"The nebulizer contains your medicine. To avoid your lungs from relapsing you'll need it twenty-four hours until further observation. If all your mucus goes out, we can probably remove it by then. The antibiotics will still inject through IV. Or do you like injections now?" He shook his head, even the previous Brooklyn didn't like injections, how much more, him who wasn't even sickly?
Doctor Chen nodded. "Then rest well and go out here quickly. My son will visit you later. I already informed him." Brooklyn slightly nodded his head.
"Thank you, Doctor Chen." Mikael fixed his glasses.
"It's my job, Mikael. Eat something boy you're getting thinner. I heard your exams are coming? Keep it up but don't forget to take care of yourself. Rest well and don't overwork. Let that son of mine buy food." Doctor Chen peered down at the boy. Mikael nodded under Doctor Chen's gaze.
"Bonie, 'you thirsty?" Brooklyn nodded. Even though the intravenous drip is doing its job, his throat was parched and his stomach shallow. He wasn't hungry but he was. What paradox. He needs food!
Mikael fetched a glass of water and removed the nebulizer mask on Brooklyn's face. Brooklyn took a sip slowly until his throat was cleared and moist. Mikael wiped the teen's lips from water residue and placed the nebulizer back.
"Tell me if you feel any pain, okay?" Brooklyn nodded. Mikael didn't do anything after that and they stayed in silence, Mikael not letting go of Brooklyn's arm.
Mikael chewed his words. It has been a month. Things had happened. He didn't know how to start. The news that Brooklyn tried to hide had reached the person he tried to hide it from.
"Bonie..."
Brooklyn felt his cousin's hold tightened. "Elder cousin..." Mikael stared at his cousin's expectant eyes and felt his cousin stiffen from his words. His heart clenched guiltily.
"He knew about the scandal."
Looking at the miserable face and blatantly fooling this honest and sweet person made his heart clench. He wasn't Brooklyn but he had to act as Brooklyn but acting as Brooklyn was easier than he thought it would be.
Mikael saw the fear and anxiety in those eyes as tears sprung from it. He clasped Brooklyn's hand and placed it in his forehead, apologizing.
"I'm sorry, Bon. I couldn't lie anymore. He's still your brother. Didn't you say you love him? And he is the most important person? I know you don't want to be a problem but he loves you and he has the right to know. I'm sorry, Brooklyn."
Brooklyn felt the body stopped trembling. Psychological trauma induced fear from anxiety that became ingrained to the point it made the body react to hyperventilate. Lucky, he was able to calm it. It was no easy feat subduing your own body with mental strength, it was also a first to him; it took a toll on himself. But that reaction just proved to him how much Brooklyn hated being a bother, especially towards Carlyle.
He honestly doesn't know where to start. Thinking everything through he realized that the previous Brooklyn also has faults. He thought that if Brooklyn only decided to open up everything wouldn't have become complicated. There was a drastic difference between Brooklyn and him. For starters, he wasn't as complicated as Brooklyn was. In his previous life if he wants something hell strive for it and never did he let anyone trample him about his background. The way you grow up will always mold you.
He can only blame this situation on how complicated a human mind works. Everyone has their defects and faults. Nobody is perfect. He could only lament his misfortune for transmigrating in this body as he needs to work twice as much, in both health, mentally, and life itself.
"Bonie? Do you feel pain?"
Brooklyn blinked his thoughts away, he realized that he was gripping Mikael's hand. He was about to respond to Mikael but the door swung open his attention diverted to it.
A refreshing black-haired youth walked inside. He carried a basket of fruit as his school bag hung on his left shoulder looking pretty cool. His black undershirt was visible, his school polo was turned to a blazer that swayed from his motion. His thin almond eyes were energetic yet oppressive. James Chen smiled at the two figures inside the room. His teeth white and straight. When he smiles his oppressive aura and serious look would vanish and reflects the youth that he was. He both got his parents' looks.
"Bonie!"
"Wait——You still have classes!" Mikael exclaimed as James placed the basket of fruit to the right cabinet, placing the water jar and glass aside.
"Bonie! You're awake! I visited yesterday but you were still sleeping!" Ignoring the irritated brown-haired.
"James you can't overstimulate him."
James looked at Mikael and dryly retorted. "My father is the Doctor. Let me just say 'hi', will you?" Telling Mikael that he knows what he's doing and that he wasn't dumb.
"Fine. Watch him. Bonie, I'm gonna go buy coffee, okay? If you want to rest just rest, don't mind this cutting class mongrel."
"Still, I own higher grades than you."
"Oh, do shut up. You're noisy." Mikael could just bitterly refute. The truth hurts. The cutting classes absentee mongrel truly earned higher grades than him, ranked higher than him though he could only compete in sports and reputation. But grades are grades! Reputation and sports were other things!
"Ha. He left." James turned his head to Brooklyn with a smug smirk.
"Anyways, Bonie you can rest. I will not disturb you."
James Chen was two years older than Brooklyn, he was in his second year of college.
The previous Brooklyn and James met when they were children. Doctor Chen frequently went to the main estate especially during winter because Brooklyn's cold asthma was so severe that even with medicine he needed careful observation. The previous Brooklyn's parents were worried about their child as they could not allow some strange unknown kid to befriend their son, and all of the cousins were in high school and college that were busy with their studies and lives. Pitying the child, Doctor Chen proposed his son and Brooklyn's parents decided to give it a try. So one spring day Doctor Chen brought a playmate and that's when James came into the picture. James was extroverted by nature so at the end of their first meeting the two considered themselves best of friends.
"Brooklyn—" James closed his mouth, his eyes face forfeiting. He stared at Brooklyn, only for James to look away first, the corner of his eyes red.
"Just rest."
Brooklyn was about to say something when the door opened.
A nurse came in and broke the ice. She greeted James who was already known as Doctor Chen's son throughout the hospital. James asked further questions regarding Brooklyn's condition that he forgot to ask his father about after Brooklyn was injected with medicine and soon drowsily went asleep.
James kept watch and then decided to read a novel by his favorite author—crustedOnions, on his phone.
James loves tear-jerking novels, and right now he is reading 'Purple Lantern,' a historical story about love, sacrifice, and friendship.
===
To be continued…