The Pseudo Semicolon

CHAPTER 10: Aftermath

"Hey, how are you feeling?" Devland asked his dad one Monday morning as he sat on the edge of the hospital bed.

"Feeling better than yesterday." His dad grunted as he sat up, looking at Devland with a small twinkle in his grey eyes. "What about you?"

"What do you mean?" Devland chuckled breezily, getting up to serve his father the prescribed medicine.

"Your mother...."

"She's not here. Stuck in some business call—she's a very busy woman."

"Devland." The insistence in his father's tone made him flinch, his teeth clenched.

It's been a week and a half since the accident; Devland took some time off and only appeared to write his midterms. Otherwise, he was stuck in the hospital, tending to his father whenever his mother wasn't around.

She was furious at first, demanding why Devland showed up in the first place and usually the boy wouldn't have tried again, he would've been an obedient son and studied for his exams but due to certain... events, he had changed. Even if it was just a little bit.

"Are you okay?" His father pestered him as Devland handed him the medicine. The boy waited patiently for the man to finish swallowing the tablet before he spoke again.

"I'm fine." He replied but he felt a pang of hurt in his heart. Devland chewed on his bottom lip, contemplating what to say next. Back then, he didn't expect himself to be so vulnerable, it just came naturally; more naturally than this time. Devland sighed audibly, burying his face in his palms.

Why can't he stop lying?

"So... not okay?" His dad guessed and the boy nodded slightly, rubbing his temples. "Tensed for your exams?"

"As if I need to worry about my exams." Devland scoffed, a smirk playing on his lips, "Just who do you think I am, dad?"

"Alright alright," His father grinned, "How about your friends? It's been a month since you've arrived and you haven't mentioned anyone's name yet. I remember Max used to rant to me about how his English teacher pissed him off."

"Well—" A picture of Akira suddenly popped into his mind, "I have made a friend."

"Oh?"

"His name's Akira."

"Oh! Akira Fukumoto?!" His dad exclaimed, recognition dawning in his eyes, "Max used to talk about him all the time."

Devland stiffened, shock knocking him so off-guard it was like he was free-falling from an aeroplane. "What?"

"Oh yeah." His father laughed, "He's a good kid from what Max had told me about him."

"What did he say to you about him?" Devland asked eagerly, the familiar sensation of excitement surging through his veins.

"I don't remember much to be honest–it was so long ago." The man's eyes softened, "Can't believe a month has already passed."

"Time passes by too quickly." Devland nodded, a bit disappointed that he couldn't gather the necessary information. "Like right now actually—I better get to school. See ya later, dad."

"Devland?" He called and Devland paused at the door, looking over his shoulder to meet his father's stormy eyes, "I—I love you."

It was like his heart had stopped. Devland stared at this man, his estranged father. He just told him that he loved him. Was it that easy? Has it always been that easy?

Then why couldn't Devland say it back? Why couldn't Devland say those words back? He didn't know—the whole concept was foreign to him. A lump formed in his throat as tears stung his eyes. "Okay dad."