Just Pretend

Chapter 8

 Kongpob practically ran through the halls of the hospital until he saw Mr. and Mrs. Rojnapat standing outside of Arthit's room. Mrs. Rojnapat was pacing nervously but stopped when she saw Kongpob, walked toward him and pulled him into a tight hug.

"I told you he'd be okay," she said, laughing. "I knew he'd be okay."

Mr. Rojnapat joined them, placing a hand on his wife's shoulder as she pulled away. Kongpob greeted him with a wai.

"Has the doctor said anything? Is he okay? I know they said there could be some complications." Kongpob knew he was speaking fast, but his nerves wouldn't let him slow down. He needed to know that Arthit was okay.

"The doctor is still speaking to him, evaluating him," she replied. "He said he would update us on his condition as soon as he has what he needs."

Kongpob nodded his understanding and they fell into silence as they waited. Mrs. Rojnapat resumed her pacing while Mr. Rojnapat and Kongpob sat in the chairs opposite Arthit's door. They waited for what felt like hours until finally the doctor emerged, clipboard in hand.

"Ah, good, you're all here," he greeted cheerily when Kongpob and Mr. Rojnapat rose to join Mrs. Rojnapat. "I have some good news for you. He seems to be coherent, no signs of major memory loss. He can't remember the accident, or much of what occurred beforehand, but that's fairly normal in trauma cases. He might experience some nausea from the medication, general confusion, and his voice and throat will be a little rough until it heals from the breathing tube, but other than that he is definitely extremely lucky."

Mrs. Rojnapat let out a sob of relief and Mr. Rojnapat pulled her into a hug. "Can we see him?"

"Of course. I just suggest you keep your conversations lighthearted for the time being. Sometimes there can be suppressed emotional trauma from an accident of this sort so until we are able to get a psychological evaluation, try to stay away from this topic."

"Of course," Mrs. Rojnapat agreed. With a smile the doctor stepped aside and the three of them entered the room, Mr. and Mrs. Rojnapat in front and Kongpob trailing behind trying to stay mostly out of sight as Arthit's parents rushed to his side. Kongpob watched the tearful reunion, cautious hugs being delivered all around as Arthit smiled at his parents from where he was propped up on several pillows. He was still attached to a heart monitor, an IV drip, and an oxygen cannula lay on the bed next to him, but even just the absence of the breathing and feeding tubes brought his appearance from heartbreaking to palatable, if you ignored the cuts and bruises adorning his body.

"Mom, stop squeezing me. I still have broken bones, you know."

Arthit's voice sounded hoarse, as if it hurt to talk. Kongpob winced in sympathy, remembering when he'd had strep throat in high school and it felt like razor blades digging into his vocal chords whenever he made a noise. He watched from the doorway as they continued to exchange tearful hugs, Arthit insisting over and over that he was okay and his mother could stop crying, but her tears continued to come rapidly. It wasn't until several moments later that Arthit's gaze finally drifted away from his parents and landed on Kongpob. His eyes widened slightly in shock and he looked between his parents and Kongpob, confused.

"Why is he here?"

Mrs. Rojnapat motioned for Kongpob to come closer, so he did. She smiled warmly at Arthit as she pushed Kongpob forward. "He's visited you every day since the accident. He really is a wonderful young man. You should have told us you have a boyfriend, I-Aoon."

"He's not my boyfriend," Arthit said sharply, earning a surprised look from his parents. Kongpob cleared his throat awkwardly, looking down at his feet