"it's just.. I can't see him in pain.. Not after all this." He says deep in thought, scratching the back of his neck, his muscles defined as he looks into distance. His confession led me to many assumptions because he didn't explained further and we stood there silent for until I didn't figured out what he meant.
Maybe seeing a child go through a torture reminds him of his past and he's afraid. What if he had been hiding pain behind his aloof face. I once read in an article, many people tend to learn to keep a straight face and talk unnaturally less for their lifetime immune to any emotion because of some tragic incident or for a long term physical or mental torture they've been through. Maybe he's one of those cases.
My body loosens with a sigh of relief my expressions solemnized as I make a move to touch his hands with a sense of comfort after which he slowly elevated his eyes from our joined hands to my eyes.
"You can overcome this feeling if you the courage to face the root of it. Talk to kai once he gets up.. he is healing and is not in pain. Think positive and cheer up." once he befriends kai he won't feel lonely. He will understand what a great deed he had done. I don't know if this'll help him or not but I know this is the first thing he ought do.
"..You saved a person's life and it's a huge thing, you can never be braver. You showed the bullies you can fight back. You showed them who's stronger! and got the real power!.." I tighten my hold on him stepping aggressively closer as he watched me wide eyed understandingly I hope .
"Converse with kai." It'll be a good start for callen and kai will have a chance to thank his savior. Callen will learn to open up. The innocent ones have the power to melt a concrete wall with just a look. "Don't be afraid. Believe in yourself. Talk more! Try to feel.." At this point of encouraging him, I felt his hand were warm, rough and huge. He noticed his slightest blush ".. and don't be shy." I ended thinking how he avoided confronting Hugo when he came home. With Caution in mind I stepped far turning away from him before his warmness affects me as a different type of heat and he notices it.
"You will meet him. Yes?" I expectantly looked back up in his stormy eyes I'm never able see through. "How can I not." He breath out displaying a grin I never saw before. I couldn't help bite my lip.
"Stop that." He says
"stop what" I ask confuse.
"Playing with your lip. Stop it." He says casually but I am embarrassed as a doctor.
"I'm not playing." I retorted but he only stepped closer. How his strengths recovers just to embarrass me every time is another one of many things I didn't understand.
"I don't play either, better not test my patience." He sounded on edge as His thick accent was surfacing just like my dad's. My mood shifted and my desire to get his truths out grew adamant.
"Who are you?" Escaped my mouth when my mind lost in thoughts and the mood shifted. A wall fell over his eyes and he seemed unapproachable.. almost as if his soul has left.
"You better not know.." I was about to go mad and swear at him all the same. But he quieted me with his finger on my lips as he bent down to my level and uttered equally confusing words. "..Yet.". I could get lost in those eyes if they weren't empty right now.
"Am I interrupting something?" A familiar voice coughing from far blessed my ears. The sudden coolness in my heating tomato face in reaction to the disturbance backed callen away.
"Sir!" I open armed walked high to Kai's grandfather, Gavin Leiteo aka my father-in-law. "How lovely to have you here." We hugged but a sad smile greeted me back. I doubted He flew to California from Boston more for his imprisoned son than his hurt grandson. But still it's safe to test the water.
"I heard about all the mess you all youngsters were into." He is old and still has his presidency over all his hospitals and laboratories he had set up in his early years all over US. All these years of his hardwork was visible on his tired face and sagged body on which his formal attire almost hung. "And I'm really sorry for all the trouble my son caused you." He just preferred spending all his left leisure time in Boston in peace but he had come to the hospital despite his health condition for his grandson. I could make out the anger in his staggering voice as he said slow and calmly, it didn't gave the dangerous effect like callen's does but was rather the moderate soft gentleness it held that comes naturally after experiencing years of hardship.
If I see from his perspective, Mr. Leiteo had given hubert one hospital to operate for the start but what he did was sabotaged it and his actions affected Gavin's other centers too. Defamation of all his possessions because of his son's one reckless move costs him his reputation. What more can a father wish for after granting him an opportunity.
"I can pay for his hospital fees if you like." He was defeated but I had something else for him. "No. It's not at all your fault. You don't need to. I've taken care of all the formalities." I assured him. "Can I see my grandson then?" He finally lifted up his cloudy expectant gaze. I felt sad. "Off course. Why not?"
I held his callus hands in a gesture to give support as we started back for Kai's ward in Gavin's speed. If he is here to ask me to help him bail the cheating birds out. I won't be any of his help 'cause the moment I saw him I was prepared to refuse.
