The morning rays peeked through the curtains, casting a delicate warmth on soft sleepy features. His eyelids tightened in slight discomfort before opening to a magical pair of blues like a dancing sky in snowy weather, so bright and pure. The faintness in these eyes told a prolonged struggle that could never be put into words.
His arm slowly elevated then flopped on the sheets, drained of all strength. He winced and tried again, lifting it until his fingers reached for his eyes to rub the drowsiness away.
Every day was a challenge for Kevin. He struggled to wake up, brush his teeth, get dressed, and do every other daily task. Everything took more time, more effort, and left him more exhausted. Frustration built up inside him, especially since he couldn't do any of it without Duke's help.
This morning, Kevin was determined to rise up on his own. All he needed to do was sit up.
"OK." He huffed. "I can do it."
His frail grips squeezed the side rails. He pulled and was able to lift his back for a second before he came down lying on the bed.
He cursed under his breath. I can't even do this lousy little exercise right.
The attempt left him breathless. His muscles weren't only weak, they ached whenever he moved them as if he had just come out of a fight, bruised and sore.
He took a few deep breaths then gripped the side rails once more. He closed his eyes and groaned as he pulled, and pulled, and pulled until he couldn't pull anymore. He opened his eyes, panting, and looked down. A weary smile lit up his face.
"I did it!"
The door clicked, and a worried Duke stepped in. "Are ya alright?" He closed the door behind him and walked toward Kevin. "You sounded like you were in trouble."
"I'm fine. I was practicing, just like you told me."
Kevin's voice was not raspy nor whispery anymore. His speech got better, came out louder and stronger than when he first woke up from the coma.
"Oh, my Lord." Duke grinned as he sat at the edge of the bed. "Look atchu. You sat up all on your own."
Though exhausted and sweat was damping some hair strands that fell on his face, Kevin smiled, and it was the most beautiful smile Duke had ever seen.
"Why do you lock my door?"
The question came out of nowhere, leaving Duke baffled for a moment.
Ever since Kevin got better, Duke felt the need to lock the door, just in case the kid got his memory back and tried to escape. However, Duke would never tell him the truth about the lock. He had to tell a lie, just like all the lies he had told since Kevin woke up.
It was nice having a clueless Kevin. Duke felt like a new page in their relationship was turned, and he wouldn't give it up that easily.
'Oh, he's good,' said a giggling voice. 'You're in trouble now. Hehe. That sweet piece of ass knows.'
"So?" Kevin peeked at Duke's petrified face.
"What?" Duke blinked.
'Aww. Look at that face,' a friendly voice said. 'He couldn't possibly know. Just look at that adorable innocent face.'
Kevin stared, waiting for an answer.
"Oh. Haha." Duke scratched his head. "It's because I worry about you so much."
'You gotta do better than that, you stupid freak,' an angry voice grumbled. 'He's on to you.'
"You don't remember this, but," Duke continued. "You used to sleepwalk a lot and eventually get yourself hurt."
'That's better,' the angry voice was pleased.
"But," Kevin raised an eyebrow. "I don't know how to walk yet."
"I know... It's complicated." Duke waved it away. "I don't want you to worry about it, but trust me, it's for your safety."
Duke lowered his head to look Kevin in the eye, giving him a glare of trust.
Kevin felt the sincere worry in those gentle blue eyes. Duke was a good caregiver, the best; he never gave a reason for Kevin to doubt him. Kevin trusted him.
"OK."
The morning exercises started. Duke helped Kevin stretch his arms and legs, massaging the contracted muscle tissues along the way to give them back their flexibility. Even with a heavy winter pajama covering Kevin's body, every touch sent sparks tingling through Duke.
Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe he shouldn't be the one massaging Kevin. He should let Rosaline do it.
Duke focused on his breathing to distract himself, to get a hold of himself. Sweat coated his face. He was never this close to Kevin for a long period of time. It was absolute torture fighting off these strong sexual desires.
When it was time to practice walking, Kevin was already drained.
"Maybe not today," Kevin stated behind a sad pout. "I'm too... tired. I can't."
"If you say so." Duke put the walker away then patted Kevin on the shoulder. "You did good today."
Kevin's face gloomed and Duke knew exactly why.
He sat next to him and said, "Your brain has been sleeping for a while. It needs time to reconnect with your nervous system. The exercises help to strengthen your muscles and speed up your recovery. If it makes you feel any better, I think you're gonna walk within the next couple of weeks."
"Weeks!" Kevin frowned. "But... In the movies—"
"Yeah. I know." Duke chuckled. "They'd be walking straight after a 7-years coma. But this is reality, and it sucks."
Kevin seemed like he was in pain. His pretty face was frowning, distracted by a dreadful thought.
"What's wrong?"
"I feel... I feel," Kevin started, but couldn't finish, as if words became stuck in his throat. "... Bad."
"You feel bad?"
"No. That's not it." Kevin paused as he stared at the ground a little longer. "I feel..."
Duke watched Kevin's mouth, trying to catch the word he was trying to say.
"You feel... tired?"
"No! God!" Kevin rubbed his temples and released a grunt of annoyance. "Why is it so hard to find the right words?"
"Take your time. You need to refresh your memory. That's all."
Kevin relaxed and took a deep breath.
"It's like... I feel lost or..." His eyes wandered around the room, from the walls to the ceiling. "Like I'm not supposed to be here." He sighed. "Like... something isn't right." His eyes finally locked on Duke. "Something's not right, and I can't explain it."
Duke's heart stung. He didn't want to believe it, but even if Kevin didn't regain his memories, his subconscious was warning him. At this rate, Duke's little imaginary relationship with Kevin would end very soon. Duke knew this would happen eventually, but he hoped it would take long enough for Kevin to like him back, or at least to forgive him.
Duke lowered his head. Sadness washed over him. His days with the clueless Kevin were numbered. He thought he wanted back the old Kevin, but these past few days with this Kevin were nice.
He had to ask.
"Is it me?" Duke closed his eyes, scared of Kevin's response. "Do I make you feel bad?"
"Nooo. Don't be silly." Kevin let out the sweetest laugh, attracting Duke. "It can't be you. You're the nicest person ever. You care so much about me, and I know you'd never make me feel sad or bad. You'd never hurt me in any way. I know that."
Every innocent comment that came out of Kevin's mouth was like a knife cutting through Duke's heart. Nicest person. You'd never make me feel sad. You'd never hurt me. Duke winced at every word.
A burning lump grew in his throat. Why did he have to say that? The pain in his chest was unbearable.
He cleared his throat to mend his breaking voice.
"Good. You know what I think?" Duke stood up. "I think you need to just brush those feeling off." A nervous chuckle escaped his lips. "Just come down. I made you something that'll cheer you up."
...
Heading down the stairs backward in a wheelchair, Duke and Kevin smelled the sweet scent of pastries. When they reached the first floor, passed the open living room, they stopped in the kitchen.
Rosaline turned around wearing her nurse uniform and served three plates of waffles, one for each.
"Surprise," she said with a modest smile.
"Waffles!" Kevin's face lit up. "Finally some solid food."
"Yeah," said Duke, as he carefully parked the wheelchair at the counter. "We thought it's about time."
The three gathered around the kitchen island and started eating. The waffles tasted as good as they looked. Kevin was a slow eater since it was his first solid food in a while. He savored every bite. Duke and Rosaline avoided talking about the 'business' and focused on the weather outside. It was a cold snowy day in December.
A feminine wail erupted from a closed door next to the kitchen, silencing the group.
Kevin froze.
"Help," a wail of suffering came from the same door.
Kevin dropped his fork and shook in horror. "What was that?"
"Excuse me for a moment." Duke rushed to the door.
"Heeelp," a throaty, pained cry escaped the open door before Duke got in and closed it. "Somebody help me."
The color from Kevin's face faded. His chest rose and fell in panic. He looked into Rosaline's stormy eyes, hoping to get a logical explanation for what happened.
"Kevin." Rosaline sighed. "Remember that poor girl living here we told you about?"
"No."
"Well, we did, you just forgot. Anyway, Duke is taking care of her. The poor thing is mentally unstable." She shook her head. "But the good news is she's getting better."
She flashed a smile to assure him, though it didn't stop his racing heartbeats.
The screaming stopped.
Duke returned. "Sorry about that." He slapped his hands together and sat down. "Let's eat."
Both Rosaline and Duke reacted normally to the screams, which made Kevin question himself. He picked up his fork, still staring at the door where the screams came from. A door to some basement, from the looks of it. His heart skipped a beat. He froze again as if he remembered something.
"Kevin." Rosaline snapped her fingers, laughing. "Where'd you go?"
They acted as nothing happened.
"Oh. Sorry." Kevin glanced at his plate. "Thanks for the waffles. They taste really good."
He gave them a soft laugh then continued eating. Hesitant. Doubtful. His mind refused to let it go. That bad feeling he was having today intensified.
Suddenly, his face paled to a sickly white. Eyes widened. He choked on his food and started coughing.
Duke brought a glass of water while Rosaline hurried to pat Kevin's back.
Kevin grabbed the drink with sweaty palms and took a few sips.
He stopped coughing, tears gathering at the corners of his eyes as he gasped for air. He was no longer choking, but he couldn't stop shivering. He kept staring down, not blinking, staring at nothing, but there was something—An image in his mind. Something he couldn't shake off.
"Are you OK?" Duke asked.
"I'm good now." Kevin nodded without looking at him. "Thanks for the water."
He tried to smile, but his smile was short and weak. He raised the glass of water to his lips. He drank then swallowed a bitter taste in his mouth. His face turned greenish.
"I think I'm gonna be sick."
Before anyone could do anything, Kevin threw up, spilling the contents of his stomach all over the breakfast counter.
"I'm sorry." Kevin breathed with difficulty, wheezing like an asthmatic without an inhaler. "I ruined breakfast."
He felt a pat on his back and saw a trashcan on his lap, which he quickly targeted as the sour taste built up in his mouth. He spat and gasped but was unable to hold it in. He started vomiting over and over again. Cold sweat covered his lifeless face. Shallow breaths escaped his lungs as he hugged his stomach in agony.
"I guess..." He chuckled. "I wasn't ready for solid food after all."
Wow. What just happened to Kevin?? O.O
Is it some kind of PTSD or something?????