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Jay was not allowed to ask too many questions about P'Jeng's mentor. His name was P'Karn, his brother told him on the first day of University. He was quiet and intimidating, his brother whispered to him after a few weeks, same age as Jeng but in an advanced year already. He was kinda mean sometimes, his brother said after a few months, but it did not sound like something he disliked. In fact, his brother's eyes were shining with a very familiar kind of mischief.
A few weeks later, P'Jeng came home for the weekend with a bag full of laundry for their mother and too many pranks for Jay.
"Stop teasing your brother and come here. I'll teach you how to do laundry."
"But I am so tired from classes." Jeng whined while winking at Jay.
Mother emptied Jeng's bag onto his bed and started sorting whites and colours.
"First you take out all the whites and then you can sort them by washing type."
"Can't you just dump it all into the machine?" Jeng asked.
"Then your white coat will take on all the colors."
"Dentists don't get white coats mom. We get cool white and purple coats."
"Whose is this then?" Mother asked holding up a white coat that was definitely too big for p'Jeng. Jeng quickly grabbed the coat and hid it back in his bag.
"Must have been mixed in by a friend. Don't worry about it. I'll return it later."
"Atleast wash it before returning." Mother slapped Jeng on his head and walked away carrying the rest of the clothes.
Jay grabbed the coat and before Jeng could stop him read the name stitched on the collar - Karn. Jeng batted Jay's hands away.
"Don't ask." Jeng warned.
"Tell me anyway." Jay pleaded.
"P'Karn is very interesting and kinda fun to hang out with."
"Do you like him?" Jay got all the answer from the red of P'Jeng's ears.
"No more questions about him ever or I stop buying you secret desserts." Jeng threatened with a smile.
Jay smiled back. It was nice to see his brother like someone again after the heartbreak he had in high school.
It was the end of P'Jeng's first year and Jay had seen less and less of him over the months. Classes were demanding, P'Jeng had confessed but P'Karn was even more demanding. Jay wanted to be worried and angry but there was a joy in his brother's voice he hadn't heard before so he kept the secret.
P'Karn and P'Jeng took a trip after Jeng's first year was done. P'Jeng came back tanned, relaxed and exuberantly happy. He had the box then.
"A present from P'Karn." He confessed when Jay pushed him for details.
One year blended into the next. P'Karn graduated and moved away but not too far.
"He wanted to be close."
"To what?"
"Me, dumbass!" Jeng pinched Jay.
"He really likes you."
"Yeah." Jeng's voice softened. "He really does."
Jay did not see P'Karn at the hospital when they ran in after getting the news. He had heard it was where he worked but in that moment all he could think of was P'Jeng.
P'Jeng was in a coma. Very small chance of recovery. Mother hadn't left his side since that morning. Jay went to get her water and standing on the other side of the hallway, eyes red, was a tall sturdy man in a white coat. 'Dr.Karn' Jay's mind took a few seconds to process the nametag.
"P'Karn." P'Karn turned and walked away furiously wiping his tears. "Please stop. Don't you want to see him one last time?"
"I can't." Dr.Karn snapped causing nearby nurses to jump.
"He would want you to. He loved you." Dr. Karn sat down heavily onto one of the chairs lining the hallway.
One of the nurses walked by and pulled Jay away from him.
"Dr.Karn is not the best person to be bothering, kid. He has other work than answering your questions. What do you want?"
"My brother is in a coma."
"Oh." She went quiet for a few seconds and turned to Dr.Karn. "I am sure he will recover soon, don't you think Dr.Karn?"
Dr.Karn stood up, face stony and expression closed off and walked away.
The nurse sighed. "I don't know why I expect anything else. Go back to your brother, kid. Leave Dr.Karn alone. You won't get any reassurances from him."
Their mother refused to remove P'Jeng from life support so Jay and her took shifts sitting by his side. Jay told him about new dessert recipes he found, shows he was watching, and the gossip from his school. He saw the shadow of P'Karn on the other side of the door sometimes but he never entered and Jay never asked him to.
One night, a month after the accident, Jay fell asleep in the couch beside Jeng. It was late at night and a small noise woke Jay long enough to see Dr.Karn leaning over P'Jeng. Jay waited, hoping P'Karn hadn't seen him awake. Dr.Karn checked Jeng's vitals like he was used to it. Jay wondered how many times he had sneaked in like this. Dr.Karn finished his exam and sat down beside Jeng holding his hand tight.
"Joint practice, Jeng, you promised. Just you and me, no hospitals or other doctors. I'll even be your pretty nurse like you said if you just come back okay? All you have to do is come back to me and I'll do anything." His voice was soft but Jay could hear the tears.
A soft beep was all that came from P'Jeng. Dr.Karn got up to leave but turned back to Jeng in the last moment and leaned in, kissing him gently on his right cheek first, then left cheek, then his forehead, his chin and his nose. He cupped Jeng's face gently and Jay looked away, not wanting to intrude on the moment.
Their lips met and the monitors started beeping furiously. Dr.Karn scrambled away and Jay jumped awake.
"What happened?" He demanded but Dr.Karn was looking past him. Jay turned around and Jeng was awake.
Both Jay and Dr.Karn rushed to his side. Jeng smiled gingerely looking at Dr.Karn.
"Even my pretty nurse?" P'Jeng's voice was raspy from disuse.
Dr.Karn let out a laugh that was half a sob. "Anything."