This Crazy Rich Boy - Chapter 104

“Your brother has just opened his eyes. He mentioned the name ‘Claire’. Is she here?” The nurse couldn’t hide the excitement in her voice.

Miguel glances at Michelle before answering. “She’s not here. I’ll let her know. But let me speak to my brother first.”

“Oh, my God,” Michelle exclaims, and runs into the ICU before Miguel could say anything further.

Color has returned to Gabriel’s cheeks. He’s trying to sit up just as Michelle appears in the room.

“What are you doing here?”

“I drove here as soon as I learned,” Michelle says, on the verge of tears. “How are you?”

Gabriel stares at her; he doesn’t want Michelle, his “enemy,” to know anything about this. He’s still at a loss about why he’s in here. The last thing he remembers is his own room, morning, after he spoke with Claire on the phone. He vividly remembers it because Claire, still clumsy with her new phone, didn’t realize she was on a video-call with him while soaked in the Jacuzzi. He saw her brėȧsts, sure, but he would not admit it if pressed just to protect Claire’s fragile sensibilities. That was it. Next thing he knew, he opened his eyes and he’s in this strange room, with strange people. Worse, the first “familiar” person he sees is Michelle. This can’t be good.

“I guess the person who should be asking questions is me,” he says. “Why am I here?”

“You don’t know?” she goes to him and holds his hand. “You were very sick, Gab. They rushed you to this hospital when your people found you unconscious in your room.”

“You had severe infection,” the doctor says, who had been standing by the side and wondering who this woman is. “But you’ve gone over the most difficult part. You’ll be fine.”

Michelle glances at the doctor, as if telling him to shut up, then turns back to Gabriel with that sweet smile. “I had been waiting for you to wake up, Gab. I’ve been crying all night.”

“Really?”

“Yes,” she says, as she squeezes Gabriel’s hand. “I’d die if something bad happens to you.”

Gabriel gazes at her, than stares at his hand being held and squeezed by her, as though they were still together, like nothing happened. A few weeks ago, he would be thrilled, fascinated even. But now, this close with the woman he used to love for years, Gabriel is baffled because he feels nothing. Nothing for her. No familiar feelings. Worse, he doesn’t even hate her. He has stopped hating her, he realizes now, without him even knowing it.

Awkwardly, Gabriel pulls away from her grasp. “Thank you, Michelle, but I’m fine. You can go home now.”

“I’ll drive you home,” she says, almost pleading.

“No, thank you, I can manage.”

“You can’t yet go out, Mr. Tan,” the doctor interjects. “You still need to finish the course of antibiotics. You still need to rest.”

“Then I will stay here by your side as long as needed,” Michelle says.

Gabriel secretly recoils from the idea of spending hours with Michelle. “No, thank you, Michelle. You can go. Please.”

“But—”

“She will be fine, Michelle,” Miguel says, who has just entered the room. He heard everything Michelle had said, including the lies. “Let’s follow the doctor’s advice and give him time to heal…alone.” He turns to the doctor. “Right, Doc?”

“Uhh,” the doctor stammers, trying to read Miguel’s face for the correct response. His eyes ping-pong between Michelle and him. Then he gets it. “Yes, yes, he needs to be completely alone. He has just been through the most grueling period of his sickness. He’s still totally not out of the woods, yet.”

“But—”

“No ‘buts’, please, Michelle. This is critical.” He turns to the doctor. “If you may, please, Doc, please accompany her to the nearest exit.”

“Well, yes, it would be my pŀėȧsurė,” the doctor says, gazing closely at Miguel’s face for any hint he’s doing the right thing. When Miguel winks, he’s finally sure. “Let’s not get in the way of the patient’s full recuperation, Miss. Let me bring you to the…”

“Alright!” Michelle snaps. “No need to have me escorted out of the building. I’ll go out on my own.”

Miguel tries his best to keep a straight face. “Thank you for your understanding, Michelle.”

Michelle scowls at him. Without a word, she stomps out of the room. The doctor follows her.

Gabriel sighs. “What happened, man?”

“You just got a reminder that you’re still human, Gabriel.”

“Yeah, I guess so,” he mutters. He looks at his brother meaningfully, as though there’s something he wants to say.

Miguel reads it on his face. “Bella Xavier, your secretary, was here,” he says, quietly. “She was here for hours.”

“And?”

“She cried her eyes out for hours, thinking you would die.” Miguel clucks his tongue. “Poor girl. I didn’t know she has such dedicated to her boss. I should find myself a secretary like that.”

“Oh,” Gabriel mutters. He gazes at his brother, hesitating.

But again, Miguel “reads” it in his brother’s eyes. “I know, Gab. You don’t have to explain. I know everything.”

Gabriel says nothing. He makes a big sigh of relief. “Thank you. But you know that I don’t have to explain anything to you regarding my personal decisions.”

“Yeah, I know,” Miguel says. “It’s just that, to be honest, I envy you. I’ve seen how much this girl cares about you. You’re goddamn lucky.”

“I know. I can’t believe how lucky I am, either,” Gabriel says. “Where is she?”

“I brought her back to her place,” he says. “She passed out. She must have been so exhausted from all that waiting and the crying. Don’t worry, I respected her. I had Dale manage all her needs when I left to return here.”

Gabriel gazes at him. “Thank you, man. I owe you a lot for this.”

“That’s nothing. That’s why I’m here. To take care of the needs of my ‘elderly’ brother.”

“Asshole,” Gabriel says. They both laugh. “What time is it now?”

Miguel looks at his wristwatch. “It’s about two in the morning. Too early. You should sleep some more. Regain your strength.”

“I have done enough sleeping for a lifetime,” Gabriel says. He pulls out the IV tubes stuck to his arm, and bolts up from the bed.

“Hey, what are you doing?” Miguel says in panic. “You would hurt yourself!”

“I’m going to be fine, brother. Help me get off this damn bed.”

Gabriel swings his feet over to the side of the bed and tries to stand up. At first he’s still dizzy, but he holds onto Miguel as he regain his bearings. “I’m going to surprise Claire,” he says, tapping Miguel on the shoulder.

“What? You can’t be serious. You’re not fully well, yet.”

“We don’t die easily, remember?” Gabriel smiles. “I’ll take a quick drive, enjoy some night air, and maybe give the woman of my dreams the surprise of her life. She has done enough crying. I can’t let her cry anymore.”

Miguel gazes at him. “But you’ll have to sign some waiver and…”

Gabriel waves him off. “Take care of all the paperwork, please? We own this hospital, anyway.”

“We do?” The information surprises even Miguel; he was only bluffing to the nurses earlier. Turns out he wasn’t joking at all.

“Bought it a few months back,” Gabriel says. “Now, let me sally forth and conquer. Where’s your car?”

“Third level, basement,” Miguel says as he tosses the car keys to him. “Elevator lobby’s to the right. I brought my Aston Martin, Gab. Would get you there quickly.”

Gabriel stops and turns back to him. “Thanks, man. How about you?”

“I’ll call up Jean and have her send me your butler,” Miguel says, smiling. “Fair exchange?”

“Sure,” Gabriel says. “Thanks, man.” Then he ambles out of the door.

Miguel is left standing there in the ICU, alone with the empty bed and medical monitors. He smiles to himself and shakes his head. He runs a hand on the bed that Gabriel had vacated, testing the mattress’s softness with his palm. He nods. He eases himself into the bed. He realizes he’s so tired, too, as soon as his back kisses the bed. Yet, he wonders which has exhausted him more: the utter loneliness of his life, or this whole principle of giving Gabriel everything he needs and wants, even at the expense of his own comfort and happiness. But as soon as he closes his eyes, he starts dreaming. He sees Claire in his mind’s eye, just standing there smiling at him, telling him everything will be all right.