Two months later…
Somewhere in South Korea, Kai was sitting in a conference room. Kai Technologies Ltd was invited to a showcase and right now he was listening to a speech made by a managing director of a health facility.
Chips walked into the conference room and searched for King. Finding him, they locked eyes and immediately King knew that something was amiss.
Chips bent down beside his ear, saying, “Boss, I need to talk to you in private.”
He nodded his head and looked at Troy. “Take care of things while I speak to him.”
Troy nodded and continued taking notes as the two men left, with Delta following behind them at a distance.
When they got to a room in the foyer, Chips couldn’t hold his emotions in any longer. Looking at his boss, he said, “Boss, Gun was shot on campus. He was rushed to hospital and they are busy operating on him now. The boys got to him too late. Gun lost so much blood that Code, Jet, Tom and Colt say that it looks like he isn’t going to make it.”
King grabbed him by the neck and squeezed so hard that Chips’s face turned red. The veins on his hands looked like they were going to burst from the amount of pressure he was exerting in it. He threw Chips against the wall, asking, “What the fuck did you just say?”
Chips looked at him out of breath as he coughed, “Gun was shot in the chest and is in the hospital. The boys tried their best to save him, but the doctors don’t think he’ll make it.”
Hearing those words for a second time was a mistake. A bomb went off with each word and the look on Gun’s face appeared from when they last spoke two months ago when he kicked him out of his home.
He left Gun in tears—was Chips telling him he wouldn’t see him again?
King’s steps faltered, but Chips and Delta caught him.
The room started spinning. Gun’s voice rang in his ear. “A–arrange. I want to go back.”
Delta and Chips made eye contact. Delta left the room and went to pull Troy out of the conference.
Chips helped King to the car. They were inside the elevator and as he looked at himself in the reflection; he saw a dark shadow crawl up his legs, soon covering his whole body. It stopped at his neck for a moment as King continued thinking of his days with Gun and the thought of something happening to him made the dark shadow swallow his face too.
Chips glanced at his boss through the reflection and shuddered inwardly—Bangkok was going to be overturned soon.
As the jet took off, Chips sat down beside him and was busy on a phone call. The call ended. He looked at King, who was deep in his thoughts, then looked at Delta, who had tears in her eyes.
He took in a deep breath saying, “Gun just got out of surgery. They had to remove the bullet fragments out of his breastplate, and he will be in surgery tomorrow again to repair the breastplate. The police found him at the hospital and have questioned the nurses. Officer Saetang is on the case.”
King turned to look at him and asked in a dead tone, “Is Gun out of danger?”
Chips nodded, “He is waiting for you to return to his side before he wakes up.”
King leaned on his left hand and rubbed his eyes with his fingers. He felt the tears fall onto his finger—King mumbled, “I shouldn’t have left his side. I should have fought for our relationship.”
Chips sighed, shaking his head, “Have faith, boss. You know he’s strong.”
King slammed his hand into the seat not too far from him and stood up. Turning to Chips, he said, “Nothing is supposed to happen to him!”
Chips remained silent. He didn’t want to be on the other end of King’s fist. Lowering his gaze, he went quiet.
“That’s what I thought.” King said.
He looked around him at Delta and Troy, but they had their heads lowered too. He turned in a circle without a place to go or let out his frustration, anger, resentment, and hurt.
“You—you, you let him into my life and for what? Huh? It all ended. Why did you do this to me? Did I tell you I wanted someone to love? Are you happy now? HUH? ARE YOU HAPPY NOW? He doesn’t want me anymore and now look at him. His in the hospital dying because of me!”
*
They arrived at the hospital and outside Gun’s room stood his family members with a doctor and a police officer.
When Marwin saw Kai, he was relieved but also confused. His son told him they broke up, so why was he here? But then again, the look on Kai’s face told him he was broken by the news.
Turning to him, Marwin said, “Kai, you’re here?”
King couldn’t even smile when they shook hands. Marwin pulled Kai in for a hug, saying, “I know I’m not your father, but you look like you need a hug. Gun’s going to be okay. You didn’t need to come all this way.”
King stared into the room through the window and let his tears fall. He started sniffing, then moved out of the hug.
Marwin rubbed his shoulders. “I’m glad you’re here. You can go in. We’re about to go home to rest and get changed, so we need someone to watch over him.”
King nodded, “Thank you.”
King walked into the room. The room smelled of bleach, but there was also a hint of Gun’s cologne in the air. He walked up to the bed and sat down on the chair. He watched in silence as Gun lay in front of him, listening to the breathing machine as the coiled silicone pipe moved up and down.
He took Gun’s hand in his and pressed his lips against it as he let his tears fall. His tears fell faster, followed by sobs.
‘I’m so sorry, Gun. I’m really sorry. I knew they were after me and sent my family away, then they got to you. I’m so sorry.’
“Gun, please don’t leave me, please.”
Outside the room…
Chips walked up to Moon, that was by the coffee vending machine. When Moon turned to him, Chips’s heart broke.
Letting him hug him, Moon burst out in tears, hugging him back.
“We’ll get them, I promise. Even if we have to turn the whole continent upside down, we’ll find them.”
A few hours later…
Gun opened his eyes. His head was foggy, and he was in so much pain. He heard a strange sound and realised it was coming from the machine over his mouth. Looking around, he turned his head to the heart monitor, then saw a head.
Moving his hand, it hit against the head and with quick movements; the person was looking straight at him with red, stunned eyes.
Recognizing that it was King, he began to panic with happiness. He tried to speak, but his throat was in dry and it pained.
King stood up and leaned on the bed. “No, no, don’t try to talk. I’m here, I’m here.”
Gun started to whimper. King shook his head and leaned his forehead against his. “I’ll get them Gun, I swear. I’ll get them.”
Gun weakly nodded in response as his tears slid down the sides of his eyes.
Looking into his eyes, King smiled, but Gun could see that this man wasn’t okay. He reached up and cupped his cheek, ignoring the pains from his body. ‘It’s okay, Kai, as long as you are fine.’
