Kapitel 45: Who are you?
His heart felt as heavy as a stone, dropping lower into his rib cage; it made it hard to breathe, and Misha thought he'd run out of air soon. Anxiety was tormenting his body and rooted him in place, and he stood still in front of the door. Five minutes, ten minutes? Good question. All he knew was that it took him a moment to organize his thoughts, and only after slapping both of his cheeks did Misha muster the courage to enter the hospital room.
It was a spacious room with a single bed, on which Gabriel lay.
Misha peered at the sleeping teenager before routinely looking around, even though he knew it was useless. He wouldn't see what he wanted to see.
Again, there were no other visitors.
The chairs were empty, and only beeping sounds echoed inside the silent room. The soft rays of the morning sun shone through the large window, diffusing a warm light on the walls. The bedroom bathed in a peaceful atmosphere, yet it also appeared lonely—desperately lonely.
Anger and disappointment welled up inside Misha. He clenched his fists, then stormed off to call out to a nurse.
For the past two weeks, Misha went to see the teenager every day, and every time, he asked the staff if Gabriel's relatives had come to visit him in his absence. Each time, the answer was negative. The teenager's only visitors were always Misha and his family; no one else had come until now, not even Gabriel's parents.
The room was always empty and silent.
When Gabriel's father learned that his son had an accident, which resulted in a coma, all he did was ask for a transfer to a private hospital in Ontario. Although he did pay for better medical services and equipment, he still didn't come to the hospital to see his son—not even once.
This kind of attitude was enough to anger Misha to death. And that was only the tip of the iceberg. In this world, some people weren't meant to be parents. Misha had thought that Alexey was the worst father in history, but he recently discovered that he was wrong. Very, very wrong.
A few days ago, Misha overheard the conversation of a few nurses. He was buying snacks from the vending machines in a corner, and they didn't notice him. He wasn't the kind to pry, but since they were gossiping about the patient in room 201, his ears still perked up, and he ended up eavesdropping on their discussion.
The girls first spoke about how pitiful the teenage boy was, saying that such a heroic youth didn't deserve to lay in a bed, kept alive by machines. Then, they talked about the father and how heartless he was. Not only did the man not come to see his child even once, but he had also asked the doctor to stop the life-sustaining treatment if his son didn't wake up within a month. The medical team urged him to think it over, yet the man didn't change his mind.
"The neurologist said that his son was very likely to wake up, and he still insisted on disconnecting him so soon! He may as well kill him with his own two hands."
Misha's world shattered at these words, and time seemed to halt. Once the clock's hands started to move again, he exploded in anger, crushing the snack he had just bought.
Because Misha had nothing to vent his anger on, he simply decided to kick the hospital walls, only stopping when his toes started to hurt like hell. They were swollen and slightly bluish the next day, but he couldn't care less.
Back then, Misha had the urge to strangle someone, and even now, he still felt like there was something stuck in his throat whenever he thought about that conversation.
Over the past few days, and after much thinking, Misha concluded that it was Gabriel's father's fault if Gabriel's personality became so twisted in their past life. Having such a heartless father could not lead to anything good; it'd inevitably influence Gabriel as he grew up. His heart would naturally become cold, unfeeling, and uncaring.
But as of yet, Gabriel didn't seem to be such a scumbag in Misha's eyes. The teenager wasn't yet a twisted man!
Two weeks ago, Gabriel didn't hesitate half a second before jumping off the slope and shielding Misha's body with his own, carefully protecting him even though it would put his life at risk. Although Misha had many flaws, he wasn't shameless enough to turn a blind eye to such a courageous and selfless act. So, whether consciously or not, he tried to excuse Gabriel's past misdeeds by blaming his father.
Perhaps, Gabriel wasn't as cold-hearted as Misha had previously thought. He had been the perfect gentleman with his sister and the ideal big brother in their past life. Even now, Misha couldn't find any faults with his acting. If the teenager was indeed carrying out an act, why did he protect him so dutifully, not caring about his own safety? It didn't make sense.
Or maybe, Gabriel did indeed wear a mask, but hidden under it was still a heart of gold.
Regardless, it couldn't erase what he had said in their past life; when he coldly admitted that he had never once seen Masha as his lover. But now that Misha thought about it and that hatred didn't cloud his mind, he started to remember a few more things. Gabriel didn't say that Masha was a plaything, nor did he say that he didn't love her. He didn't mock her, didn't insult her. In the end, his face only turned cold, and his words sharp.
His memories gradually became clearer over time, and Misha felt like something was off. But he couldn't figure out what was bothering him. Ultimately, his brain turned off, and his forehead became warm, indicating the start of a fever.
But of course, Misha didn't learn his lesson, and over the past few days, he often thought about it, trying to decipher the truth from the lies, which only resulted in him becoming dizzy and worrying his family. Today, his mother had almost forbidden him to go out because he had a slight fever in the morning—though she couldn't resist his teary eyes in the end and still brought him with them.
And so, after arriving at the floor where Gabriel's room was, Misha went on with his routine, scanning the room before chasing after a nurse.
He turned a corner and finally saw a nurse he was familiar with. He then dashed toward her at lightning speed. The child stopped just before crashing into her legs, and he excitedly lifted his head to look into her eyes, making the nurse's heart turn soft.
Because Misha was now well known in the hospital, he didn't need to open his mouth, and the medical staff would answer his question before he could even ask it.
The girl softly said, "I'm sorry, no one came."
The boy's bright eyes became a little dull, but he still thanked her before going back to Gabriel's room. When he saw his sister staring at him with inquisitive eyes, he could only shake his head. She forced out a weak smile and gently ruffled his hair before walking to the teenager's bedside.
Masha stroked Gabriel's cheek, whispering to her brother, "Don't worry too much. He'll certainly wake up soon. Gabriel doesn't look like it, but he is a stubborn one. Maybe even more stubborn than me. Or you."
These words, his sister would say them every day. Then, she'd silently sit by the teenager's side, waiting for him to open his eyes. As for Misha, he wouldn't say anything; guilt made him unable to comfort her. So instead, he would also sit and silently wait. Mrs. Brown would do the same, and when Alexey didn't work, he would drop by and keep them company.
Today was no exception to their routine, but Alexey hadn't come with them since it was a weekday. The three thus sat and waited, immersed in their own thoughts and guilt.
Whenever Misha laid his eyes on the teenager's current appearance, his stomach would twist into knots.
Because Gabriel had a nasal fracture, a splint realigned his nose and kept it in place while it healed. It had looked terrifying at first, but the swelling had diminished by quite a lot since the teenager's arrival at the hospital. Stitches joined the edges of the deep cut near his right eyelid, which passed through the middle of his eyebrow; it'd surely leave a scar. His busted lips and the scratches were almost healed, at least.
His hands were also a sorry sight to behold, especially the left one. It had three broken fingers that needed to be immobilized with splints and bandages. They had been damaged to the point where his ring finger even had to go through surgery. The bones had shattered, and the small, sharp pieces had made their way into the middle joint.
When Misha looked at the injuries on Gabriel's hands, he felt guilty, of course, but also grateful from the bottom of his heart. They had protected his head dutifully, and he hadn't been severely hurt; a miracle, one could say. If the teenager hadn't used himself as a meat shield, Misha would be the one lying in the hospital bed, and considering his weak body….
Misha shook his head, deciding to stop thinking. All he could do was wait.
***
About an hour later, the teenager's eyelids suddenly twitched. Misha was the first to realize it, and he immediately leaped to his feet, bolting to the bed.
When Gabriel opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was the excited face of a child. The bright blue eyes were deep yet seemed as pure as spring water. They were crystal clear and held no malice, softening the heart.
Before the teenager could say anything, Misha climbed onto the bed and hugged his waist tightly, stunning Gabriel. "You're a big idiot! You slept for so long! Who do you think you are? Sleeping Beauty?!"
"…"
"I was starting to fear you wouldn't wake up," Masha added to her brother's words, gently hitting the teenager's shoulder. "You scared me good this time!"
"…"
While her children were busy hugging and bothering Gabriel, Gulnas called the doctor over. A smile made her way on her tired face as she stepped out of the room. The teenager was finally awake, making everything right again.
However, their happiness was short-lived.
Gabriel curiously sized up the child hugging his waist, then tilted his head as if pondering something. When he spoke, his voice carried a touch of hesitation. "I'm sorry, but are you my little brother?"
The moment his words fell, the entire room froze. A few seconds passed before Misha stuttered, "No, I'm… not?"
"Then, who are you?"
Misha turned silly at these words, his body stiffening. He didn't even realize it when his sister took him in her arms to put him down on the floor. He stood still in a daze, unable to process what was going on.
It was only later that reality came crashing in. The doctor took them aside, explaining that Gabriel was suffering from amnesia. The information was hard to swallow, plunging the room into a deafening silence.
Knowing her daughter needed to sort out her feelings, Gulnas let her have some private time with her boyfriend to talk and brought her son to the cafeteria for a meal.
Left alone with Gabriel, Masha calmly sat on a chair, smoothing her dress. Then, she lifted her head and asked in a deadpan tone, "Did you really lose your memory?"
The teenager's awkward smile vanished, and he glanced at her from the corner of his eyes.
"Of course not."
_________________
Mini theater
ML: Who are you?
MC: The main character of this story.
Author: Don't listen to him! He's your future sweetheart!
MC: … I refuse!
Chapter revised on 2022-05-10
Edited by Clozed! ♥
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RS_Vaesen Who thought Gabriel had actually lost his memory? 8)
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