13th Hour

13 hours after Ryuu’s surgery...

“Black coffee or with cream?” Laurence asked me as he sat beside me.

“Black,” I answered and continued plucking the guitar.

“How about you, Prince?”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Do you want the black coffee or with cream?” Laurence repeated.

“Ah...” he heaved a sigh, obviously he looked so tense. “Water would be fine.”

“Water?” Laurence slowly looked at me, questioning.

I chuckled and pinched Laurence’s arm lightly. “I’ll get the water,” and handed him the guitar.

“Oh, I’m sorry...” Prince mumbled and then he bit his lower lip, “Are you asking me if I want the black coffee or
the one with cream?”

I nodded and smiled.

“I’m really sorry,” his voice was jagged. “I...I—“

“It’s alright, Prince,” I drew closer to him and tapped him on his back, “No need to say sorry. I’ll just get the water and be back after awhile.”

Prince simply nodded.

“Laurence?”

He looked at me and smiled a bit.

“Thanks, and I left.

As I went back...I saw Prince crying, uncle was already talking to him while Laurence looked so displeased. I
walked briskly.

“What happened, uncle? Did...did Ryuu survive?” I asked while comforting Prince.

Uncle sighed and he can’t even look straightly into my eyes, “He did but he’s in a comatose right now.”

“Comatose? But...why?”

“We never thought that his nervous system has already been damaged too aside from his muscular system thus,” he sighed for the second time, “making his brain stem and peripheral nerves to degenerate resulting to comatose.”

“Until when? Are you going to perform another surgery for him?”

He shook his head, “It’s uncertain, perhaps for a lifetime?

“No...please, please don’t say that...please do something, dad...” Prince beseeched.

“Son,” and he patted Prince’s back, “performing another surgery is too risky.”

“But you already told us that his nervous system has been already damaged too...” I added.

“He’ll die, Shin,” Laurence meddled.

Uncle agreed with him, “When a person is in a comatose, his brain’s not really that functioning well and if we ever did a succeeding surgery...certainly he will not survive.”

I became speechless for a moment.

“I already did my best, son...” he sighed. “You could already check him inside the ICU.”

Prince nodded and already went there, I tried following him but Laurence stopped me.

“Let him be alone with him,” he explained.

“Ugh, okay...” I sighed.

Uncle tapped us on our back, “I’ll be heading on. I still have another surgery to perform in 15 minutes. Thanks for looking after Prince.”

I just smiled.

“You two take a rest now, my wife’s coming and going to look after Prince in a few minutes,” and uncle left.

I saw Laurence leaving too and so I followed him.

“I can’t take this,” and he lit two cigars at the same time.

I simply nodded, I don’t know what to say.

“And I don’t know if I could rest at a time like this, tsk.”

I placed my arm over his shoulder and tried to comfort him too, “I’ll drive,” were the only words I uttered. It was already 11 in the evening when we arrived in our apartment. I prepared some meal though Laurence didn’t eat. He stayed at the balcony, smoking. I stood beside him.

“Won’t you sleep too?”

“I’m insomniac,” he answered.

“Won’t you try?”

“I rather not,” he looked at me, “Take a rest now, sweetheart. You don’t need to worry, I’ll be fine here.”

I hugged him from behind, “But you should still eat later, alright? At least a little?”

He didn’t respond.

“Please?”

“Alright, I will. Don’t be silly anymore,” he smirked.

“Sorry,” and hugged him tighter then I heard him sigh.

“Sweetheart?” I looked at him.

“He said that he’ll live for Prince—“

“But it’s not his fault and not uncle’s fault at all...”

“Yeah, it’s no one’s fault. Tsk,” he smirked and sighed. He took two stick of cigar and heat the filter evenly.

“What are you doing?” I was kinda amazed on the way he heat up the sticks.

“I’m heating those to be sterilized,” and started smoking.

“Really?”

He nodded, “Amazed?”

“Yeah,” and chuckled a bit, “and two sticks at the same time.”

He nodded again, “Want to try?”

I shook my head.

“Take a rest now, Shin...”

“Alright, the food’s in the fridge...”

He looked at me and pinched my cheek, “Night.”

“Night...?” I whispered as I went back to our room. I suddenly realized that the night wasn’t good at all. When I
woke up the next day, I saw lots of cigar boxes at the balcony. I looked for Laurence but he was not in our room.
Perhaps he went to the hospital so I just decided to clean up the mess.

“What are you doing?”

“Ugh,” I looked and saw Laurence. “I was just cleaning this up.”

“Those are mine, you shouldn’t have cleaned it up.”

“It’s alright, where have you been anyway?”

“Convenient store. I bought these,” and he showed me a paper bag of cigar boxes.

“What the fuck?” and threw the mess inside the bin.

He smirked, “I already prepared your breakfast.”

“My breakfast?” I went to the kitchen.

“Yes, I already ate at around 5 in the morning.”

“Ah, so you mean you didn’t sleep?” and I started eating.

He nodded, “After eating, prepare yourself already. Let’s visit XXVII and his lover.”

“Oh, sure. I hope there’s a good news now.”

“I am hoping too,” and Laurence started smoking.”

After eating, I already prepared myself and we went to a restaurant first to buy some food before we went to the hospital.

We already went inside the ICU and saw Prince playing the guitar.

“Hi Prince,” I smiled a bit and placed the food we bought on the center table. “We bought food for us.

“Thanks,” Prince uttered.

“How is he?” Laurence asked as he sat opposite to Prince.

“Still the same, I haven’t talked to that since last night though he’ll be checking Ryuu later.”

“Ah, I see...”

“By the way, you left the guitar last night in the lobby good thing mom saw it and recognized that it was Shin’s.”

‘Oh, yeah..we’re out of our minds last night that’s why I already forgot about my guitar,” I smiled a bit. “Where’s
aunt anyway?”

“Dad’s room.”

“Oh...”

Then dead air...so...

“I’ve heard this from someone who was in the restaurant...”

“What’s that?” Laurence asked.

“A joke.”

Prince smirked, “I know you’re good at these things and I hope it’s not overworked.”

I shrugged my shoulders.

“Give your joke a shot then,” Prince said.

I nodded and smiled. “5 contestants were remaining in a beauty pageant naming Ms. Turkey, Ms. Finland, Ms. China, Ms. USA and Ms. Australia. The question was how many panties you have. Ms. Turkey answered 1 panty and the crowd hissed at her. Ms. Finland answered 3 and the crowd cheered at her, one for Monday, one for Tuesday and one for Wednesday. Ms. China answered 5 and the crown cheered too, one for Monday, one for Tuesday, one for Wednesday, one for Thursday and one for Friday. Ms. USA answered 7 and she received a standing ovation from the crowd, one for Monday, one for Tuesday, one for Wednesday, one for Friday, one for Saturday and one for Sunday.”

Laurence smirked, “I already have a guess for the last contestant.”

“You already have?” Prince pouted his lips, “I’m still wondering” and he chuckled.

“Don’t tell him, sweetheart,” I chuckled too. “Anyway, the last contestant answered 12 panties and the crowd
went gaga over her. One for January, one for February—“

“Fuck shit,” someone mumbled and chuckled softly.

We saw Ryuu awake and he was still chuckling though he seemed so weak.

“Ryuu...?” Prince hurriedly went beside him.

“Peace...” he answered in a low voice.

“Fuck you,” Laurence smirked and went on the other side.

“So being in comatose was a joke too?” Prince asked.

Ryuu simply nodded, “Sorry, it was actually dad’s idea. He wanted to see you cry for the last time,” and he chuckled again. “He planned it before he performed the surgery.”

“Fuck him,” Laurence chuckled too.

‘Ugh, DAAAAAAADDDDD!!!!” Prince exclaimed and he really looked like a kid.

We all laughed and then Prince just suddenly cried, and he hugged Ryuu.

“Oh, Prince...” he placed his arm over Prince so weakly. “I’m sorry...please don’t cry...”

“It was not a good joke at all,” he clarified, “but these were tears of joy...”

I smiled, “Be thankful to me.”

“And why is that?” Laurence raised an eye brow.

“If it wasn’t for him, you wouldn’t know that it was dad’s plan...” Ryuu answered. “Oh, I should say sorry to dad, he failed because of me.”

“That doesn’t matter,” Prince kissed him sweetly on his lips, “as long as you’re really okay now...are you really okay now?”

Ryuu nodded, “I feel better...”

“And he still needs to rest for two to three weeks...” dad told us who was already inside the ICU.

“DAAAAAADDDDD?? Grrr...” Prince pouted his lips.

Uncle chuckled, “Sorry, son.”

“Saying sorry is not enough,” he was still pouting his lips.

“Prince...if it wasn’t your dad, I wouldn’t feel better. He worked for almost 13 hours just for me and you. He’s your dad and he wouldn’t do something that will upset you, understand?”

Prince nodded and smiled.

“I will live for you, Prince...and I will always love you...”