Chapter 28: Chapter 26

POND'S POV

"He shocked the hell out of me," Dunk said, pulling a blanket over Fourth. I was busy laying Phuwin down, who’d fallen asleep. Dunk was clearly talking about Phuwin.

My parents booked a room in a hotel nearby for Fourth and Phuwin. Both of them had dozed off after that long operation—Fourth from exhaustion and Phuwin, still recovering from all the crying. My parents stayed at the hospital with Dunk's father and Gem, who still looked distant. No matter how hard we tried to talk to him, he didn’t respond. We even attempted to pull him out of his seat, but he wouldn’t budge. We had to leave him under the watchful eyes of the adults.

Dunk’s mother joined us to help look after Phuwin. We were all a bit shaken after he snapped at his mom over the phone. Right after, he broke down and cried uncontrollably.

None of us saw this coming. We never imagined Phuwin would completely snap like that, letting go of all respect and love for his mom. I’d never seen him so furious before. All I could do was hold him close and try to calm him. Even the older family members with us could only sit nearby and do the same.

“What will he do when he sees his mom?” Joong asked.

“I don’t know either, but I’m honestly scared for her. Phuwin loved his mom. But from what I saw earlier, all that love and respect… it’s gone,” I replied.

“His father’s situation triggered this reaction in him. Phuwin’s emotions will depend on the outcome of the surgery. And let’s not forget about Gemini. We don’t know how he’ll handle this either,” Dunk added as he took a seat beside his mom, who was keeping a close eye on Phuwin.

“Phuwin’s anger is about to come out,” Dunk’s mother said, sighing. “Poor kids.”

I stayed silent, watching her gently wipe away Phuwin’s tears. He was crying, even in his sleep.

“How long…” I started, but my phone rang, cutting me off. It was Dad.

“Dad?”

“Their dad… he’s gone.”

“How's Gem, dad?” I looked over at Phuwin, fighting the urge to cry, knowing he couldn’t see me anyway.

My dad stayed silent, but I could hear Gem’s crying and screaming in the background.

“I’ll come over, Dad. Please look after Gem for now.”

I hung up. I couldn’t bear hearing Gem like that.

“What happened?” Dunk asked me.

“Their dad… he’s dead.” I could barely get the words out, feeling the pain Phuwin would have to face. He was resting peacefully, but a tragic truth was waiting for him when he woke up.

“And Gem?”

“He’s crying and screaming. I need to go to him.” How could I be in two places at once? I wanted to be beside Phuwin when he woke up, but I also needed to be there for Gem.

“Go ahead. Joong can go with you. My mom and I will watch over Fourth and Phuwin. Take Boom with you too. You’ll need the support for Gem,” Dunk said.

“Go on, Pond. We’ll look after them. I’ll stay close to Phuwin, so don’t worry,” Dunk’s mother assured me.

“Thank you, auntie,” I said, grateful. I leaned down and kissed Phuwin on the forehead. “Rest well, baby. You’ll need your strength for tomorrow. There’s a storm waiting, so recharge. I’ll look after Gem.”

Boom drove us to the hospital. It was close by, so we arrived in a few minutes.

“Are you a doctor? Isn’t it your job to save patients? Why didn’t you save my dad? Just because we don’t have money?!”

“Gem!” I rushed over and pulled his hands off the doctor’s collar. Dunk’s father quickly stepped in to pull him back, and Joong helped, as Gem was struggling against them. Meanwhile, I could hear my parents apologizing to the doctor. The doctor nodded in understanding.

“Gem.” I approached him, gripping his shoulders as he tried to pull away.

“Pond, they refused to treat my dad! They won’t even go back in there. My dad isn’t dead, Pond. They just won’t treat him!”

“Gem, that’s not true. They did everything they could, but his chances were very low. They—”

“No, Pond. My dad is still okay. They just won’t treat him. He’s not dead! He’s in there, waiting for them to save him. But because we don’t have money, they won’t help! Those heartless, greedy doctors—”

“GEMINI.” I shouted, trying to snap him out of it. His body trembled as he looked at me, his eyes brimming with pain, which seemed to have completely consumed him.

“Pond… my dad…”

I just nodded, pulling him into a tight hug as he collapsed into my arms. His sobs echoed through the hospital lobby, raw and filled with anguish, the grief of a child who had just lost his father. I understood his anger and where it was coming from. If I were in his place, I’d probably be just as devastated, if not worse.

I helped Gem to a seat in the waiting area. He clung to me, still crying, so I let him. Joong handed him some water, and Dunk’s mom rubbed his back as she shed a few tears herself.

After ten minutes—or maybe longer—Gem finally calmed down. Just as he did, the hospital staff brought his father’s body out of the operating room, on its way to the morgue.

Gem stood up slowly. Joong and I supported him as he walked over. His hands trembled as he pulled back the white sheet covering his father’s body.

“Dad…” was all he managed to say before he fainted. The doctors quickly moved him to a wheelchair and took him to the emergency room. I asked Joong to follow them, then turned back to face Gem’s father’s body.

Seeing him lying there was heartbreaking. His face was bruised, his lips were split, and there were stitches on his head. His injuries told the story of the terrible accident he’d been in.

“I’ll take care of them, Uncle,” I whispered. “Don’t worry, especially about Phuwin. I’ll do everything I can for him. And as for Gem, he has me and Fourth. We won’t leave him. We’ll help them both get through this.”

With a sad smile, I covered him again and signaled the nurse that they could take him.

I took a deep breath and was about to leave when my phone beeped. Dunk had texted me.

“Phuwin’s awake. He’s crying and asking for you.”