Shed Tears

I am Veronica. Daughter of the most successful businessman on my country. When I turn into 19 y/o , I went to the waterfall by myself and try to find a peace and joy but what I find that day is a injured little boy.

At Sherive Hospital, I sit on the batch in front of the operating room. Waiting for that little boy. The doctors and nurse immediately took him to the emergency room when we are arrived. Then transferred to the operating room not long after that. it's mean he really has serious injured.

Hour to hours, finally Julian comes. He running from corridor to corridor to looking for me. Then when he see me sit on the bench of operation room, with rush he reach me while shortness of breath and worried face.

“What is happening? Hm? Veronica what is happening?” I can see his anger inside his word. That’s make me uncomfortable.

“What is happening Veronica, tell me!” Julian raise his voice to me.

“I don’t know!” I stend up. Facing him with angry face as well.

“I- I just go to the waterfall and I really get fall there and I find him.”

“You go to where??” Julian looked all over mybody carefully. Then he realised that I got injured in my leg and hand.

“My gosh, Veronica what you have done..” Julian voice get lower. His angry face also fadded slowly.

“Ok, first of all let’s treat your wound then change your cloth. It's all wet, you can get cold.”

This time, I just follow Julian without rebelling.

Luckily my injuries weren't that bad. There's nothing to sew or anything like that. When I think about it, I was lucky enough to fall in an area that wasn't full of boulders. If that's so, I might have same fate as that little boy.

I have so many question about that little boy. Who is him? Why is he there by himself? How about his family, where they are? There is no logical explanation to how he get there by himself what left is worse speculation that something bad was happen to him.

On the other hand, Julian has seem no thought of him. Even I was explained everything while he treat my wound. He has no demanding of my story at all.

“Listen to me. Now we have to go home and leave that little boy here. Let police-”

“NO! I’m not gonna leaving.” I know that he would say something like that. So I cut his sentence.

“Veronica there is nothing-”

“I can do something. We can do something for him.”

“And what is that?”

“Wait for his family. Find them.” I said loudly and confidently. Stare at Julian.

“And you know who they are?” Julian glare at me.

Silent for a moment.

“I.. I don’t know-”

“Then how we find his family if you don’t know who they are?”

I lowered my head. Gulped.

“I know you empathy for him. You already do good things, you didn’t leave him behind, you bring him here. That’s all is really brave Veronica and you do enough.”

“At least, I wanna know his name’s Julian. I wanna know his condition.”

“We can asking the doctor after-”

“Please..” My tears almost floating on my eyes. Julian got stunned for a moment.

“Ok. Just until he woke up. Right?” Julian while take deep sigh. I just nood without answering.

After waiting for four hours the doctor out and speak to Julian right after it.

The doctor said that little boy is save now. If it was any longer, that little boy might have bled to death. The doctor also said that he get a few stitches on his temples. That wound caused him to lose a lot of blood.

“So, can we take a look of him now?” I asked the doctor.

“Emm, I’m afraid you can’t. Not yet, cause his condition not stabil yet. Maybe if he woke up later, you can visit him.”

“Then when he will wake up?” I keep asking question. Julian stare at me.

“Maybe tomorrow morning. I will let you know if he woke up faster.”

“Thank you so much. Then we are leaving now.” Julian suddenly retracts my shoulder and push me out from the operating room.

“What’s wrong? Why?” I frowned.

“We have to wait Veronica. He need rest ok. Just listen what the doctor said.”

“But-”

“There is no but. Now you follow me go home and do what I said, ok? You must reflect on today's mistakes.”

“That’s not fair. I just wanna special present for my birthday.”

“I know sweetheart. I know.”

Both me and Julian leaving the hospital and get home.

***

Tomorrow morning at nine, the hospotal contact me that the little boy is wake up already. Me and Julian hurry get in there and look at him.

When we arrived the doctor also there.

“How was he?” I asked the doctor while glancing that little boy who was lying in the bed powerless.

“He is alright but-”

“But?” Me and Julian in the same times.

“It's seems he lost his memory. It could be temporary or permanent. We never know.” The doctor said with full of regret in his face.

“What?” I frowned.

“He don’t even remember his own name’s. We try several times and the result still the same.” The doctor said. I can’t say anything but covered my mouth with my both hand. Shock.

Julian and the doctor continue talking in the back. I didn’t listen to them and walk to reach that little boy. This is my first time to see his face clearly without blood and open wound.

Slowly, I touch his finger. I can feel his warm hand. Then I see his whole body, so thin and fragle. I grab his hand and stroke it gently.

“Hi doc, is he malnutrition?” I asking while keep looking at that little boy.

“Well, when you asking that the answer is yes. He is.”

“I don’t know what happened but my assumption he was tortured before you found him, Miss.”

“He was tortured?”

“Here.” The doctor open one of that little boy's sleeves. Precisely the right side of the child's arm.

There, we all found a burn wound that seemed to form a strange mark. The shape is not clear but as we can see it’s like a slingshot. Which has two sides on the right and left.

“What the hell is happened to this child?” Julian can’t believe what he see.

“Not just that, his feed and neck has several scratches. The doctor maybe right. He was being tortured.” I speak and look at Julian.

“We can’t decide it. We can’t take conclusion only from this.”

“And from what, Julian? You are a forensic doctor. Do what you can do.”

“Even so I can do that, I lack of evidence Veronica. We need police officer or detective to solve this-”

“Lier! You just won’t to take responsibilty of this-”

“Because this is not my responsibility to take! You are my responsibilty, only you!” Julian with his angry face point a his forefinger on me.

We argued there. Ignoring everyone including the doctor, the patient and the nurses who were watching our fight.

Unexpectedly, that little boy start screaming loudly while holding his head very tight. He is massively in pain, it seems our arguing triggers his memory.

The doctor who watching it all act fast to take control of the situation. He send me and Julian out of the room. He and his crew checked the boy's condition immediately.

Outside the room me and julian just silent each other. I was thinking about how the kid was doing, while Julian was thinking about something else.

“I will call my friend to investigation this case, so-”

“Stop.” I said it with heavy voice.

“Wha-”

“I said stop.”

“If you try to abandon this kid and delegate responsibility to others, I will not forgive you Julian.”

The atmosphere is tense again. Both Julian and I are stubborn and won't give in because we share the same blood. With sharp eyes we stared at each other.

“Then what you gonna do with that kid, Veronica. What?”

“I will help him to find his family or until his memories back.”

“The doctor said it could be permanent as well.”

“Then lest hope it’s not permanent.”

“This is unrealistic of you. You don’t know who is he, you don’t know his name’s but why you want to help him this much? Why?”

“Because he has no choice now. He don’t know who is he, why he here and what is happening with his life.” I take deep breath. Try so hard to not shed a tear.

“Then you. You want police to take care of him. it's mean he will send to social house or I said orphanage. What will happen to this boy, Julian. What?!”

Julian stunned for a moment. His eyes flict and his expression change.

“Just imagine you in his position. You don’t know anyone, you don’t know who you are and you have no ally. Can you imagine that? All alone in this big world?”

“Because if that were me, I could killed myself-”

“Veronica!-”

“But I have you! I have you as my uncle. My last and only family. Because whenever life hit me hard, I have someone who I can rely on. Someone who I can trust.”

Unexpectedly, Julian immediately covered his mouth with one hand. His eyes started to well up with tears as if tears were going to fall right then and there.

“So please Julian. Let him relay on us. Give him a chance. At least until his memories back and he find his own family. Also, it was me who find him in the first place..”

Silent.

Both me and Julian back silently but this time I can hear his heavily breathing. His eyes wet already and his face turn into red. That must because he try his best to not cry in front of me.

“Alright. I agree but just until he find his family or his memories back. Ok?”

“Thank you. Thank you.” I hug Julian and thanks to him many times.

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