Bare-chested, Rey looked at his hammered thorax in the mirror. He hissed, not out of pain but anger. He knew what he was getting himself to when he confronted his subduers. To think they had been taking money from him every month, and not once did they inform him that ownership of his debt had been transferred.
'You need to work on your temperament, kiddo. Remember how your beautiful girlfriend zapped out of this world? Now scram and be appreciative of your benefactor.'
That remark had triggered him, and he zoned out from reality. With his fists flying about, he reached its target several times until a painful strike on his side startled him to confusion.
'Damn them! They made sure to hit me where no one could see. But, with this throbbing pain, I can't go to work in this state.'
"Rey!" Esy called from behind, scampered towards her brother and stopped midway. She gasped aloud, horrified by the sight in front of her. Her expression may have read panic or painful agitation; Rey couldn't tell, for his strength had failed him, followed by his vision. He'd struggled, used the remainder of his power to reach his apartment, and with the help of Ari's brother, initial aid was offered. However, as it seems, none of those meds could keep him conscious for long.
A loud thud on the floor confirmed his loss of consciousness.
"Esy, you came faster than I had thought." Ari's brother appeared, his eyes drifting to the floor. "How unfortunate."
"He passed out!" Esy exclaimed frighteningly.
"Not to worry." Placing his hand under Rey's arms, Ari's brother huffed under Rey's heavy load. He lifted Rey, then stopped midway. "Esy, would you be so kind as to help me move him to a comfortable place?"
Esy nodded, and the two, with much effort taxed, dragged Rey towards his bed. Afterwards, Esy sat beside where her brother lay; her eyes fixated on the bruises that spread close to his abdomen.
"I had wanted him to have a painkiller first before passing out..."
"Why did he have to get involved again?" Esy cut in, plagued by anxiety. "He never listens to me."
"Esy..." Ari's brother extended an arm towards Rey's sister, allowing her to weep on his shoulders. "I should never have told him anything from the beginning. This is all my fault."
"I think we should let him rest." Ari's brother suggested, and they proceeded to the living room, locking the door behind them. "You must have come straight from work."
"Yes." Esy's response was void of hope.
Ari's brother studied her for a while as she kept fidgeting on the sofa and offered her a glass of water, hoping to calm her nerves. In truth, Ari's brother had known that that day, Rey would return in such a state. He had warned Rey of it, but he wouldn't listen.
'Let it go. Losing your temper only demerits you and not those who wronged you.'
'You do not know how much I have lost.'
'I know of your debt, Mr Rey. The few nights you had hosted me, I stumbled on the receipts from a loan shark while looking for a phone charger. Your sister had sent me to your room for it. I had no intention of prying, of course, but the eyes can waver to unexpected sights, especially ones containing numerous amount of zeros.'
'Esy is careless. I warned her not to allow you in my room.'
'She was rushing to work, and my cellphone was out. As you recall, I was doing my best to make amends with my bother Ari; therefore, being contactable was paramount.'
'So what if you know? This is none of your business.'
'I can help you clear a portion of your debt. You've been far too kind to me. More than my family, I'd say.'
'If I accept your help, I'll completely lose Manager Ari's trust.'
'Do you intend to chase after those perjurers alone? Loan sharks do not respond well to confrontations. I suggest coming up with a strategy instead of rushing into a lion's den unthinkingly.'
'My debt was transferred to another, and I was unaware of it! From my calculations, I have lost three months of payment, but I could be wrong. It may have been more, and those scoundrels did not say a word! This debt has been weighing on my mind for years! I do not want Manager Ari to get involved in it neither do I wish for... You know what? Forget it. I gain nothing from discussing my private affairs with you; therefore, let us limit our conversations to what was agreed.'
'You could let the authorities know, Rey.'
'That debt was imposed illegally on my sister as a guarantor. In fact, she has no memory of when her fingerprints were taken.'
'Then have the person who took it to clear it up.'
'She is dead.'
'Oh... That is indeed troublesome.'
'Then keep silent over my trip. Do not inform my sister even if something happens to me.'
'As you wish.'
"But your sister is sharp, Rey. The moment she heard of your demise, she knew the cause of it." Ari's brother murmured to himself. He shifted his gaze towards Rey's sister, who appeared to have slumbered off to sleep in her worry. "Come to think of it, there is one person I should have informed from the very start."
"You talk too loud." Rey appeared from his room, limping towards the open kitchen with one arm on his torso. From the look of things, the bruises were now more vivid than before.
"You told her, didn't you?" Rey pointed at his sister with his chin. "I didn't want to cause her distress, and now I have to worry about her telling on me." Leaning on the kitchen shelf for support, he added, "Or perhaps I should worry more about you, considering you are planning on betraying me to your brother."
Ari's brother chuckled. "I was tempted to, but I haven't yet. This is something you need to do by yourself."
Rey shook his head and groaned from the stiffness he felt. "I don't want him to see me like this."
"Then I'll escort you to a hospital for further checkup. Perhaps you may have incurred an internal injury." Walking around to check Rey's bare back, Ari's brother rubbed his chin calmly as if in deep thought. "You do not seem to have any open cuts, but we can't rule out internal bleeding."
"I'm f-fine..." Rey choked up his words and began coughing, and with each cough came an uncomfortable internal strain from his diaphragm. He slouched, then crouched, placing one hand on the floor; his position only blocking his airway further and persisted the dry cough.
"Brother...!" Esy was awakened by Rey's paroxysmal cough. She rushed to her brother's side, but Rey raised his hand to stop her. She obliged begrudgingly, waiting until her brother's fit had subsided.
When Rey finally looked up at his sister, he saw her rubbing her eyes. His voice hoarse and dry, he assured her he only needed to quench his thirst.
"And some painkillers." Ari's brother added. With the help of Esy, they forcefully administered a pain reliever to a resisting Rey. They later assisted him back to his room, Esy insisting on him taking a rest.
"Ari..." A deep sigh followed Rey's call-out. He appeared to be struggling with his speech.
"Do you feel discomfort whenever suspiring?" Ari's brother asked, but Rey denied it.
"He is lying." Esy frowned, seeming irritated.
"N-Ned... H-he is behind this..." Rey appeared dazed, uttering each word with a struggle and within seconds, he drifted off to sleep slowly.
"Your brother is certainly mulish."
"How can he expect us to keep this from Manager Ari?" Esy appeared uncertain about her brother's request. "If anything, he should be the first to know about this."
"Do you want to tell him, or should I?"
"I don't think I can be as nonchalant as you are. I want to stay close to my bother." Esy was fretful as she took a seat on Rey's bed. "They beat him black and blue... How silly of him to have gone there looking for a fight." 'You could have lost your life, you fool! I don't think I want to lose you as well, brother. I can never fathom such a thought.'
"He will recover in due time. With his sturdy physic, I give him a day or two."
"Even I know what a lie sounds like, but thanks for trying to cheer me up."
Ari's brother smiled. He reached for his cell phone but stopped midway upon remembering Rey's request. 'You warned me not to contact my brother, but you didn't mention anything about your sister contacting him.' "I believe it would be best if you ring my brother while I prioritise getting qualified medical assistance for your dear brother. He may have incurred hidden injuries we can not see. Wouldn't that be wise?"
"You are right," Esy murmured, trailing her fingers around the bruises on her brother's chest and stomach. "That is indeed wise."