CHAPTER 364 - KEIGAN'S HEAD
JAY-JAY'S POV
"Are you going to run away? Are you going to hide from me? Have you been taken?" Kuya Angelo asked one question after another while I was lying in a hospital bed in the E.R.
He really won't stop preaching to me. He didn't even pick a good place to do it. He could've lectured me at the park or the grocery store—that would've been better. It could've even been on my island… but he can't go there.
I won't let him.
NEVER!!
The doctor had just made me vomit and was now letting me rest because of the tenderness. I stared at the drip of water in the I.V. tube connected to my left hand. I couldn't answer because my throat hurt. I wanted to drink water, but the nurses and doctors had forbidden it.
I looked to the other side, where Keiren's bed was. He was just as lethargic as I was, but at least he was conscious—unlike before. He also had an I.V. drip like me. He couldn't eat or drink either. What happened to him was even scarier because he vomited on his own when he arrived at the hospital.
Not like me—I still didn't want to let go. Even the trip here made my stomach churn. The pain was unbearable.
"Save your sermon. She needs more rest now," Keifer told Kuya Angelo.
He was right. Save button.
Kuya sighed, then turned his back on us and walked away. The King of Snakes came closer. He held my hand and kissed it gently.
"Do you feel better now?" he asked.
Since I couldn't speak, I just nodded in response.
He bent down and kissed my forehead. I flinched slightly—I knew my face was still wet with sweat, and so was my head. I didn't want him to smell my scalp. I hadn't even shampooed properly this morning. My hair probably smelled like a carrier pigeon or something.
"What's wrong?" he asked, but I just shook my head.
There was still a trace of worry on his face. I knew he was restless, knowing both his brother and I nearly died. It wasn't something he could just ignore—especially since the doctor had been clear: Glue is poisonous and dangerous for humans to consume.
It was a good thing I had told Kuya what we drank while we were on our way to the hospital. But I didn't say who gave us the drink.
I felt sorry for Keifer. I didn't want to cause more trouble for him, especially not with his brother. I wanted to tell him the truth, but it might hurt him. On the other hand, if I kept it to myself, something worse could happen. He might not make it in time next time. It's hard to make decisions when the people involved are important to you.
But it seemed I didn't have to say anything—because of what he said next.
"It was Keigan who put glue in your drink."
That wasn't a question. It was hard for him to accuse his own brother, but knowing Keifer, he wouldn't say that without proof.
Even though I didn't want to answer, I did it anyway. Not to report or get revenge for what had been done to me—but because he might do it again. And maybe next time, he'd use something even worse. I nodded, and I saw the pain in his eyes.
He glanced at Keiren, lying in the other bed. Medicine was being injected into his I.V. tube, so his attention wasn't on us. Keifer looked back at me.
"I'm so sorry," he whispered, and I could feel his hand trembling. "I shouldn't have trusted Keigan, especially with how he's been lately."
No one wanted this. He didn't need to apologize.
I held his hand to show him what I meant. I didn't want to add to his burden. If only I hadn't taken what Keigan gave me… maybe none of this would've happened.
"I left to buy him food. I didn't know he had a plan to hurt you and Keiren," he said, squeezing my hand. "I'm having trouble dealing with his condition. He's unpredictable. Every day, he comes up with something new."
He took a deep breath. It was obvious he was holding back his tears in front of me, but I could feel his heart breaking just by the way he held my hand.
"I know he's getting worse."
I'm afraid for him. I don't want to think badly of Keigan, but I can't help feeling that maybe next time, he'll do something serious. Maybe Keifer will be his next target—to drink something again.
"I feel sorry for that boy," said Keifer, "because we might be in the same situation. We have almost the same symptoms. But I don't want to get to the point where I intentionally hurt my brother. I know I've hurt others… and I've hurt my brother too. But as much as possible, I don't want that to happen again. If I could, I would chain myself up every time I had an attack."
Keifer took another deep breath and kissed my hand. Then, with one hand, he reached out to touch my cheek, gently rubbing it with his thumb.
I forced a smile to let him know I would be fine too. I couldn't even open my mouth because I hadn't brushed my teeth yet—and my breath probably stinks from vomiting. He might end up in the hospital just from the smell.
Kuya came back, so the King was forced to release me. The doctor followed and said something to the nurses nearby.
"You'll be moved to your room," he said.
"Can they stay in the same room?" Keifer asked, referring to his brother.
"No," was the reply.
I winced. There shouldn't be a problem if Keiren and I shared a room. In fact, I preferred it so I'd have someone with me.
"Put them in the same room," the King insisted.
Alright, keep pushing it. Force the angel with the demon's behavior.
"Who are you to command?" someone asked.
"Keifer Watson," the King replied scornfully. 🔥
My cousin immediately raised an eyebrow at him. Where did he get the courage to answer Kuya like that?
Please reveal and give a tutorial. I need that too. Right now, I can't even scold Kuya for my own sake. I still need courage for that—that's the key to calmly answering my cousin. Like having no fear of being kicked out because I have someone to turn to.
"I think that's a good idea, so they can be monitored together," said the doctor, now standing by Keiren's bed and looking at the chart.
Kuya shook his head but seemed forced to agree. He spoke to the doctor again, and minutes later, someone came in to push the hospital beds. Keiren and I were moved into the same room.
Keifer's youngest brother was fast asleep. I couldn't help but envy him. I tried to close my eyes, but I couldn't sleep because of the noise—Kuya Angelo and the King of Snakes were arguing about something I couldn't understand.
Wow, they just keep going. It doesn't even bother them.
They must've noticed I wanted to rest. Kuya turned his back and signaled that they would step out for now. Keifer walked over and kissed me on the forehead. ❤️
"Sleep. I'll stay here to watch over you and Keiren."
I nodded and adjusted the bed slightly before closing my eyes. Tired from everything that happened, I fell asleep quickly. I even felt the King's touch, and it made me smile.
It felt like my body regained some energy from the sleep—I must have been out for a long time. When I woke up, it was already dark. Keifer wasn't by my side anymore, but Keigan was sitting beside Keiren, crying. He held his brother's hand and sobbed.
"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I—I swear I didn't mean to hurt you," he said, his voice trembling with guilt.
Keiren was still unconscious. I decided to pretend I was asleep so he wouldn't notice me.
"Please forgive Kuya. I—I'm not a bad guy. I don't want to be a bad guy," he cried. "That's not me. I don't want to do that."
My heart ached at what he said and when he cried. I feel his suffering, as if he is carrying or facing something that he cannot tell others. I understand that he is sorry for what he did, but I don't understand what he means when he says it is not him.
Are we in the same situation?
He cried for a while, repeatedly apologizing to the brother who was still unconscious. When he settled down, I felt his movement. I thought he just moved to Keiren's bed, but I felt the presence of the person next to me.
I chose not to move and continued to pretend to be asleep.
"You should be the one suffering, not my brother. It's your fault," he said.
Before I could even understand what he wanted to convey, I felt his two hands on my neck. I immediately opened my eyes and grabbed his arm to try to remove it from my neck. But I wasn't strong enough, and even if I screamed, I couldn't do anything.
What did I do? Why is he angry with me?
"K-Keig-gan," I said hoarsely, as the wind blew.
"Just please, die. For our peace," he said, even managing to get on the bed to have the strength to strangle me.
I slapped his hand, but it didn't do anything. My neck hurt, and I felt like I was drowning, trying to gasp for air. I burst into tears as my vision gradually darkened.
Can I just end this way?
My hand, still holding Keigan's arm, was about to fall when someone suddenly pulled him away from me. I was able to breathe immediately after coughing. I held my neck, still feeling his hands. I pulled back a little.
When I looked up, my nervousness grew even more. I couldn't forget him because he pointed a gun at me.
Dylan.
"Easy," he said, and his partner slapped Keigan.
Keigan immediately fell to the floor, coughing repeatedly. But it wasn't over yet. They lifted Keigan again and entered the door to their father and Keifer. Keigan looked like a disgusting piece of trash in front of them.
Tangina, why are you here?
Dylan removed the gloves he was wearing and gave Keigan a hard slap. I could see the fear and pain on his face, but he couldn't scream or complain. Something seemed to be holding him back.
"You are always a disappointment. You shouldn't have lived," said his dad, and they let Keigan go.
I felt sorry for him when I saw him slowly creep toward the corner. He silently hugged his legs and tried to hide his face in his knees. Even though I wanted to approach him, I couldn't because the fear of their father dominated me more.
He stared at me. My hands were literally shaking. I wanted to call Keifer, but I didn't have the strength to scream. My throat also hurt from Keigan's choking. I just wanted to cry.
He smiled teasingly. "Relax. I'm not here for you."
He looked at the youngest child lying on the bed. I did the same, and what happened when we were at their mansion suddenly came back to me.
He will take Keiren!
Hearing Keiren's weak cry was enough to make me panic. He was already awake, and he seemed to know what would happen. Because we were in the same situation, he didn't have the strength to stand up and run away.
WHORE, CAN'T!
He meant that Keifer wasn't here. I faced Keigan, hoping that he would ask for help, but Dylan was next to him, and it was as if someone was whispering to him to stay.
No one can help me!
Keiren can be taken effortlessly. We have no opponent.
Keiren's crying grew louder when his father got closer to him. I didn't have the strength anymore, but I knew I had to try rather than do nothing.
Because of my determination, I fell onto the bed just to get closer. They were shocked by what I did, but I didn't care. I crawled closer to Keiren's bed, and because I couldn't stand up, I almost reached my knees and reached for his arm. The boy looked at me as if he was begging me.
I know he's scared. I know he doesn't want to come, and like me, he won't agree to be taken either. Even if I don't have the strength, I will try, I just can't let him be taken.
I heard their dad's soft laugh. It was as if he was amazed at what I did. He walked closer to the other side of the bed where I was. I was still holding Keiren, even though I was slowly backing away. But that became impossible because of my condition.
He sat up a little to be honest with me. I didn't take my eyes off him, even though my tears were flowing due to the mixture of fear and body pain. He used one hand to hold my chin and lift it slightly. He looked at my neck as if there was already a mark from Keigan's strangulation.
He made me laugh. "You're a spitting image of your mother."
Is there anything new? I've heard that before.
"So is her attitude," he added.
He let me go, but he didn't leave my presence.
"You better watch Keifer. He'll turn into a monster, and you will be the first he devours."
He stood up and I heard his soft laugh. I couldn't answer or speak because of the lack of voice. My only response to them was tears.
You are not like him. You will never be the same.
I want to shout that, but my throat hurts too much to even catch my breath. I was still holding Keiren in my arms as I watched their father leave. Dylan was left, currently handing an envelope to Keigan. But because the person in front of him wasn't himself, he just approached me and handed over the envelope.
"Please give this to Keifer. And let him know that I will try my best to help him."
I accepted the envelope and watched him leave like everyone else. After closing the door, Keigan cried loudly. He seemed to be very afraid of the person in front of him, even though they were gone. He held both ears and sometimes slapped himself.
What's going on?
Keiren also cried loudly, and for reasons I don't understand, I started crying too. I had released my previous fear of what Keigan did to me and the arrival of their father. I had faced two deaths in this room.
It only took a few minutes, and the door opened again. Keifer, Kuya Angelo, and Percy entered one after the other, obviously confused by what was happening.
"W-What exactly?" he asked, stunned to see my appearance.
Keifer was confused about who to approach first, but Kuya Angelo made the decision. He immediately noticed Keigan's disappearance, so he was the first to respond. Kuya held him to stop him from hurting himself.
Percy approached me, and Keifer approached Keiren.
"Jay, we're here. Please calm down," he said, calming me while holding the hand that was holding Keiren.
He slowly let me go and allowed me to sit on the floor. He took off the jacket he was wearing and wrapped it around me. He laid me on the floor before hugging me and letting me cry next to him.
I'm afraid.
I want to say that, but I still can't. I held tightly to the envelope that Dylan handed over. I was still shaking, even though I knew Kuya was here and I was safe.
Keiren stopped crying, but Keigan was still losing it. They had to call a nurse and a doctor who could inject him with an anesthetic. I was also moved to my bed, and the I.V. that had been pulled out of my hand when I fell was put back in.
The doctor was also busy examining my throat and neck. He tried to talk to me, but the only sound that came out made my throat hurt. They put me in a neck brace for support.
"He was here," Kuya said to Keifer when the nurses and doctors left.
"Yes. But it wasn't clear why," Keifer replied. He looked at his brother, who had fallen asleep again. "He could have gotten Keiren, but he didn't."
"And why did they hurt Jay?" Kuya added.
They seemed to think that Keifer's dad did this to me. I couldn't resist because of the lack of voice. But maybe it's better this way. I don't want to add to Keifer's stress about his family. He knew right away that we were poisoned.
What will he do when he finds out that I was targeted?
I faced Percy, who was currently fixing my blanket. There was concern on his face.
He smiled when he saw me looking at him. "We haven't seen each other for a few days. You're in the hospital again. Do you want to live here?"
I smiled lightly and hit him. Because of my weakness, it was more of a tap, and he laughed. He even imitated what I did to him.
I looked at the envelope I was holding in one hand. "What is that? Why don't you want to let go?"
He tried to take my hand, but I didn't let go. I immediately pointed a finger at Keifer, who was looking directly at me. He approached, followed by Kuya Angelo.
"Do you need anything?" he asked.
"A snack for me," said Percy, but the King ignored him.
I handed him the envelope, which he quickly accepted. "For me?"
"Probably, it's up to you."
"What is that? A letter for Ate Charo?" Percy interjected, coming closer to Keifer to look at the writing.
But he didn't open it. He just hid it in his pocket.
"I'll read it later."
They returned to Kuya Angelo's conversation. My cousin was obviously angry about what had happened. They moved a little further, but their voices got louder again.
I turned my attention to Percy, who was trying to squeeze into my bed. He also lay down as if he were a patient.
"Maybe Aries doesn't know you're here," he said, and I froze. "He's been looking for you for a while now."
For me, it's better that he doesn't know. But I don't understand why he has to find me. He should be able to breathe easy now that I've disappeared from the house. No one will bring bad luck to him.
He should have guessed that.
"He's still excited. He has something to tell you," he added.
I looked at him and waited for what he would say next, hoping he had a clue about what my brother was about to announce. But he just looked at me and smiled mischievously.
"Force me," he said.
I just grew stronger. There's something wrong with me.
He knows I can't talk, so that's all he teases me with. He should be thankful I have no voice because I know he cried when I found out this morning.
The bee will no longer land on him.