A Rose Amongst Thorns

Chapter Twenty-One

The ambulance rushed into the emergency room bay. The doors swung open, the paramedics rushing from the rig. The gurney carrying Arthit was hurried into the emergency room with doctors swarming the gurney to begin treatment.

Phana was the doctor on duty. His eyes stretched seeing the patient on the gurney.

"Oh my God!" The nurses scurried around him taking Arthit's vitals and working furiously. "Give me the bullet! Hurry!"

One of the paramedics handed one of the nurses an emergency field chart.

"Male in his thirties. Sucking chest wound from a single gunshot. No exit visible in the field. Severe blood loss. Wound was pressure treated in the field."

Phana placed a mask on Arthit and yelled to an intern to fetch some blood from the blood bank. Then he checked Arthit's airway to make sure he wasn't choking in his own blood.

"Cardiac tamponade! Quick! We need to drain the pericardium."

After working on Arthit for several more minutes, he was rushed into surgery to remove the bullet and repair the damage to his heart.

Phana removed his bloody gown and walked to the waiting room to see the police and if anyone had accompanied Arthit in the ambulance. He was shocked to find Kongpob covered with blood talking to the police. Phana ran up to him, spinning him around to make sure he wasn't injured.

"Phana! What're you doing?" Kongpob shoved him pushing him away.

"I'm making sure you aren't injured."

"It's not my blood."

"What the hell happened?"

"Are you treating Arthit?"

"Yes."

Kongpob stared at him wide-eyed gripping his shoulders.

"Where is he? Is he okay? Tell me. I have to see him."

"Kong! Calm down. He's okay. His lung was collapsed, and he lost a lot of blood, but he's alive. He was just taken into surgery to see if the bullet can be removed."

Kongpob slumped into one of the chairs holding his head in his hands. Phana sat down next to Kongpob. He wasn't sure if he should comfort his friend or not, so he just sat silently hoping his presence would be enough to bring some solace to Kongpob.

"Why are you here Phana?"

Phana inhaled and sighed deeply.

"Kong. I know I'm probably the last person you want to talk to right now, but if you'll let me, I'd like to be here for you. I know how much you love Arthit. Is it okay if I sit with you?"

There was only silence between them for several minutes. Feeling Kongpob would rather be alone, Phana stood to leave. He was stopped when Kong tugged at the hem of his scrubs.

"Please don't leave." It was a whisper but Phana heard it. He sat back down and waited. Kongpob said nothing. He hugged Phana around the waist and laid his head on Phana's chest. Phana was taken aback for a moment and then slowly placed his arms around his friend and rubbed his back while his tears flowed wetting his scrubs.

Phana held his friend until his tears broke way to sobs and then slowed to nothing.

"Kong. Would you like to go see how Arthit is doing? He may be out of surgery by now. If not, then I'll go in theater and see where they are. Would you like me to do that for you?"

Kongpob did not answer but nodded his head against Phana's chest. Phana squeezed Kongpob's shoulders and helped him to stand. Kongpob leaned on Phana and walked with him to the surgical waiting area. Phana came back a little later with a report for Kongpob. Seeing Phana, Kongpob stood and waited for him to speak.

"So, the surgeon has determined that there was significant damage to Arthit's heart and that he will need a transplant. They can keep him alive as long as they need to, but the best thing for him is a new heart."

"If I have to spend everything I have I will find him a heart."

"It's not that easy Kong. The heart has to be a compatible match for Arthit. If it's not, then it won't work. This isn't something that can be solved with money. We just have to pray that a heart will become available."

"Phana. I can't live without Arthit. In the short time that we've been together I have truly started to live my life. I didn't know what love was until I met him."

"I know Kong. I know. In the meantime, Arthit is going to be placed in a comatose state until a heart becomes available."

"Can I see him?"

"He's going to be in recovery for several hours and then moved to a patient room. The best thing you can do for him is to go home and get a good night's sleep. Then you can tell me how all of this happened. Sitting here worrying yourself sick will not help Arthit. He wouldn't want you to do that. Let me take you home. Is that okay?"

Kongpob nodded and stood to walk with Phana to his car.

Phana took the key from Kongpob's hand to open the door to his condo but found the door already open. They entered to find Madame Suthiluck sitting in Kongpob's living room. Seeing her son in such a pitiful condition, she ran to the door and cupped Kongpob's face in her hands.

"Oh my God son. What happened? Why are you covered in blood? Phana, what's going on here?"

Phana guided Kongpob to the couch and turned to address Madame Suthiluck.

"Aunty Kong has been through a lot. Let me get him situated and then I'll tell you everything I know, okay?"

She nodded her head and helped Phana get Kongpob undressed and in the shower. While Madame Suthiluck helped Kongpob clean himself, Phana did away with the bloody clothes and washed the excess blood off his own hands. He pulled a t-shirt and a pair of shorts from the wardrobe for Kongpob and helped Madame Suthiluck dress him and deposit him in the bed. Throughout it all, Kongpob was listless and borderline nonresponsive. Covering him with the duvet, Phana beckoned Madame Suthiluck to join him in the living room. The door was cracked just enough for them to monitor Kongpob.

"Now tell me what happened to my son. Does this have anything to do with that damned girl? I thought I took care of that problem."

"Achara? No. Of course not. Why would you say that? What do you mean by taking care of that problem?"

"Nothing. Just tell me what happened."

"I'm not sure of all the details, but Kong told me about Arthit being shot while saving him from a madman. That's all I know for now."

"WHAT? Where did this happen?"

"At some mansion at the outskirts of the city."

Madame Suthiluck thought for a minute and then froze. She remembered hearing something about a shooting at Tanawat's home on the news in the car. She turned on the television hoping it would be covered on the news.

"Breaking News. There has been a fatal shooting at the home of billionaire financier Anton Tanawat. A spokesperson for the Bangkok Police Department has stated that there is one person dead from a self-inflicted gunshot to the head. Another was wounded and taken to Bangkok Hospital for treatment. The identity of the deceased person has not yet been released to the media. Details will be shared as they become available."

Madame Suthiluck turned off the television and grabbed her purse.

"Phana take care of my son. I have to go."

Before Phana could respond Madame Suthiluck had rushed out the door.

"Arnault take me to Tanawat Manor."

"Yes Madame."

On the way to Tanawat Manor, Madame Suthiluck made several calls to Tanawat, but they went unanswered. Her hands began to shake, and tears formed in her eyes as her anxiety grew.

"My son. Please let him be okay. Please."