60. Too Many Secrets

"It's been three weeks since Stan was attacked and he hasn't woken up, sleeping peacefully like an infant."

Sighing aloud at his brother, dad Joss responded. "He is in a coma. How many times must I tell you that?"

"Coma, sleep, lazing around...same thing. This guy seems to be enjoying his slumber and the fact that Yeon can sense what he needs and his yearnings tells me he doesn't want to wake up. I can't keep coming here to tend to him when he's been nothing but a nuisance to me."

"Brother, you must not allow Robin to hear you say that. He has been worried day and night..."

"Yeon is the one I'm most concerned of at the moment. He is nonchalant about his fated's situation and for the first time in a while, I find myself thinking about someone else more than my wife and children. What is wrong with that child? His condition has bothered me for months and now I have to worry why he isn't worried? What's wrong with me?" Dr. Jiwon stood up from his seat and took off his stethoscope. He shook his head in frustration after checking his watch, knowing yet again he was going to run late reaching home.

"I'm on my annual break and I can't spend it with my wife...."

His brother smilled and patted his back, assuring him. "It just goes to show you are not selfish anymore, though I understand you. If it wasn't for Robin, I wouldn't worry much about Yeon either. I only get bothered whenever he worries for him and that has somehow become a learned habit to look after Yeon too."

"Clearly, we are related to have this unbothered character and Stan had to pick it up too exactly like us....though, I find him very stupid." Dr Jiwon stopped for a moment as he glanced at his nephew yet again and mockingly added. "...Craizy enough to have thought he could fight those criminals alone." He laughed briefly and looked back at his brother.

" What's the status so far? Anyone died?"

"Almost. They kind of went into hypoxia with Stan releasing all his scents at once. He managed to buy enough time for the police to get to them just in time. They were later rushed to the hospital then apprehended shortly afterwards..."

"Serves them right. Anyway, I have to go now. You know what to do when you need me. However, I encourage you to not call me. These days I'm spending less and less time with my wife since I'm always here with you ugly mugs..." Dr Jiwon smacked his brothers shoulder as he walked to the door to leave Stan's room.

"I'll tell your wife you called me ugly..." Stan's dad replied, turning his chair to look at his brother who'd stopped midway, his hand still holding the door handle.

"What the...!" Dr. Jiwon said in frustration then turned to look back at his brother. He scanned him for a while then looked at Stan who still lay unconscious on Yeon's bed and he wondered to himself again why his nephew would risk his life to that extent, for the second time. He laughed by himself at the idea of him doing exactly just that to save his beloved wife. Shaking his head yet again, he brushed of the scary thought of having to do so and looked back at his brother and frowned. "Haa...what do you want?"

"I'll pay your lab a visit and choose whatever I fancy. I've had my eyes on some of your fancy apparatus that would look great in my lab. I want my son's fated to find similar equipments in my lab too that we can work with together in future."

"Just stay away from Yeon's project and don't ask me to disclose it to you either. He is about done and has worked hard on it..."

"Dr. Jiwon...! Glad to find you here?" Yeon had opened the door from outside only to come face to face with his mentor.

"You startled me for a moment. I was actually on my way out." Dr Jiwon spoke as he let go of the door handle and moved aside for Yeon to walk past him in his room.

"I was hoping to catch you so I rushed back. How's Stan doing? Any progress?"

"Still in sweet slumber." He replied almost immediately and Yeon laughed at his playful mood. He felt relieved at how his mentor always gave out Stan's diagnosis. Dr. Jiwon was one of the reasons he was able to keep his sanity whenever he looked at Stan since the incident.

"Can't you just provoke him with one of your erotic scents again? That's bound to wake him up..."

Yeon laughed some more and took the seat that his mentor had previously sat on. His eyes were still on Stan. "We...already tried that but got no reaction. Maybe Stan is just being sturbbon about not wanting to wake up like you said." Looking back at dad Joss, Yeon asked with a smile on his face. "What have we not tried yet that could tempt him to open his eyes? I'm also becoming impatient myself..."

"I have a lot of ideas but my brother here knows Robin will kill me if he found out. Stan was supposed to file my taxes and now I have to do it. It's too much work and I'm busy..."

"He was to file mine as well!" Dr. Jiwon exclaimed. "...And follow up on some of my investments! Brother, we know nothing of this complicated economic jargon. Have we always relied on Stan this much?"

"I guess so. I've been lying to Robin all these years that I was the one filling our taxes and he praised me for being efficient and on time. I'll get an earful if Stan doesn't wake up soon before the deadline." Dad Joss complained to his brother.

"Me too. I shouldn't have relied a lot on my nephew either... What I'm I to tell my wife when she starts being suspicious?"

The sudden burst of laughter from Yeon brought the two brother's attention away from their worries in an instant.

Smilling, Dr. Jiwon pointed out sarcastically how Yeon had become so happier and relaxed these days, laughing wholeheartedly next to his unconscious fated.

"You two remind me of Stan that is all. Clearly, Stan never took after dad Robin."

"...And let that be our little secret as well. We've lied to him for years how much Stan takes after him to pacify his ego so if you've noticed that being not the case, don't put us in trouble my dear Yeon..." Dr. Jiwon cautioned

"I didn't hear anything." Yeon replied as he gestured to zip up his lips jokingly.

The three laughed at their mischief and after a few light moments, the two brothers excused themselves, leaving Yeon alone with Stan.

Bending down, Yeon sniffed on his fated's shoulder but couldn't perceive any scent from him. Now that he was alone, he acted freely with Stan as he scanned him randomly then closed his eyes as if to concentrate on any slight sensation of Stan yearning for him but there had been none.

"I finally found your EyePods with some of the things that were recovered from your car. I payed a visit to the police station today to finalize on our case. The good news is we no longer have to worry about the guys who took advantage of me. The bad news is these people are connected with some high officials that is why the case took longer than expected. I don't know why you thought it best to lie to me that day and trick me when we could have both worked as a team."

Pocking on Stan's cheek, he added. "You know how strong my scent is...sometimes I wonder how I managed to walk so confidently letting it out like that. I would have helped out without having you become like this so if you can hear me, wake up soon. Everyone is worried about you you know."

A knock on the door accompanied by a familiar voice made Yeon's face light up as he stood to open it.

"Elric! I had thought you'd changed your mind about visiting Stan today."

"It gladdens me that you missed me this much, judging from how happy you look. " Elric said with a smile and greeted him.

"Of course I'd miss you. I haven't seen you for a while. How's the going?"Elric asked then sat down on the seat Dr. Jiwon had previously sat on. His eyes were on Stan when he added. "I thought I was worse but your case is way beyond mine. How are you so strong?"

"You ask me that every time you come here. Let's talk about you today Elric. I'm worried about the fact that Niel hasn't gotten in touch with anyone since he ran away to the states."

"Damn, whenever I think of him, I become even more tired. He wounded my face, my neck, my back, my heart....damn...I feel so weak these days." Turning his face to Yeon, Elric asked. "Did it feel this way whenever you were apart from Stan?"

"You're forgetting you two marked normally to completion that's why you're in love with him and here sulking nonstop. Mine and Stan's was a different thing."

"Even so, I feel like my energy is drained constantly..."

"It's just the spiritual essence you both share now trying to pull you two together." Taking the seat where dad Joss had sat, he patted Elric's shoulder and said. "I know Niel. He didn't leave you in that villa alone as if to abandon his responsibilities. He hated you and now he had to accept being fated to you? Even I still find it shocking, not to mention, he marked you the moment you went into heat. Of course he'd be confused. You fooled around with his girlfriend too remember. I'm convinced he left to think his life over so do not fret. He will be back soon enough."

"Do you know his address?"

"Niel is good at hiding if he doesn't want to be found. Give him his space and let him clear his head."

"Even so, this is the longest time I've stayed without having sex. I'm backed up big time and whenever I try it with other people, I feel nauseous to the core. I can hardly smell anyone's scents anymore...it's frustrating Yeon."

"You know you deserve what you're going through now right?"

"Big time. In fact, I feel quite lucky...well, my mother said I'm lucky despite her being against me being fated. She was hoping I'd end up pairing instead so as to not suffer like she did." Sighing aloud, Elric looked at Stan and asked Yeon. "Do they know you can't sense him? I saw his dad escort his brother out."

"No. I haven't told anyone except you Elric."

"Yet you don't look worried at all. What if they find out? You can't keep lying about sensing him for long."

"...Because I plan on curing Stan. I did work on his samples before and I have saved them up in the lab. I only need to induce it on him without anyone's knowledge."

"What if it doesn't work Yeon?"

"It will. I put my heart and soul into it."

"Your conviction amazes me Yeon. I'm here bombarding my head with how to find Niel yet you have your partner next to you in a coma. I wish I could be as strong as you."

"I don't believe I'm strong. In truth, I'm very weak. Too weak to admit that Stan might end up staying like this for the rest of his life."