Remember Me

II

After taking a very early flight to Bangkok and took a taxi to Bangkok's hospital only to find a dishevelled Mae Ning (well not really dishevelled because Mae Ning has always been the perfect picture of beauty and elegance but her eyes were red-rimmed and it looked like she hard bags under her eyes). Which was not a good sign. Gemini's father was also there with an expression painted with worry, and he too seemed like he hadn't seen sleep in a while.

"Hello Mae, Por." Fourth greeted, bowing slightly with a wai to Gemini's parents.

"Oh, thank you! Thank you for coming, " Mae Ning said, enveloping Fourth into an embrace. Fourth didn't know what was going on but seeing Mae Ning like this meant only one thing. Something was wrong with Gemini. The thought of it alone made his heart sink to his stomach and he could feel an ache in his chest.

"Thank you for coming, son." Gemini's father said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Can we go to the café downstairs to get coffee and so that we can talk?" Mae Ning asked with a small smile on her face.

"Of course, Mae." Fourth said with a nod.

The coffee at the hospital café wasn't as bad as he had thought it would be but then again Fourth had always preferred tea over coffee so maybe he wasn't the best person to judge whether the coffee was good or not. He was nervous as to why Gemini's parents had called him over here. He hoped Gemini was fine and not dead or anything.

"So, son. You must be wondering why we called you over here on short notice. My wife and I had been debating on whether or not to do it. We are so sorry to drag you into this mess." Gemini's father spoke, and Fourth nodded his understanding.

"Well, Gemini got into an accident a month ago." Mae Ning said, and Fourth felt his heart stop beating.

"What?" That was all Fourth could say. He didn't think he could say anything else, let alone think of anything else. It felt as if someone had poured a bucket of ice cold water on him.

"He got into a car accident, some drunken truck driver. He ended up in a coma due to the swelling of his brain and then... and then he woke up three days ago." Mae Ning said red-rimmed eyes, welling up with tears again.

"He- Gemini woke up, and he asked for his husband." Gemini's father stated, and Fourth blinked twice at them, not understanding what they were saying.

First of all, it kind of hurt to know that Gemini had remarried. Second of all, what do they mean by husband because last time he checked, Gemini was engaged to Aya, the singer and actress who was definitely not a man and thus could not be the husband in question.

"What do you mean? Wasn't he engaged to Aya? Was there someone else?" Fourth probably shouldn't have asked the last question. Did it seem insensitive? Also, he doesn't understand why he was called over if Gemini wanted his husband, whoever that person was.

"Gemini broke off his engagement with Aya a month before his accident." Mae Ning explained.

"And he married someone else?" Fourth asked. Still try to process how Gemini's heart can become so feeble, unless if he had been cheating on Aya all this time. Which was unlike him because Gemini was never the type of person to cheat, Gemini has always been honest like that.

"No. What my wife is trying to say is that Gemini asked for you. He thinks you guys are still married." Gemini's father explained.

Wait! What?

"What? How can that be possible. I haven't spoken with Gemini in almost a decade." Fourth said, feeling hysterical laughter bubbling in his chest.

"The doctors explained that Gemini had lost some of his memories. They believe it might be psychological as nothing physical could explain the memory loss." Gemini's father explained.

"So he thinks we still married? Why didn't you correct him." Fourth asked, barely holding himself together.

"We tried, and he became hysterical and had a seizure. When he gained consciousness, he refused to speak to anyone except you." Mae Ning spoke tears flowing freely from her eyes.

"I know it's a lot to ask from you, but the doctors believe that maybe your presence can help him deal with whatever psychological trauma he had experienced and hopefully gain his  memories." Gemini's father explained.

"You want me to pretend to still be married to him?" Fourth asked.

"I know it's a lot to ask from you, but he is refusing to eat. He is refusing treatment and- and they had to sedate him. Please, Fourth." Mae Ning said between sobs.

Fourth was conflicted. He was finally in a place in his life where he was content with the life he built. Doing this will break everything he had built. It would take him back to all the tearful nights he had spent crying over his broken marriage. He had pieced back his heart, and this might undo all of it.

But looking at Gemini's parents desperate faces, how could he say no? How could he crush the desperate hope they have in him?

"Okay." Fourth said in a small voice.

"Okay?" Mae Ning asked, looking hopeful.

"Okay. I will do it. If the doctors believe it could help, then I will do it." Fourth said with a nod. Trying to keep himself calm and convincing himself that he can do this.

"Thank you! Thank you!" Mae Ning said, squeezing his hand.

"Thank you, Fourth." Gemini's father bowed his thanks.

When Fourth saw Gemini again in person after almost 10 years, he felt as if the air had been knocked out of lungs.

"Fotfot!" Gemini said, more like whined the way he used whenever he wanted Fourth's attention when they were younger. His lips formed a petulant pout.

"Gem..." Fourth said softly, he could feel the tears burning at the back of his eyes and a lump stuck on his throat.

"Oh, I am sorry. I must have worried you. I am sorry, love." Gemini said, making grabby hands at Fourth just like he used to when beckoning Fourth over for a hug when they were younger.

Fourth walked over to Gemini and was enveloped into a tight embrace, the same embrace he had thought he would never be in again. Gemini still smelled the same, a hint of vanilla and sandalwood. A scent that was specifically Gemini.

"I am sorry for not coming sooner." Fourth said softly, tightening his hold on Gemini.

"It's okay. Mom said you had an urgent work business you had to deal with. You will have to compensate me, though. And I am not settling on anything under 100 kisses." Gemini said, his face pressed against the crook of Fourth's neck.

"I will see what can be done about that." Fourth said with a weak chuckle.

This whole situation was going to be the end of him.