Third Person POV
Fourth was sitting at the edge of the bed, still thinking about everything that's been torturing him for days...
the thoughts he thought he experienced .. but he wants to know what happened.. since his brain doesn't allow him to do so..
"Fourth?" the doctor came,
Fourth looked at him with a blank expression,
"You need to drink your medicine" the doctor sighed and sat beside him
"Doc, can you please tell me how I ended up here?" Fourth asked,
"That's quite a long story actually, but it was all thanks to your brother. He saved you" the doctor stated
"save me from what?" Fourth frowned
"Fourth, you're still not okay. I don't want to trigger your brain, so I think it would be best if you stop asking about it for now. Wait for yourself to finally recover before you ask me that" doctor explained
"Doc, I'm ready now. I'm suffering more than you think, that 3 months where you said I was in bad shape, I put myself in a world which I thought I'd be happy but I still ended up hurting myself there" Fourth holding back his tears
"Okay, so.. 3 months ago, you were heavily abused by your parents, like physically and mentally. According to the witness you were wimping while trying your best to escape that place, you were walking slowly until you reached the park." doctor
"park?" Fourth
"yes, the park near your house, it was a small yet famous park because of its stoned statue in the center, they believed it is a miracle statue that makes someone's dream come true. You were found sleeping in there, you even made the stone statue's foot as your pillow" Doctor chuckled
"who found me?" Fourth asked,
"your brother, Dew. He went home that night, he didn't know what horrifying event you've experienced, he came home still unaware of the situation but realized it sooner when he saw drops of blood on the floor tracing outside the house. Your Brother hurriedly went outside and started to find you, and what's making the situation worse is that the clouds are starting to cry." Doctor sighed
"so.. " Fourth anticipating the next part
"Dew found you sleeping in that park, you were soaking wet. You were burning up, especially because of those injuries you've got on your body. You were asleep for 2 straight days at the hospital, but when you woke up you were somewhat strange" the doctor looked at him
"strange? like what?" Fourth asked
"you keep on saying you're a statue and that you shouldn't leave your duty there. the doctors of that hospital panicked, they tried to do many brain tests on you but none of it says something about your condition. So they decided to transfer you to this hospital, this is a mental institute." doctor
"As far as I know Mental Institutes are expensive right? I'm really sorry but I don't think I have the money to pay for this medication" Fourth bowed his head
"Dew paid all your bills, did you forget? he's working too, because of the incident Dew finally got to know what was happening to you for the past years, and even though he's the biological son he didn't tolerate their actions" doctor explained
"so where are they?" Fourth asked,
"They're currently in Jail now Fourth." The doctor smiled at him,
"you don't have to worry okay? Dew is on your side, me and the nurses here are on your side. Just recover quickly Fourth" the doctor added
"you haven't told me about that Gemini" Fourth pouted
"Fourth, let me ask you something first" the doctor looked at him
"what?" Fourth tilted his head
"Fourth" the doctor looked at him carefully, a deep sigh before he finally uttered another word,
"Do you remember anyone named Gemini before all this happened?" the doctor asked
Fourth blinked.
"I... I don’t know. I mean... I felt like I’ve known him forever, but... at the same time, no one ever mentioned him. Dew never did. Not even my parents."
"And if I told you that there is no record of anyone named Gemini connected to you—no school files, no ID, no social footprint, like he didn't exist at all? like he's nothing?"
Fourth's mouth parted slowly, he was slowly and surely constructing his thoughts
"That can’t be right... He was real. He talked to me. I saw him. I lived with his pain—his bruises, his house, his friend Satang." Fourth started to sobbed
"You did, Fourth" the doctor gently said
"But not because he was real. It was your brain's way of making sense of your own pain. Gemini was a part of you. A version of yourself your mind created to cope with everything you were trying to escape" the doctor added
Fourth’s body tensed up at the doctor's words,
"So... I’m Gemini?"
The doctor nodded.
"Yes. He is you. Everything he felt, every wound, every conversation, every night under that statue—it was your experience. But your mind couldn't process the truth. It fractured it, separated it, turned it into a story you could survive inside of" the doctor sighed again, he knows this is the truth Fourth couldn't handle at the moment but he had no choice but to let him know the truth or else Fourth would just be stuck at the world he created himself
Fourth's voice cracked,
"So all that time... I was talking to myself? is that what you're trying to say Doc?"
"You were protecting yourself, Fourth" the doctor corrected.
"Do you know? sometimes the brain does that, especially after extreme trauma. It finds ways to shield you from memories which are too heavy to carry" the doctor explained
Silence fell,
Fourth stared at his hands.
Small.
Bruised.
Real.
"I don’t know how to be just me" Fourth whispered.
"You don’t have to figure it out today" the doctor said.
"But now, you won’t be doing it alone" the doctor tapped his shoulder
"What do you mean Doc?" Fourth looked at him, confused
The doctor offered a small, warm smile and stood up from the bed,
"There’s someone waiting outside who’s been coming here every day for the past three months" the doctor smiled once again
"Dew?" Fourth's eyes started to form some tears again
"Yes" the doctor nodded.
"He’s been trying to give you space, only coming when you’re asleep. But now that you’re awake—and aware—I think it’s time you let him in, just like you Fourth, he was scared, he's confused, he keeps on blaming himself for all the things that happened to you" the doctor explained
Fourth hesitated. His hands trembled as they gripped the blanket. "b-but I… I don’t know what to say to him"
"You don’t have to say anything, Fourth. Just let him see that you’re still here. That finally it's Fourth." the doctor reassured him gently.
"Because you are. Even after everything—you’re still here, and you're still Fourth" the doctor smiled and unexpectedly...
The door opened softly.
Dew stepped in, holding a plastic bag with warm food and a hesitant look on his face. He looked older than Fourth can even remembered—maybe it was the guilt, maybe the sleepless nights—but the moment their eyes met, everything stopped.
"Hey.. b-brother.." Dew said softly, voice shaking.
"Y-You.. look like hell" Dew tried to ease the tension hanging in the air
Fourth let out the smallest laugh,
"Thanks, I feel like it too, just a little I guess?"
Dew walked closer,
but not too fast,
he's hesitating..
like he was afraid he might scare him.
"I—I brought your favorite. The takoyaki from that cart near your office. Not sure if you still like it but... it’s warm" Dew's voice cracked, he's trying his best not to broke down in front of his brother.. he knew he needed to be strong..
Fourth’s eyes welled up,
"You remembered?"
"I never forgot.. you always bought them, you even told me they're your comfort food" Dew’s voice cracked, yet he let out a soft chuckle
"I-I just didn’t know how bad things were until I saw the blood. Until I saw you, soaking wet, clinging to a statue like it was the only thing that ever loved you." Dew finally broke down, he couldn't forget that scene where his heart almost stopped beating looking at his brother's situation
Fourth looked away, swallowing hard.
"I’m sorry.. brother" Dew continued
"what are you sorry about? it's my fault" Fourth wiped his tears
"For not seeing it. For leaving you there, for not asking you about it, for believing everything is okay when in fact it's not" Dew sobbed
"You didn’t know Dew, don't blame yourself" Fourth mumbled
"I-I should have, I'm y-your brother.. right?" Dew stepped closer and sat beside him, careful not to touch without permission.
"But I’m here now. And I’m not going anywhere, I promise I will help and care for you, just like how you treated me like your real brother" Dew sobbed
There was silence again. Not heavy. Just... healing.
Fourth finally whispered, "Gemini... he was me."
"hmm?" Dew gently raised his head and meet with Fourth's eyes
"Does that make me crazy?" Fourth smiled
"No" Dew said firmly,
"it makes you a survivor." Dew added
.
.
.
The doctor, watching quietly from the door, nodded to the nurse beside him, but the nurse couldn't stay still, he went near the doctor and whispered..
"Doc, we still need to do some rounds today"
"Oh right, sorry I was caught up in the moment. Let's go?" the doctor walked away from the door smiling,
"I'm so proud of you for conquering this Fourth" he let out a soft chuckled