|Weak Hero| Alones

Chapter 8

"Go away!" Gray continued to cry. 

"Gray, sweetie," Mom Yeon was growing weary. She still had to work full time to pay the bills and was growing more exhausted with making no progress with Gray's mental condition. "Don't you recognize me? I'm your mother,"

"Liar! Liar!" Gray shook his head. "Everyone just wants to hurt me!"

"Gray, we're your friends," Ben said. "I'm Ben, that's Alex, and those guys over there are Eugene, Rowan, Teddy, and Gerard,"

"Liar! Liar!" Gray repeated.

"Gray, you need to eat," Mom Yeon sighed. "Please,"

"I can't trust any of you! All of you are liars! All of you want to hurt me like those monsters! All of the food you're trying to feed me are drugged just like how you're drugging me through this IV!"

"Gray, is there someone you do trust though?" Eugene asked, recalling that the doctor had said that Gray trusted the one who had taken care of him for a month.

"Big brother..." Gray whispered. "I want my big brother..."

Big brother. That was the first time Gray had referred to Donald as that. After getting close to Donald, Gray had began to consider Donald to be a big brother to him. He never actually said it to Donald's face, fearing that Donald wouldn't want to be called that.

There was a knock at the door and the doctor entered. "The young man who took care of the patient is here," 

The Eungang all froze in terror when they saw Donald Na enter the hospital room. 

When Donald saw them, he was immediately pissed off. Unlike how Donald had just been playing around when he fought Ben last year, right now he looked like he genuinely wanted to murder them. "Why the fuck are you all crowding around him!? Of course he's going to be panicked and stressed out!"

"You—" Alex began but was interrupted by Mom Yeon approaching Donald.

"Were you the one who found my son?" Mom Yeon asked.

"Yes," Donald nodded, this time speaking in a much politer tone.

"Donald?" Gray uncurled a bit when he heard his big brother's voice. "Donald save me from these monsters!"

Hearing the desperation in Gray's voice caused Donald's protectiveness to increase. He walked over to Gray's side, purposefully bumping against Ben in a harsh manner. "Gray, have you eaten yet?"

Gray shook his head. "These monsters put drugs in the food they give me!"

'He looks and sounds like an even younger child now,' Donald noted how scared Gray was. "I brought some rice and stew that I made," He opened up the container of food that he had brought with him.

"Did those monsters drug it?" Gray glanced over to the others.

"No," Donald ate a spoonful of rice and stew to prove it. "See? No drugs,"

"Really?" Gray reluctantly took a bite. "It's yummy," He took another bite and then another, slowly beginning to fill his empty stomach.

"Take your time," Donald advised. "Your food's not gonna run away and I don't want you to accidentally choke,"

"Okay..." Gray slowed down and actually savored the flavor. Tears began to stream down his face. "Big brother...I want to go home..."

Donald gently placed a hand on Gray's head, careful to notice any signs of him flinching or pulling away from the touch. Gray didn't pull away.

"I'll see what I can do," Donald said. "Why don't you finish your food and I'll talk to the doctor?"

Gray grabbed Donald's hand. "Don't go...please..."

XXX

While Mom Yeon spoke with the doctor, the Eungang kept an eye on Donald. "It's so weird," Rowan said. "Donald Na is acting so...gentle with Gray and Gray actually trusts him,"

"Well I don't," Alex sent another glare Donald's way. "I don't know what that bastard's planning, but it can't be good,"

"Why's there a bunny in that guy's backpack?" Gerard interrupted. 

Everyone watched as Donald took out the giant continental bunny and handed her to Gray, who happily hugged her.

"Donald Na probably kidnapped that bunny," Alex said. "He's probably using it to manipulate Gray or something,"

"Why would he even want to manipulate Gray?" Teddy asked.

"He might want Gray to join the Union because of his intelligence," Eugene speculated.

"We can't let him brainwash Gray and drag him into the Union!" Ben declared.

"Gray isn't going to join the Union," Donald spoke up, reminding everyone that they were in the same room and Donald had heard everything. "In fact, I'll make sure no one in the Union messes with him,"

"You expect us to believe that bullshit!?"

"Keep your voices down," Donald motioned to Gray, who had flinched upon hearing their yelling. "No wonder he's terrified of you. You guys don't respect his personal space and you're too loud,"

"You—"

Their conversation was cut short when the doctor and Mom Yeon re-entered the room. "Due to the patient's current condition, he won't be able to leave for at least a week or two. After he's discharged, he'll have several prescribed medications to help him deal with the drug withdrawal symptoms,"

Gray tugged on Donald's hand. "I want to go home now...I don't want to stay with these people..."

"Gray, none of these people here want to hurt you," Donald gently told him. "The doctors and nurses here do want to help you recover. They're not injecting you with dangerous substances like the people who kidnapped you did. They won't hurt you like those bastards did. If you leave right now, you'll end up getting sick again and fall even more ill,"

"And the other people here won't hurt you," Donald continued. "That woman over there is your mother. Those Eunjang students are your friends. Your probably unable to recognize them because you're in such a panicked stated. Once you calm down and can think clearly again, you'll be able to recognize them,"

"After Gray's discharged," Mom Yeon said. "Mr. Na, would it be alright if he stays with you? I work full time so I won't be able to care for him. Of course I'll pay you for your help,"

"I don't need any payment," Donald replied. "I'll take care of Gray. I consider him to be like a little brother to me. He's also gotten pretty attached to my pet bunny,"

"Ma'am, I don't think that's a good idea," Ben spoke up. 'We can't leave Gray alone with Donald Na!'

"Why not?" 

The Eungang couldn't say that Donald Na was the head of a criminal organization consisting of high schoolers. There's no way Mom Yeon would believe such a thing and it wasn't like they had any proof of the Union's activities.

"He's a high schooler," Alex pointed out. "Is he going to leave Gray alone while he's at school?"

"I do not have to be on campus for most days," Donald claimed. "My friend brings me any work that I have to complete. I'm only required to actually go on campus whenever I have a test or exam, during which case my friend watches over Gray,"

"Although I feel bad for having a teenager help care for my son, you're the one he trusts the most," Mom Yeon said.

"I'll give you my address once Gray's discharged so that you can visit him whenever you have time," Donald told her.