Tan, your husband has lost a significant amount of blood due to the head injury. We’re going to need to monitor him closely for the next few hours to make sure his condition stabilizes. He’s unconscious right now, but it’s important we keep him in the emergency room for observation.”
Tan nodded, his body shaking but trying to hold it together. "Can I stay with him?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Of course," the nurse assured him, placing a gentle hand on his arm. "You can stay here while we take care of him."
Tan sat down beside Fang, taking his hand in his own, feeling the coldness of Fang’s skin. He couldn’t help the tears that slipped from his eyes, though he quickly wiped them away, not wanting to show weakness.
Across the hall, a nurse spoke quietly to a doctor, but Tan’s focus was solely on Fang. He refused to leave his side.
At the hospital, Tan stood outside the emergency room, his phone pressed to his ear as he tried to steady his voice.
"Phum, I need you to come over and look after the kids," he said, his tone heavy with worry.
Phum immediately sensed the urgency. “What’s going on, Tan? What happened?”
Tan exhaled shakily, struggling to keep his emotions in check. “Fang... he fell down the stairs trying to stop Daisy from climbing. He hit his head, lost a lot of blood. I’m at the hospital now.”
“What?” Phum’s voice was filled with alarm. “Is he okay? How bad is it?”
“They’re monitoring him. I don’t know yet,” Tan replied, his voice cracking slightly. “But I need you to be with the kids. Things are... tense. Please, Phum.”
“Of course, I’m on my way,” Phum assured him. “Don’t worry about the kids; I’ll handle it. Just focus on Fang.”
Tan ended the call, his heart heavy, knowing the household was likely just as chaotic as his own thoughts.
---
Back at the house, things were far from calm. Marc and Jelly had cornered Daisy in the living room, their anger simmering.
“This is all your fault!” Marc yelled, pointing at Daisy, his voice sharp with accusation. “Papa wouldn’t have fallen if you weren’t being so stubborn!”
