Mikael inserted the key and flung the door open and ran inside hearing painful series of coughing and whimpering. His heart pounded inside his ribcage.
"Pain...It..Hurts...ahhh...ha.."
To his horror, he saw Brooklyn's bone-thin body curled in the floor, his long pale blonde hair sticking everywhere, his hands constantly scratching his neck, where red and small spots of blood had seep out.
Mikael was taken aback but quickly recovered his senses. He carried Brooklyn, his heart stilled when he felt Brooklyn's weight, and bit his lips when he felt the hot temperature. The person in his arms didn't even seem to notice him as he tossed and groaned in pain along in his shivering body. He hoisted Brooklyn to his bedroom and securely wrapped him with his duvet and rushed out.
He drove back to his school as it was the closest facility that could help Brooklyn. While driving he could only blare his horns around, speeding fast from other cars as Brooklyn's coughing fit mixed with his whimpering and inaudible gasping of words rang in the car, making him feel suffocated and anxious.
"Bonie, we're almost there." Brooklyn broke out a sob miserable tears streamed down the face. He was tossing and turning and would sometimes ball his entire body into his bosom.
"No... Hurts.. '' Mikael clenched the steering wheel, his bone protruding out, the skin turned white. He grabbed Brooklyn's hand and held it gently.
"Bonie, you'll fall. Stay still. We're close." Mikael muttered a curse when they caught the red light and adjusted Brooklyn's posture.
Mikael look at the sunken face which didn't have any meat at all. The bags in the eyes were deep and dark, the pupil bloodshot, pale blue lips, hair like a crumple dry branch: messy and dry to the roots. The face beat red. Looking at that once plum joyous face Mikael could only slam the honk again and speed the car the moment it turned green.
They arrived at school, Mikael didn't bother to park and stopped at the entrance. He climbed off and went to the other side and carried Brooklyn. The guard who had seen the car wanted to call the owner but noticing the emergency he stopped and ushered the student to hurry over.
Mikael directly ran to the emergency room and immediately placed Brooklyn on one of the beds as a nurse and a familiar Doctor noticed his presence.
"Fever. High. Fever." He gasped for oxygen. The Doctor nodded and went inside. One of the nurses followed and closed the curtain. Another nurse guided Mikael to calm down and sit.
The Doctor came out after a series of nurses went in and out, her expression grave. She knew Mikael who excelled in classes so she was really surprised to find this case relating to her good student.
"Mr. Veloso."
"Doctor Felicia."
"Mr. Veloso, I have stabilized him for now. We still need further tests to make sure but the patient's symptoms are pointing to pneumonia. He'll be staying in the ICU in the meantime. Can you come with me to my office? So we can properly discuss the patient's condition." Mikael watched as his cousin's bed was dragged further inside. He blinked, his eyes misty. Mikael turned and nodded at the Doctor and followed her.
"I have ordered a CT scan, chest x-ray, and also sent a sample of his blood in the laboratory, the result will come soon." Seeing that the student had kept his silence, she noticed the pale face. Doctor Felicia leaned on her table and clasped both of her hands before her. Her gaze turned deep.
"Mr. Veloso, you are studying as a Doctor and you also know the drill. If you can't settle your mind right now I can't help the patient. I know that you're worried and honestly speaking if you had bought him late his body would have completely collapsed. But he is already here, we can help him, so I need you to trust us and calm down." Mikael stared at Doctor Felicia.
She was right. He needed to face it whether he liked it or not. It's not like Brooklyn did suicide. Brooklyn only has fever and Brooklyn called him, didn't he? And he came in time again and saved his cousin. Brooklyn did nothing. Nothing will happen. Nothing happened.
Seeing the respond Doctor Felicia said, "How is the patient related to you?"
"He's my cousin." Doctor Felicia' s eyes landed at the twirling thumbs but didn't comment.
"I see. Do you know your cousin's condition? I have seen various signs of malnutrition in him and some scars. When did the fever start? Has the patient eaten? Has he taken medication before coming here? Does he have any other conditions?"
Mikael's eyes widened as he remembered. His attention went to Doctor Felicia as he completely responded. He felt embarrassed.
"I don't know. He just called me a moment ago and I rushed over. I didn't notice anything. And yes he does suffer from other conditions. You can call Doctor Chen and talk to him."
Doctor Felicia's eyes widened. Doctor Chen was an exemplary and one of the leading pulmonologists in his department. To be able to talk to such a person. Doctor Felicia doesn't know whether to be happy, knowing it's at the expense of a patient.
She nodded, "Do you have his contact?"
Mikael nodded and gave Doctor Chen's number.
He knew how severe his cousin's condition was. There was no need to tell him. He ushered an excuse after filling up the necessary forms and sheets and left to Brooklyn's ward.
He stood before the see-through glass. The room was in light bluish tone, a fluorescent lamp lighting on the headboard, various medical apparatus were in the room where wires connected to a pale and sickly body, ventilation stuck out from mouth, on the neck was a wrap pale beige gauge.
The faint echoing of the ECG made his knees weak.
His sight blurred.
The view overlapped during that day in the hospital where Brooklyn laid, a red bag hung beside the intravenous drip, his face pale with blood lost, a fresh gauze wrapped around his wrist. It was a total slap to him. Brooklyn trusted him yet—still—
His gaze landed on the scarred area, there was no hint of it there, only the intravenous drip while there was a white wrist splint on his left a remnant of the yet-to-heal fracture. His lungs went up and down normally. At least now he could see the signs of breathing clearly.
To his dismay he can't go inside since the origin of the infection hasn't been cleared. He could only watch from the outside for now.
He sighed and picked up his phone and decided to call his second eldest cousin.
Brooklyn's older brother.
He can't keep things low anymore.
===
To be continued…