Cheer Up

tears kept falling

"Sometimes it feels like just yesterday mum and abba were celebrating their 26th anniversary.. I remember how abba and mum would always joke around and talk..I would go outside to concentrate..but..everything has changed. Mum is gone. There is nothing but silence here. I feel like..even the ghosts have gotten bored and have left. It feels..empty"
~
"Abba!" Edmund whispered. His mobile fell from his hand as he walked towards his father.
"Abba..you've come out.." he smiled as tears fell.
His father looked at Edmunds mobile.
"..if only you had called the ambulance earlier.." he whispered
Edmunds smile disappeared as the whole scene came back to his mind. How he couldn't take his phone out to call the ambulance.
"Abba..I.." edmund whispered
"..she wouldn't have lost so much blood if the ambulance had arrived even a minute earlier!!" He shouted
Which made Edmund jump back in surprise.
"I can't stay here anymore. I can't live here anymore..I'm going away. Don't stop me or follow me.." his father said
Edmund extended his hand to stop his father but he couldnt.
"..abba.." he whispered as he fell on the floor.
"Mum!"
"Scarlet! "
"No no no no..I.." Edmund held his hair as the incident kept playing in his head.
"Mum..I'm sorry mum..I'm sorry I couldn't save you..it's all my fault. Mum..what should I do now..you're gone and abba doesn't want to stay here..what should I do mum..what should I do..I'm sorry mum..I'm sorry.."
...
*tring tring*
Tae was calling Edmund.
"Why isn't he picking up my call. He didn't even go to his university today.." Tae thought as he decided to go to Edmunds place to check on him.

The door was open. Tae knocked before entering. It was completely dark inside the house. Tae took his mobile out and used it's light to look for the switch board.
"Edmund..?" He whispered as he switched the lights on.
He threw his bag and quickly started dialling something in his mobile.
"Edmund! Wake up buddy! Look at me! Edmund!" Tae shook Edmund. Who was lying on the floor.
His breathing was irregular when he was being put on the stretcher.
"Edmund buddy stay with me..hey!" Tae rubbed his hand.
The paramedic gave Edmund an injection.
"Edmund!!" Tae kept rubbing his hands while tears kept falling.

They took Edmund to the emergency room. Tae was waiting outside when Edmunds phone started ringing.
"Boss..?" He picked up the call.
"Hello?" Tae said
"Oh Edmund! You finally pick up my call. Are you not going to come today? It's okay if you want to rest..but tell me if there's something wrong!" Mr.Hyun said
Tae thought for a moment then said
"Hello..this is edmunds friend speaking. Actually edmund is in the emergency room right now..he-"
"Where is he? I'll come!" Mr.hyun said
Tae told him the name of the hospital.
After a few minutes Mr.Hyun came running.
"Is he alright? " he asked Tae.
"..neh?" Tae didn't know Mr.Hyun
"Edmund..is he alright? " Mr.Hyun asked
"..oh..he's still..in there.." Tae bit his lip as he pointed towards the emergency room.
"What happened? " Mr.hyun asked
"I don't know..he wasn't picking up my call..so I decided to check on him..and..the door was unlocked and he was lying on the floor.." Tae told
"..what about his dad?" Mr.hyun
asked
"..he wasn't home.." Tae whispered
"Call him!"
"..his phone is switched off.."
The doctor stepped out of the emergency room and gave a reassuring smile to Tae and Mr.Hyun.
"Doctor? " Mr.hyun gave a questioning look
"We almost lost him in there..but he's alright now. How long has it been since he has eaten anything? " the doctor asked both of them
Tae looked at Mr.Hyun and said, "I haven't seen him eat anything in a while..?"
Mr.Hyun nodded, "that's right..I haven't seen him eat either. Before his mothers death he used to bring a lunch box to work. He would always finish it before going back home.." he said
"..well..he hasn't eaten anything in a while and has been consuming painkillers. You see, it's always strictly recommended that the painkiller should be eaten after a meal..but he has been taking them on empty stomach." The doctor said
"..edmund has been taking painkillers? Why?" Tae asked the doctor
"You'll have to ask him that.." the doctor said as he left.
"..son you should go home and rest. Your parents must be getting worried..you've been here for a while and you haven't eaten anything. " Mr.hyun patted Taes back
"..oh no it's alright..I'll call my parents. " Tae said as he took his phone out
"..you'll worry them. Go home. Rest. Come back early in the morning before going to study." Mr.Hyun said
Tae nodded. "Okay.." he bowed and left.
Mr.Hyun was looking at Edmunds phone. Waiting for it to ring. Waiting to see his fathers call on it.
But then his phone rang.
"Oh eun ji..?" He smiled
"Abba! Where are you? I've been calling you for a while!" She asked
"..eun ji I'm in the hospital.."
"Abba..what happened? Are you okay? Where are you? I'll come!" Eun ji sounded worried
"No no..Eun ji..calm down..I'm not hurt..it's Edmund..he's in the hospital. " he told eun ji. He heard Eun ji sigh in relief before saying anything.
"Why is he there? " she asked
"..because he almost killed himself..he almost died Eun ji.."
"You're joking right? He can't do something like that..where are you? Tell me abba I want to come! "

"Abba!" Eun ji came running to her father. She was wearing slippers and her hair was messy.
"Eun ji..did you come here on your bicycle? " her father asked getting up amd fixing his daughters hair
"Hm..there was no time to get a taxi. Is edmund alright? " Eun jis asked holding her abbas hand
He put his hand on top of hers and smiled, "he's resting. Do you want to see him?" He asked
Eun ji looked at the ward behind her abba, then shook her head
"No..I don't want to see him. But..what happened? " eun ji asked
"..I don't know..I'm afraid to ask him. Eun ji..can you ask him why he took painkillers? " mr.hyun looked at his daughter expectantly
"..suicide? He tried to commit suicide? " eun ji asked
"..we're not sure." Mr.hyun replied sitting down on the bench.
~
"I was glad my abba wasn't hurt. But..I don't know what I felt when I heard edmund almost killed himself. Omma..I think I felt like..I failed. I kept calling myself a failure because I couldn't even help him a little. I wanted to see him and tell him to be strong. I wanted to lend him my shoulder to cry on. But..when I saw him lying in the hospital bed..I got scared. What if..I'm not helpful? I'll always be a failure omma..omma..you should meet with his mother and tell her that her son is completely shattered.." Eun ji cried as she sat outside Edmunds ward, looking at a picture of her mother in her wallet.

Mr.Hyun who had gone to get a juice for Eun ji was standing in a corner..listening to Eun ji as he wiped his tears
"You're shattered too eun ji..you're lost too..who's going to save you.." he whispered.