The Perfect Boy

The Killer's name

Aspen POV

Osaka was lying almost lifeless. He looked so frail, not like the Osaka I knew.

"You know Gerard?" Connor asked.

We all shook our head. I looked at his face, called his name, held his hand. No response.

"He has been in coma for 4 days now."

"You know Gerard?"

I shook my head.  "Well, I don't know who Gerard is, but this Osaka." All of us moved closer to the bed.

"Osaka? The Osaka you talked about the other day?" He looked incredulous.

I nodded my head. I had nothing to say. I was searching every where for him. And here he was lying on a hospital bed in this condition.    I smelled death. 

Ben tried to console me, but it was just too much.

I sat down by his bed, holding his hands tightly.  They were talking intently, but everything was just a blur, my focus was only on the person in front of me.

"Can't be his name is Gerard, Gerard Liem. Look."   Connor pointed at Osaka's name tag on his wrist.

He rubbed his eyes. We all read the tag. O. Gerard Liem.  The "O" answered it all.

I didn't know his middle name, some friend I was.

It must have taken me ten minutes to regain my composure. The one person whom I counted on so much was unconscious in front me. He was like life support to me and now that support was decaying in front of my very eyes.

I felt my heart squeezed and I was ready to have a panic attack. Ben calmed me down.

We were all dumbfounded and stayed silent for who knew how long.

It was Andrew who blurted the much needed question.

"What's the matter with him, Connor?"

"All I knew was it was a rare form of G6PD Deficiency. It caused chronic hemolysis at this stage."

I didn't never even hear the term G6PD, let alone chronic hemolysis. Was it cancer? Disease?

As if he knew what was in my mind, Connor said :"you should ask his doctor about it, " he thought for a moment and continued, "well, I take that back, you are not family, so the doctor will not disclose anything to you. Michael should be able to explain to you, but he is away for 2 weeks on a business trip to Honolulu." We all knew Michael, cousin of Osaka's dad. Osaka's dad passed away about 4 years ago and his mom left our hometown, Moscow (Idaho), to Singapore to take care of her parent. Osaka, the only child, asked his mom to stay behind under the guardianship of Michael.

"G6PD Deficiency is not a disease nor cancer, Aspen. It is a genetic abnormality. All I know it causes the red blood cells to breakdown easily and prematurely. The person is anemic, but usually there is an underlying trigger, and he recovers from the symptoms once treatment is received and the trigger is removed, but in Osaka's case, the disorder is a rare kind that causes degeneration and  chronic hymolisis that keeps worsening. He has been under this condition for about a few months. I heard the doctor said he was dying. I am sorry."

I just couldn't believe it. He was suffering and he kept it from me. For what reason? Was this the reason why he left?  What? So I would not suffer seeing him suffer?

Connor went forward to hold me and there on his shoulders I cried.

Later after I regained my composure, Connor asked me to have some coffee at the cafeteria while the others waited on Osaka. So, there we sat, my mind was still reeling, and I knew I was bound to have a panic attack any minute. If it weren't for Connor's countenance that showed sympathy and care and his touch that soothed my emotion, I would have already passed out.

"Well, Aspen, I don't know how to say this, but I'll just say whatever comes to my mind. Gerard, well, Osaka and I, became friends because he heard me telling stories to the kids here, just like Anthony did.   Later, when ever it was my schedule to come, we would meet and chat. I must say I have grown attached to him. He has a dazzling personality and extremely jovial.    He disclosed his private life to me, but I only heard of the good things and  he never ever talks about you, sorry." I was saddened by this disclosure.

"But let me continue. Two weeks ago, he left me a folio size envelope and said it was to be opened after his death. Well, I didn't mean to peek, but my little niece was playing in my room one day and before I could stop him, she tore the envelope. Inside the envelope was a note and another envelope. The note said that I was to give this to the person whose name is written on the envelope. Well, I am sorry to say that the name isn't Aspen, unless you have another name – Robbie. Is your name Robbie?"

I nodded. "It is middle name. Well, Robin is.  But why did he not write "Aspen", I was always Aspen to him, never Robbie.

"Well then, the letter is yours. I have it at home. I am still praying to God that Osaka will recover, but if he does not, you should have it."

The minutes that passed afterwards were becoming too long for me to hold my panic attack, so there in front of Connor, I just blacked out.