The night was as peaceful and uneventful as it can be, completely unlike the event that was about to take place. Chilly wind blew through, making a few pedestrians who weren't dressed well shiver slightly. The scarlet glow of the sunset hadn't quite vanished from the sky, inky darkness engulfing and suppressing it more and more with every passing moment.
All of a sudden, a figure fell from above. Soon, many screams and shouts rang out, breaking the previous silence.
"Someone call 911!"
"My goodness, he's bleeding so much!"
"What a pity, ah. This young man only looks about 20. Why did he have to jump off a building? Youth nowadays really do have it hard."
"Make way, the ambulance is here! Make way!"
The crowd slowly parted to let the team of paramedics near the body. On the ground was a youth with light brown locks, his limbs twisted in unnatural directions. Crimson red blood pooled around his head on the white concrete, creating a stark contrast.
One could immediately tell that the boy was attractive. Even in such a pitiful and ghastly state, he looked like an exquisite flower at the peak of its beauty, about to wither. Beautiful, yet extremely fragile. One wrong move, and he might be gone forever.
The boy, who was lying as if dead, parted his lips slowly. Only one sound came out of his mouth, echoing in the dark night. It was clear as day, with the longing and sorrow evident in it.
The only word the boy said before closing his eyes was, 'August'.
"Are you Mr. August?" The man who came out of the operation theater asked as he removed his mask. He wore green surgical clothes, his expression grave.
A man, probably in his twenties, was waiting outside. He nervously tapped his foot, expression anxious. When he saw the light in the operation theater go out, he rushed over to the doctor.
He was so worried that he couldn't even register his surroundings, his state pitiful. All he knew was right now, his brother was in danger.
"Doctor, how's my brother? He'll be fine, right? It- it's just a head injury, ah. He'll be alright within a few days, right?" Even though he was talking to the doctor, it seemed like he was trying to convince himself more than anyone else. He muttered, "Of course he'll be alright. Of course, there's no doubt about it."
Since he didn't deny it, the doctor assumed him to be August and told him honestly, "I'm sorry, Mr. August. We did the best we could-"
A devastated expression appeared on that young man's face as his whole world came crashing down. His brother, his only brother, was going through something like this. He might even be gone forever. He was so sunk in grief that he refused to believe it to be true.
Rather than the harsh truth, he chose to delusion himself instead and cried, "No! You can't say that!"
He shook the doctor roughly by his shoulders and shouted in a hoarse voice, "Do something! Anything, please!"
Even on being grabbed by the collar, the other man's expression didn't flicker. Being a doctor, he dealt with such situations almost everyday. He wasn't angry or even surprised on being treated like this, finding Edward's reaction completely normal.
Such grief stricken people who refused to accept the truth were quite common. It was so normal for them that even when the young man grabbed his shoulder, no one even glanced twice. It had long become a daily chore for them.
The doctor sighed before continuing, "Mr. August, your brother isn't dead-"
Before he could even finish, the youth looked upwards, hope shining in his red rimmed eyes. He was so happy that he didn't even care about being addressed by the wrong name and asked happily, "My brother…he is okay, right? Ah, I knew it. How could my brother die? It was just a head injury. He'll be fine in no time-"
The older man sighed again as Edward rambled on happily. He hadn't even bothered to wait a little, celebrating before he even heard the full sentence.
Although it was difficult for him to say it, he still had to do it quickly before he got his hopes up too much. After all, the more the hope, the more painful it will be to crush it.
He quickly interjected, "Mr. August, you must understand. Your brother isn't dead, but the situation is not looking exactly optimistic either. I heard that even when he fell, he was saying your name. I know you must care about him a lot, but…He's in coma for an indefinite amount of time."
"....What? Coma-? Just…Just what are you even saying?" Edward sank to his knees, tears flowing out of his eyes. His brother was in a coma? H-His only brother, the one he loves so much, is in coma? What if he never wakes up? Would Edward never see him again?
His eyes were dazed as he tried to process the truth. Having heard it clearly from the doctor, he fully knew that he couldn't delude himself any further.
Throwing his head into his knees, he wept. He wept freely for a long time until no tears were left.