The Ways of Patching Up | ✓

Seventh

No matter how much optimism he had, Elliot surely felt something was off with these weird beers that Dad had brought home. Sure, they might be just normal beverages and meant no harm, but the child's instincts suggested otherwise. The worst thing was that he never saw Dad buying these bottles before, and thus they were completely unfamiliar to him.

Elliot tried shifting his mind to the brighter side as he chewed on the food that Mr. Zheng had given them previously. As usual, the child called him, and he would happily deliver different varieties of food for the family. Elliot had contemplated asking Mr. Zheng about the beers, but when he was picking up the food, he barely brushed on the topic and ended up saying nothing.

As of right now, Elliot regretted staying quiet about his situation and not asking anything.

He could only watch as Dad gulped down on his first beer. In less than a few minutes, he was done consuming every drop, and was on the verge of opening the second bottle. Elliot didn't dare to comment, as he didn't want to disturb Dad's... strange delight as he enjoyed his beers. He simply finished his noodles silently while his father didn't even touch his dinner, and as a result, it was left there in the cold.

That's weird... The child tilted his head. He looked really happy while drinking those beers. Maybe, those beers are not something bad... I'm just being really sensitive.

Elliot sighed as he began tidying up his mess while his father chugged on the bottles. He didn't even pay any slight attention to his son, and was completely focused on the pleasure of consuming his beers. After cleaning up everything, he noticed Dad leaving the table, bringing his bottles along and abandoning his food. He probably had more work to do in the basement lab, which meant no disturbance.

That's okay... I can't just nag my dad all the time. At least he finds something he can enjoy and not be sad the whole time. If he's getting better, that way he'll play with me again, and then... we all can go back together...

His movements looked really odd and wobbly though. He was staggering unusually, but considering Dad's adamant refusal for help, Elliot decided to leave him be. However, when he was about to return to his room to tidy up for another day at school tomorrow, a familiar gruff voice suddenly stopped him on his tracks.

"El... lliot..."

The tiny hairs on the back of Elliot's neck promptly stood straight up. He could feel every inch of his body stiffening as he jumped, especially when it originated behind him. Despite everything, he instantly turned around without second thoughts, because that tone... it just sounded like... he was in a lot of pain.

"My son... hehe, wait up..." Dad slurred as he, with difficulty, approached Elliot.

"D... Dad?" A sudden feeling of dread washed through him when he realized Dad was demanding for his attention. He was having a hard time trying to stand up, let alone walking, so he was using the walls as some sort of support. His legs were shaking with might, and he had an eerie expression that Elliot never saw before. What's with him...?

Out of the blue, Dad fell to his knees, consequently loosening his grip on the beer bottles. They helplessly toppled to the floor, making loud thuds that inevitably made Elliot flinch, but surprisingly, they didn't break apart. Regardless, this caused the child to drop all of his belongings and scamper towards his father, still with no idea what just happened.

"Dad! Dad, stay with me!" Elliot exclaimed, his mind was completely in a frenzied state. He frantically tried to find reasons why Dad was acting so odd, but he couldn't reach a proper answer. He found himself grabbing Dad's shoulders, which were trembling with might, "what's going on?!"

"Hehe..." Despite his awful condition, Lawson managed to laugh as he crookedly smiled. While his son stared at him with widened eyes, he was just lightheaded, feeling that everything was spinning fast and that the world didn't matter anymore, "hug me... Elliot... hic!"

"Dad, you're having hiccups!" He exclaimed, "okay, you need to hold your breath-"

"Elliot... you know... your mommy is right after all..." he drawled, "she's better off with another man who can take care of her better... but I still miss her... hic! I miss her so much... I wanna be with her... hehe..."

At the mention of his mother, Elliot gripped his jaw together and clenched his hands, "no, Mom's wrong! She's a bad person because I can tell how she hurts you! She even leaves us!"

"I couldn't do anything right... I messed everything up... There's no way I can survive this... after all, I'm about to get fired from my job... hehe, cool right...? Hic!" Lawson hiccuped as the child could see water forming in the corner of his reddened eyes, "I can't take care of you, kid... you're better off living with your mommy... you even had a better father over there... I don't even know why you are still here... Hic!"

Hearing Dad's words, Elliot's small heart tore apart like a piece of paper, as he could feel the acute pain on his chest. His eyes started warming up as he could feel something moist pooling out of them. He struggled on holding them back from spilling out, but he failed badly. He shook his head before he instinctively reached his arms out and embraced Dad.

"No! I wanna be with the real Dad!" Elliot complained as tears finally found its way out of his eyes, "Mom can just go here if she wants to see me, but I'm better with you! I don't wanna go live with Mom!"

"Elliot... please... hic!" Lawson tried to push his son away, but his dizziness was getting the best of him. He also had no energy to squirm himself out of the child's iron grip around him.

"Like I said, I'll try my best to help you, Dad... I'm always here," Elliot mumbled as he choked on his sobs, "if you can't take care of me, then I'll take care of myself! I'm a big boy already, so it's okay for me... it's... okay..."

Lawson said nothing as silence started befalling over them. His thoughts were all swirling around him, as his headaches grew much worse than before. Nonetheless, the noises that kept them company were his spontaneous hiccups and the silent cries of his young son.