The Best Candidate

Chapter 15

A/N: The image above does not belong to me. It belongs to the person who uploaded it on the internet.

Tul's POV 

"I don't want you to pamper me."

This silly friend of mine did not want to take advantage of my offer to take good care of him.

"Very well," I said, handing him the bowl of seaweed and egg drop soup.

He took it saying "You should have yourself some breakfast too."

"There's some more of that left in the pot," I said." I will pour it into a bowl and come back to join you."

"Stop it, Tul," he said, "Go and have it comfortably at table. I won't die of loneliness if I had to have breakfast by myself."

He accompanied those words with a laugh.

I'm sure it was just my imagination but his laugh sounded a bit hollow to me.

"Alrighty buddy," I said "I won't take long."

"Take your time," he said as I walked out of the room and made my way to the kitchen.

The seaweed and egg drop soup tasted really good even if I have to say so myself heheh.

I made quick work of it, enjoying it to the last spoonful.

I made my way back to the room and caught Max just in time wiping away a tear from his face.

"What the hell, Max!" I rushed up to him grabbing the soup bowl from his hand and setting it on the bedside table. 

I quickly grabbed the bottle of pain pills and shook out two of them and handed them to him.

"Take these," I said. "I'm gonna fetch a glass of water from the kitchen.

I rushed back to the kitchen and came back with the glass of water.

He still had not popped the pain pills into his mouth. Okay now he was being a baby wanting me to be the one to place the pills into his mouth.

I took the pills from him and placed my hand near his lips.

"Open up," I instructed him.

He shook his head refusing to open his mouth as I asked him to.

"What the hell's wrong with you???" I scolded him. "Don't you want to feel better."

He shook his head once more and then suddenly burst into tears.

I set the pills carefully on the bedside table and rushed up to him gently placing my arms around him.

"Tell me what's bothering you," I said as I ran my hand up and down his back to comfort him.

"I'm a good listener," I said. "I'm a good adviser as well," I added for good measure willing him to confide in me.

When he continued to stay quiet I said, "You can trust me with any secret. I am not a tattletale. And I am a good friend. You can bet on that. Now start talking."

Instead of talking he started to sob against my chest.

I felt a bit offended. It seemed to me that he didn't trust me enough to confide in me.

"It's okay," I said. "I'm not gonna force you to talk. Just let me know when you feel ready to confide in me. Like I said earlier I'm a good friend, a good listener and a good adviser. Now talk, goddammit."