Can't I Touch Your Heart?

Chapter 47 The Treatment

"You want him to be happy?" Loraine asked.
"I do,"
"Then, do me a favour," He moved towards her, "Forget him, just like you conveniently did,
Ten years ago,"

She looked into his forest green eyes, resembling old glass bottles, "I...Can't. Even if I want to, I can't. How can you forget someone who has given you so much to remember. He's a part of me now. I love him,"

His eyes widened as his pupils bulged out. The fountain beside them had water lilies floating inside it. White flowers were glowing under the moon and all that could be heard was water flowing through the small chambers inside the fountain and falling down from a height. They were looking into each other's eyes, those forest green eyes held secrets. She knew it. Because that's what forests were for, hiding secrets.

He looked down, "I feel sorry for you,"
She was surprised he didn't burst into a fit of anger but melancholy.
"Forget us," He spoke, softly, his deep voice fading away into his mumbled words and accent, "It'll save you a lot of complicated situations and pain,"
"No matter how complicated it gets," She said, "I won't leave. If you're staying, I'm staying,"

Loraine looked at her and started walking towards the fountain, "I was ten years old," Rhea followed him, "When grandma died," 
She didn't know what to say. She started fidgeting as she walked beside him. He was still not the most comfortable person to keep company with. 

"Everyone is dying," Loraine said "Everyone I try to keep with me forever, leaves me forever,"
Rhea looked at him. He was nothing like Ember. He was never like Ember. He didn't hide behind a smile as Ember did, but rather he hid behind anger. After all, it's only hurt people who hurt people. Something must have happened in the past that made him what he was today and he wasn't happy with who he was.

"I wish I could just abandon everything and run away somewhere. But I can't, because, he's my family. But you can," Loraine turned towards her, "We're not a family, you don't have to go through this with us,"
She was playing with the water in the fountain, "...Can you please listen?" He grew agitated, "What the fuck are you doing? Have you never seen a fountain?!"

She took some water in her palms and threw it on Loraine.
"It's lavender scented, how?" She smelled her hands.
"What a rude bitch," He wiped the water off of his shirt. She jumped inside the fountain "I'm surprised there are no algae here. Do you clean it often?" She asked.

"Get out of there," Loraine pulled her hand, "Why?" She was stubborn.
"You'll catch a cold,"
"Didn't you say you hate me?"
"I still hate you,"

Rhea smiled "You really have brotherly instincts, huh," She pressed his shoulders and he flinched, "What do you mean?" She pushed him into the fountain, he slipped and almost fell. But he helped himself up by grabbing the statue which had the water channels inside it. His clothes were drenched, and so was his hair.

She noticed something different. After being drenched, his hair looked darker. He coughed, "The water went inside my mouth. Disgusting," Rhea pressed a white Lily on his head "You look like a forest fairy,"

"Let me deal with you first," Loraine ran after her and she ran in circles, around the fountain. It was suddenly a game of tag. Finally, he caught her and she tickled him on his neck. He left her hand and started laughing "This is unfair," He shouted.
Finally, they walked out of the fountain and sat on the bench beside it

"I should prepare myself for a cold," Loraine removed his shoes and scrunched his socks.
"I didn't know you had this side-" Rhea turned towards him and he removed his shirt. She quickly looked away, "Why are getting undressed?"
"This is my house. If you have any problem, leave," He scrunched it and looked at her.

"That's not any-"
"Seriously, you talk a lot. I don't like people who speak so much," Loraine wore his shirt back again and flicked her forehead.
"Ow!" 

"Such a troublesome girl," Loraine smiled.
"Gimme a brofist!" Rhea laughed and brought her fist towards his chest.
"You wanna punch me?" He asked.
"No, you idiot! Bring your fist forward too" Rhea bumped her fist with his.
"This is only among friends," Rhea grinned.
"Weird," Loraine looked at his fist.

Later, Rhea went back home while Loraine moved to his room and changed his clothes. He sneezed twice "Fuck you, bitch, I told you I'll catch a cold! Fucking December," 

Meanwhile, Ember went to Jack's room. This had become his everyday routine. To go to Jack's room and ask him about his progress. Every day, he would come back disappointed but not that day. The reports were ready. And there was bad news waiting for everyone. 

"Hello, Ember,"
"Hi, Jack. Have you-"
"I have," Jack offered him a seat and Ember sat before him. Jack looked at the papers and kept them on the table. Ember's heart was beating fast as he waited for Jack to speak. But Jack didn't speak. He just stared into Ember's eyes. Ember's anxiety increased and finally, he asked "Tell me how bad is it?"

Everything around him seems to sink, the table felt far away, the floor was breaking apart, Jack seemed like a stranger, "What is it, Jack? Tell me, I'm ready for it,"

"Ember, you were this little when we first met," Jack brought his hand till his shoulder while sitting on the chair "Wrapped in duct tapes and IV tubes,"
"Yeah, I remember," Ember nodded.
"Of course you do. You always remember. And that got me interested. When I knew about your condition, I wanted to study more of it, I wanted to understand it more than other people. So, I researched about Hyperthymesia. And you know what I found?

I found that" Jack looked into his eyes, "Even though everyone believes it to be an exceptional ability, it's actually deteriorating. Some painful memories keep haunting the mind forever and don't let you move on. When someone dies, you won't be able to move on because you'll remember it as if it happened yesterday. A load of memories pile up as years pass and start affecting mental health,"

Ember looked at Jack. He was so unaware of this drawback till that day. But it made sense, the brain could store up to a limit. You can't just fit everything in it. And that's why he couldn't get over Alicia's death. Everything seemed to connect painfully.

"Rhea forgot you but that's because of childhood amnesia," Jack told him, "Normal children of about four or five don't remember much of that time. You are different,"

"Am I going to die?" Ember asked.
Jack smiled, "Of course not, idiot. But, what I fear is you might go into depression if this continues. We need to treat it as soon as possible,"
"How will you treat my hyperthymesia?"
"I don't know,"

-To be continued

Ember Helberg
Can't I Touch Your Heart?