[A/N: I have no idea about medical terms and procedures, so please forgive me if I mention something questionable in this chapter. I also wanted to speed up some stuff here, so you might find events pressed together.]
13: Suspicions
Butthole purred sadly at the look of Forth's father. His mom and sister were simply shocked and he could feel Forth's heart hammering behind him.
"What did you say? A BOYfriend?" his dad said.
"Krub." Beam knew Forth as a SOTUS leader, with a loud voice and strong personality. It was the first time he saw the guy look small under the gaze of someone older.
"You... my only son is gay?"
"Only for that guy." Forth said.
Butthole who was still sitting on Forth's lap can't help but give his boyfriend a short rub on his chest.
"I don't want to eat anymore." His dad said and walked out of the dining room.
Recovering from their shock, his mom stood up too and approached Forth.
"Son, is it true? You're dating a guy?"
"Yes, Ma. For almost a year now."
His mom sighed, a look of disappointment on her face. His sister, sensing an awkward atmosphere, got up and washed the dishes.
"What did you see in him that you cannot see with women?" his mother asked kindly.
Butthole rested his head on Forth's chest and meowed softly. Unconsciously, Forth ran his hand on his fur.
"He makes me happy. I can be myself when I'm with him. He's a good person Ma, and I would like you to meet him."
"But you can also find women who are good-natured. How can you be sure that you are not just treating him like a best friend?" His mother reasoned out.
"But Beam is the only one I want for myself." Forth replied.
If he was not in cat form, Beam would've kissed Forth right then and there.
His mom was silent for a minute. She got up, patted his son's cheek and sighed again.
"I'll try to talk with your father." And she went upstairs too.
Unconsciously, he carried Butthole up to his room and he crawled on his bed, burying his face on his pillow.
He can already imagine Beam's sad face if he mentions this to him, but he extinguished these thoughts from his mind. Beam is a cheerful person and he can't bear to see his disappointed face. He will not mention this to Beam.
He crumpled his hair and sat up, staring at the window.
Beam had done it smoothly, whereas, he had to struggle in order for his boyfriend to meet his family.
Butthole jumped on the bed and lay his head on Forth's lap, purring.
Forth find it a bit comforting. He ran his hand on Butthole's head.
"Don't be sad, baby. I understand." Beam purred again.
Forth removed Butthole from his lap and lay on the bed, scrolling through his gallery. He stopped at a very recent picture of him and Beam. It was just taken a few hours ago when he went to make peace with his boyfriend.
Beam was kissing him on the cheek while looking at the camera. He remembered how it led to a quick make out session earlier but instead of feeling fuzzy, his heart felt heavy.
Cats can sometimes feel dark auras and lonely humans. Butthole tried to squeeze himself in between Forth's neck and his pillows, now and then letting out soft and comforting meows.
The next day, neither Forth nor his parents said anything over breakfast. Butthole was nowhere to be seen every morning. They all left the house in silence.
He received a message on their first break time.
"Meet me at the rooftop."
So he went there instantly. It was quite a secret place of him and Beam. Not many people go here because it was just an open hot space with a garden in their building, and can only be accessed from the 8th floor's fire exit.
Beam threw himself on Forth's arms as soon as he saw him.
"I missed you." He said.
"We were just away for less than 12 hours, Beam." Forth said, but he too, hugged his boyfriend tightly. They stood there in that position, just enjoying each other's warmth.
He could feel that Forth was still worried so he decided not to open up the topic of meeting the parents.
"I will not be seeing you for three days." Beam declared.
"What?" Forth asked.
"There will be an annual check-up for Quarter's business partners and I will be one of the doctors. I will go and visit them on their work places with Nurse Jing."
Forth groaned.
"Those companies are indebted to us and Mew thinks the Quarter owners want to buy shares from them, or possibly but the whole company."
"When will it start?" Forth asked.
"Tomorrow until weekend."
"Then the next time I'll see you will be on Pattaya?" Forth asked again.
"Looks like it."
"I don't want you to go." Forth sighed.
"Where do you want me to go then?"
"In my pants."
Beam chuckled and kissed Forth. "It will be just for three days. I'll go to Pattaya on my own."
Forth groaned again. They had planned that they would go there together and not take the company service bus. But if there will be something like this, then there's no helping it. Sometimes, Forth wonders if Mew is trying to keep Beam away from him.
"What are those companies?" Forth asked as he sniffed his boyfriend's cheek.
"Mew said that aside from the hospital field, Quarter is planning to expand and try their hands at the education and farming field. So for two days we will go to rural farms, and on the third day we will go to the education department of the government.
Forth froze in the middle of nibbling Beam's ear.
"The government's education department?" he repeated.
"Yeah."
He cleared his throat and wondered if he should tell Beam that his father works in that exact department.
Beam's cellphone rang and he looked at it.
"Oops. Break time's over. We need to go." Beam turned off the alarm.
Indeed, the next day, neither Beam nor Nurse Jing was at the clinic.
They spent their days texting and calling each other during the times that they were apart. Beam had to live in the farm for two days. At home, Forth still haven't spoken with his parents about Beam, but at least, his mother doesn't look as disappointed as the first time he had told them about him.
Forth got anxious on the third day. Beam was back in the city. He watched his dad drive away and knew they will be having a check-up later. Beam said he was not the only doctor there. Who knows if both people that he loves will encounter each other later?
There were plenty of people in the hall dedicated for the employees' check-up. Most of the government employees were older than him. He stood with Nurse Jing at the front, aware that he had smitten all girls in this floor. Whatever the lead doctor was saying, none of the girls were listening. They were all busy looking at Beam's face.
"Everybody should fall in line, and after your check-up, please go back to your working places so you won't crowd the room." The head doctor said. "Women, I know you are all excited to be examined by Doctor Beam – "
The women giggled.
" – but I'm sorry to tell you that there will be a female doctor assigned for all of you."
They all groaned as the men laughed.
It started. In the afternoon when almost all employees had their check-up, Forth's dad and the rest of his colleagues appeared.
Beam's eyes widened.
No wonder Forth keeps on texting him earlier if he has started his work for the day.
Forth's dad made a beeline for him and sat on the chair.
He looks stressed today, compared to the number of times that Beam had seen him at home. He smiled as he greeted the doctor.
"Sawadee krub." Mr. Jamornhum said.
Beam wai'd at him. Nurse Jing was over at the women's side of the hall and today he was given a different assistant.
They took the usual weight and height measurements and blood pressure.
Beam studied his chart. It looks like Forth's dad's cholesterol is high.
"Khun James, please assist Khun Jamornhum to lie on the bed, I will check his stomach."
"Oh." Forth's dad exclaimed and when Beam smiled and tilted his head, he explained, "I'm sorry, I thought you were a foreigner. I'm quite surprised you can speak Thai."
"I am indeed a foreigner. But I was raised here in Thailand."
"Um, doctor, is there something wrong with me?" Forth's dad asked.
"Khun, judging from your blood pressure and your cute little belly here, I suspect you drink beer a lot?"
His assistant stifled a laugh. Even Forth's dad gave a sudden chuckle.
"Just occasionally." He replied.
Beam ran his hands over his stomach and started flicking his finger on it, then he pressed them lightly.
"Ow!" Forth's dad gasped.
Beam nodded at his assistant and he wrote down something on the clipboard.
"You might need additional tests, Khun Jamornhum. I hope I am wrong, but you might have stomach and liver problems." Beam said, sitting down and flicking the stomach again. "I advise you to go and take a blood test first."
He nodded in reply and sat up.
"Please avoid drinking too much alcohol too, avoid oily and fatty foods. Remove those bottles of beer you are keeping hidden on the farther side of the cupboard." Beam said unconsciously while writing down his analysis.
"How did you know..." Forth's father was stunned.
Beam realizing his mistake turned it into a joke. "Oh! I was right? You were really hiding beer?"
"What? No. I was just... ok... I do hide them from my family." He replied, a little bit embarrassed at being caught.
Beam and James chuckled. "Please take care of your health. Your son and daughter and wife will not like it if you are sick. It adds to the expenses."
Forth's dad was sweating by now. Is he talking to a doctor or a fortune teller? Beam seems to spout random family advises but they turn out pretty accurate. He didn't even fill-up his whole chart and didn't write how many children he has. How in the world did this doctor know the members of his family?
"Our team will be back by next week. Please come see me again and show me your blood test results by that time, Khun Jamornhum."
"Krub. Thanks, doctor." He said and started to walk back to the exit.
"You should also throw out those prawn crackers you hid behind your clothes in the cabinet." Beam added.
Forth's dad turned around, really stunned this time.
"Oh, was I right again?" Beam let out a laugh. "It seems you are hiding a lot of snacks, khun. Please throw them out."
Forth's dad could only nod. He had never seen anyone like Beam. A weird doctor whose jokes seem to have hidden meanings in them.
What Forth's dad didn't know was that he was talking to their adopted house cat who had seen him hide every single one of those vices.
The day of their company outing arrived. Everyone was excited. Forth came with his department mates by bus which the company has provided for their employees.
He had no time to talk with Beam about this event, and in fear of his boyfriend being ravished by women, he bought a full diving suit for him.
"I have to go to the office first. I have to get our first aid kits before I go there."
He read the message that Beam had sent him this morning. Due to being busy with their field work yesterday, he had no time to get their supplies. Since Nurse Jing lives near Pattaya, Beam told her that he will go to the office instead. Indeed, he saw Nurse Jing chatting with a few employees who were ogling at Mew's simple choice of outfit. He was wearing a comfy tank top and beach shorts and sunglasses, and was conversing with a few managers.
Beam arrived at almost noon when lunch was about to start.
The girls openly squealed when they saw him. It looks like he just got out of bed and wore whatever his hands could reach: a plain white shirt and cottony pastel pants and slippers, yet he still looked fresh.
He waved at Nurse Jing and nodded to a few of his office friends.
Forth thought he looked a bit haggard. He hurried over and handed him a bottled juice.
"Traffic?" he asked.
"No. I'm just tired I guess." Beam said, accepting it. He drank the whole content in one go while his eyes were looking around.
"You look pale. Maybe you should go in your room first?"
"No. I'm the doctor. I should be here."
All of them were outside their beach house. The women were playing volleyball, the men are trying their hand at surfing. Some were preparing the food.
"Oh, you're here now? What took you so long? I was expecting you two hours ago." Mew walked up to them.
"Traffic, and I got up late." Beam replied, carefully avoiding his eyes.
Mew nodded and stared at Beam for a while before going over to a group of people who were setting the table.
All through-out the outing, Beam seem distracted. He had tried wrapping an injured employee's foot with a tape instead of a gauze first. He rubbed dry cotton on another employee's wound instead of cotton with disinfectant. If not for Nurse Jing, these people would worsen their injuries.
He usually eats a lot, but during dinner he only chewed 5 spoonfuls before giving his leftovers to Forth who was now looking at him with worry.
Their room assignment is 4 per room. Beam, being the company doctor has sort of a manager's perks. He has a room to himself to which Forth is grateful. He can stay there instead of sleeping with his snoring department mates.
They lay on the single bed hugging each other. It was already almost midnight and Forth snuck out of their room to be with Beam.
"How was your field work yesterday?" Forth asked casually.
"It was fine." Beam said as he lay his head on his boyfriend's chest, enjoying the sound of his heartbeat. It calmed him as he closed his eyes. He knew Forth wanted to open up about the topic of his father. "We'll go back there on Monday, right after this trip."
"Is that so? Aren't you working too hard?" Forth placed a kiss on his forehead.
"Forth."
"Hmm?"
"What if I turn out to be someone you don't really know?"
"What do you mean?"
"What if I'm really not what you thought I am?"
"I like everything about you Beam. There's nothing to worry about."
"What if I'm fake?"
"How can you be fake?" Forth chuckled. "You're the real one for me."
"Then, what if one day you'll know that I have an abnormality?"
"Beam, what's wrong? You've been strange since arriving here."
"Answer my question."
"Then I'll love your abnormality, silly."
"Even if that abnormality is what you hate?"
"Even if your abnormality will be the cause of my death, I will still love you."
Beam gave out a sigh of relief, hovered over Forth and kissed him. "I love you too."
"What's wrong with you all of a sudden?" Forth pinched his cheeks and repeatedly smacked their lips together. "Let's sleep. I still have to wake up early to go back to our room."
He covered themselves with a blanket. The bed was really small, but as long as he has Beam in his arms, everything is comfortable. Forth couldn't think of any 'abnormality' that Beam might possess. Even if he was eccentric, he still finds him without flaws.
Their outing ended on a good note. Everyone felt tired but also energized at the free vacation given to them. They got home and went to work the next day.
Beam and Nurse Jing went straight to Forth's dad's company for a continuation of their work.
As usual, Mr. Jamornhum arrived in the afternoon. He went straight to Beam and handed him the results.
Beam bit his lip upon reading it.
"It's not looking good is it?" he asked tentatively and Beam nodded.
"We have to take care of your liver. It's still curable and avoidable."
"I've showed it to my wife too. She was worried. It was a good thing you asked for a test, we were able to detect it early. I can't thank you enough."
"Doctor Beam is good at detecting early signs of diseases." His assistant, James said. "Did you know that he just graduated a few months ago?"
"Really? Then you're probably the same age as my son." Mr. Jamornhum sounded amazed. "You're better than the other doctors then. We had this kind of company check-up three months ago and none of them suspected possible sicknesses from me."
"You do look normal, khun." James said, observing him. I mean, I'm a nurse and have assisted in multiple cases but you really look healthy to me."
"That's what my wife told me too."
Beam nodded again as he finished examining the results. "Sometimes, even if you appear healthy, there might be hidden sicknesses. Well, Khun Jamornhum, my advice remains the same, please get rid of your vices, especially alcohol." He then handed him additional tests to take and a few prescriptions.
James was called over to another doctor and he left the two to speak.
"I will. I'm really glad we can still prevent it. It's all thanks to you."
One nurse announced that work for today has finished and that they will be packing up in a minute.
Forth's dad stood up and so did Beam. "I'll go now. Thanks very much Doctor Beam. I think a few medicines for today is better than hospital rest in the future. I still have my child's education to support."
Beam smiled.
"It's a good thing you only now have your daughter's college fees to support isn't it?"
Mr. Jamornhum blinked. "How did you - "
"I went to the same school as Forth, khun. I reckon you and him are related because of your surname. You also look alike."
Forth's dad became more amazed.
"Are you really? I'm glad I'm able to meet my son's friend here. Who would've thought he has a good and talented friend like you! I must invite you to dinner then as thanks. He'll be glad to know that a friend of his was able to detect early stages of my sickness."
"Um, I don't know if that will work, Khun Jamornhum."
"Hey why not? Are you not in good terms with Forth?"
"It's not that."
"Then why not?"
"I don't want to cause an inconvenience... You see..."
Beam sighed dramatically.
"I am Forth's boyfriend."
[A/N: If Forth can't introduce him, Beam will introduce himself. Rate and comment please.
Season2 is about to start. I'm looking forward to how the new ForthBeam will portray them, and here's hoping TaeTee will have more skinship or flirty moments so they can secure their own series. I have long since accepted the fact that there will be actor changes. I have mentioned this on my ff, Scripted, I think one of the factors is the fact that they can't do the heavy lovey-dovey scenes that's why they were replaced. Maybe it was not in their contract, but I'd like for Tae specifically to be a bit open to Tee. Tee is the playful kind and Tae look exhausted or fed up whenever he's with him lol.. Anyway, that's it for today's chapter. How will Forth's dad react to Beam's introduction?]