Nine Months

Chapter 14

His tears fell as an endless stream, his vision all disfigured due to the refraction by the waters. He sniffled a couple of hundred times, wiping his tears, trying to focus on bandaging her injured foot.

"Kook, calm down," his mother tried to provide him solace but she herself was perplexed at her deportment.

He swiped his hand over his cheek again only for another teardrop to stain it. He was painfully guilty.

He fumbled with the cotton for the hundredth time.

"Leave," his mother took the first aid in her hands and he backed off, letting her take charge.

When she was done, her gaze averted to her perturbed son. His eyes never leaving Haru's frail figure sleeping, chewing on his lower lip as a pathetic method of stopping the avalanche of his tears.

She placed a hand over his shoulder, pulling him out of the daze.

"It's okay, she is fine now. You need to be strong to take care of her Kook. What's with this childish crying?" She consoled cum chided him.

He spoke nothing, still struggling to compose himself.

"Looks like some trauma, do you know anything about this?" She asked making him stiff. His heart was hurting at all the memories he doesn't even remember. He must have been a monster.

Should he tell her? But Haru restricted him earlier. But she was the only one who could help her, he should tell her, he obviously should. He contemplated.

"Eo- Eomma, th-that..." He stuttered, his heart beating violently as if stopping himself from confronting himself but his brain accumulated the guts.

"Speak, will you? Something must have triggered her to be like this and let's go out or we will disturb her."

He nodded following her lead. "Now tell me!" She demanded once they were out of the room.

"That... The trauma..."

"Stop! I don't want her to feel the same pain as me. The pain of feeling disgusted at the person they once loved." Her words resonated in his being.

"Speak Jeon!" She sternly said the name she used only when she was very serious.

"She... I... I don't know," he closed his eyes, surrendering to his heart till his cheek stung, his head forced to move in the direction of the force that her palm exerted on his face.

The sound of the slap resonated in the lonely night.

"Your wife is struggling and you don't know? Is this answer? Did you see her? Did you see how petrified she looked? And you say you don't know? I expected better from you Jeon," she said through gritted teeth, turning back towards the room while he stood there. His face hung low, when did he turn this pathetic?

•••

She woke up with a pulsating headache as sun rays fell on her face. Her eyes squinted on the interception of light and she moved slightly only to feel pressure on her foot.

She lifted it up to take in a view, it was bandaged. She sighed, still laying on the bed gravely. She had nothing better to do. No job. No work. No desires. Nothing.