If tomorrow never comes [Complete]

Chapter 26

Arthit ran a hand through his hair, the sweat on his forehead messily getting mixed with his already damp strands. Spitting the grossness out of his mouth as he finally finished retching the contents of his stomach. His throat burning from the acid stinging through his entire body. But as much as it disgusted him being crouched on Pha's bathroom floor, he silently prayed it would never stop. That he would never need to leave this spot of disgrace. Never have to face the reality of what he had just discovered. Never need to think again. Never need to feel again.

He shut his eyes and laid his head back on the cool tiles of the wall behind him. His mind simultaneously running a mile a minute trying to absorb everything and yet it felt like time had just stopped. Like the world had momentarily stilled. Cause as soon as it would resume turning again everything would spin out of control.

Arthit heard the soft tap on the bathroom door as Pha called out to him.

"Arthit? Are you ok?"

"Ye...yeah. Just give me a minute."

He sucked in a few deep breaths, atleast intending for them to be calming, except making his lungs further constrict. He pushed himself up, his legs shaking under him. He splashed cold water on his flushed face, catching a brief look at himself in the mirror, looking pale and ghostly. The blood having nearly completely drained out from it. And by the time he stepped back into the room ready to resume the worst day of his life he wasn't even sure he could handle much more. He already had so much to think about. So much to deal with. And more than anything he wanted to run back to Kong. When he left him today, desperate to discover all his secrets, he hadn't realized how much pain, how much despair he would uncover.

"How are you doing?"

Arthit simply gave Pha a short nod before he dragged his feet back to the tiny dining table and sitting back on the chair he had recently vacated. And the two of them just sat there. Silently. For a little too long. Both unsure as to how exactly to continue this conversation. And amongst the myriad of emotions that frankly Arthit didn't even know he was feeling, he needed to know more, understand more of what had actually happened.

"You are sure about...?"

"I think so. I mean definitely about his operation and now having just one kidney. And as far as I can tell it was perfectly healthy in all his reports leading up to it."

"So...uh...was it to his mom?"

"Mom?"

"Kong's mom. Isn't she who he donated it to?"

"No. Why would that happen?"

"Isn't she sick?"

"Well, yeah but what does that have to do with Kong."

"Ok...I...am confused now. His mom is sick but she is not the one Kong donated his kidney to?"

"She has partial paralysis and is probably restricted to the bed but her kidneys seem ok. And even if they were not he could definitely not have given it to her. Their blood types don't match. But, Arthit I really don't think you are focusing on the important part right now."

"What do you mean?"

"He was fourteen.  Fourteen Arthit. Kong was just a child. He couldn't have possibly given consent. It was most likely illegal. Someone committed a major crime. This is really serious. We need to go report this to some kind of authorities."

"Wha...what are you trying to say?"

"Don't make me spell it out please. You know what I am trying to say."

"Pha are you crazy? Do you even know what you are implying? How can that even happen? It's...it's Kong. You are just...mistaken. Lets just go show the reports to someone else. Maybe...maybe none of this happened. Maybe you are just wrong."

"Ok, fine. We can go to someone else. We can get a hundred more people to read the reports. But when they all tell you the same thing you need to face the truth. Someone probably took his kidney and sol..."

"Don't. Don't say it. Just don't. Pha this is completely insane. Are you seriously saying someone forcefully took it when he was just a child?"

"Well that someone is most likely his father."

"No. No. No. No. No."

Arthit had jumped up from his seat and started pacing the room up and down, his hands vigorously running through his hair, the expression in his eyes wild and lost.

"Arthit just...calm down for a minute and think. Even if half of what I am saying is complete bullshit, the one fact that is undeniable is that one day he had a healthy kidney and the next he did not. It doesn't matter who it went to or what they did with it. Even if it is the best case scenario and it went to his mom or someone really close and important, he was still just a child. A child who couldn't possibly conceive the repercussions of such an action. That is why it is illegal. And it is going to be a billion times worse if he actually has complications from losing an organ."

And by the time Pha had finally culminated his speech Arthit found himself on his knees in the middle of the room, desperately pulling at his hair, silently screaming all his frustrations in his head. Hanging onto every last word coming out of Pha's mouth, yet every syllable piercing right through his soul. 

He could run away. He could ignore this. He could make himself never think about this day again. But even while that thought flitted through him for less than a micro second he already knew it would not be an option for him.

They were talking about Kong. Kong's life. And how it would probably be altered forever. How could he even think of running away when Kong would never have the opportunity to run from his circumstances. A life of misery that his childhood must have been. The life that he was forced to suffer through living right next to them. If only Arthit had paid more attention. If only he had cared enough. But what if it was too late to start making amends now?

"What...what complications were you talking about?"

"I'm not sure. He doesn't have any updated records here just that something went wrong during his operation. But that was like 4 something years ago so hopefully I am wrong about that."

"He didn't remember me."

"Huh?"

"Two weeks ago he said he went to meet his mom..."

"Ok..."

"Then last week he stopped calling and messaging me."

"What dose this have to do with anything?"

"I followed him there. I wanted to see him again. And I did. We met. We spoke. I even yelled at him. But he was behaving all weird. Like he was in some sort of a daze. And then he just went to sleep. Right in the middle of our conversation. And when he came back home he didn't remember our meeting. He didn't remember any of it. You think...you think it could be because of the complications?"

Pha frowned, trying to dig through his cluttered brain to recall all his medical knowledge. Shaking his head in resignation. Frustrated at not being of any help.

"I don't know Arthit. There are just so many reasons for short term memory loss. I can't say anything for sure until I get to see him for myself. And possibly run some more tests. I...I wanted to share his records with a friend of mine, if that is ok. We need to confirm what we suspect, see if I missed anything, before we....before you decide what to do next."

Arthit meant to respond. To say something. To agree with Pha's plan. But it seemed he was once again incapable of any movement. His whole world being swept away in a tornado. Leaving nothing but a path of destruction behind.

"Arthit I think you need to be strong right now. Kong has probably gone through all of it by himself until now. He needs you. He will need you to be there for him from now on. You can do that right?"

But before Arthit could give a brief nod, the phone in his pocket began vibrating. His heart thrumming wildly in his chest when he saw that one name flashing that will forever change his life.

He gave Pha a half worried, half scared look, which was perfectly reflected in Pha's expression.

"Is that...Kong?"

"Ye...yeah..."

"What are you going to do?"

"I am not....sure."