BETELGEUSE

CHAPTER 6

Before he could say anything more, John gently put his finger on Sky's lips and said, "It's okay. At least you have accepted your mistake."

After two minutes of shared silence, Sky looked around the room and asked, "John, mom did not come to see me?"

John explained quietly, "She came, but I asked her to go back bcz if she stays, then dad will also stay. So I felt it was better to ask them to leave."

Sky agreed with his decision, saying, "Yeah, you did well."

John smiled gently and comforted him, saying, "Ok! Now keep quiet. The doctor said that you should not talk too much. So now sleep. I am right here on the sofa. If you need anything, just tell me, ok!"After saying this, John helped Sky fall asleep comfortably and went over to sit on the sofa. As he sat there reflecting deeply on everything that had happened throughout the day, he found himself drifting off, eventually falling asleep as well.

When morning came and John finally woke up, he saw that Sky was still resting in a deep sleep. He leaned over and gently kissed his forehead, which softly coaxed Sky to open his eyes. Sky looked up at John and smiled warmly.

John greeted him affectionately, "Good morning, sunshine. How is my baby feeling now? Huh?"

Sky replied softly, "Yeah! But my left arm has a lot of pain."

Trying to lighten the mood, John joked, "Ok! Next time, just tell me and I'll help you jump from the building. Then you won't ever be able to open your eyes again," he finished with a light laugh. Changing his tone, he added, "Well, I need to head out to school now, but I'll ask mom to come and stay by your side."About an hour later, their mother entered the hospital room, softly greeting them as she walked in. She set a basket of fresh fruits down on the table and turned her gaze toward Sky, who nervously looked down, unable to meet her eyes.

Mom turned to John and said, "You can go now, John."

John nodded, saying, "Yes. Goodbye."

Once John left, a quiet settled over the room until Sky broke the silence, stammering, "M-Mom..."

His mother stepped closer, responding warmly, "Yes, my son. Speak up. I'm listening."

Tears welling up, Sky confessed, "Mom, I'm so sorry. I know it was my mistake, and I really shouldn't have done it..."

His mother gently interrupted, "It is ok. I know exactly how you felt."

Sky looked up, a bit surprised, and asked, "So, you are not angry with me?"

She shook her head tenderly, "No. How can a mother ever be truly angry with her own son?"

Tears began to fill her eyes as she spoke, but the emotional moment was suddenly interrupted when her phone rang with an incoming callfrom John's father.

Answering it, Mom said, "Yes... what happened?"

On the other end of the line, his father stated coldly, "You came back. I will stay with SkyImmediately after saying this, she cut the call and hung up.

Sky looked at her anxiously and asked, "What was he saying?"

His mother turned to him and replied, "He is coming here to take care of you. I am leaving."

Terrified at the prospect of being left alone, Sky pleaded desperately, "Mom, please don't go. Please, you know I don't like him."

However, she ignored his pleas, simply stating, "I have to leave. Bye."

With that, she hung her bag over her shoulder and walked out of the room. After some time had passed, his father entered the hospital room and stood over the bed, looking down at Sky.

Father asked, "So, why did my baby boy try to take his life? Do you not love me?"

Sky shrank away from him and warned, "Don't come closer to me."

But his father completely refused to listen to him; instead, he leaned over his body and kissed him anyway.Meanwhile, John finished taking his classes at school and went back home to gather some of Sky's belongings. When he walked into the house, he was shocked to find his mother sitting there. Confronting her immediately, he spoke with deep anger vibrating in his voice, demanding, "Why did you leave Sky with your husband? You know Sky doesn't like him, but you still..."

Cutting himself off in sheer frustration, he didn't say anything further; he turned around, left the house, and headed straight towards the hospital. The moment he arrived, he hurriedly opened the door to Sky's room, only to be met with a horrific sight. He saw that his father was completely on top of Sky. His father's own shirt had been discarded on the floor, while Sky's shirt was torn open a bit. His father was aggressively kissing Sky's arm and was moving his way up. But as soon ashe went up, John rushed forward, violently pushed his father off, and started beating him up. Sky's eyes were filled with tears as he watched the violence unfold, desperately trying to stop John from beating his father with his words. After calling out his name a couple of times, Sky finally got through to him; John stopped his assault and barked at his father, "Leave, and don't dare to come here again."

His father finally left the room, but not before shooting a dead glare directly at John. Once he was gone, John hurried over toward Sky's bed, gently placed his hand on Sky's forehead, and asked with deep concern:

John: "Are you ok? Did he hurt you?"

Sky nodded weakly and replied, "Yes, I am okay."

Still fueled by adrenaline, John snapped, "Why did you let him stay with you?"

Sky, feeling hurt by the tone, defended himself, "I told mom not to make me stay with him, but she didn't listen to me. He harassed me the whole day, and now you are also shouting on me."As he spoke, fresh tears started to form in Sky's eyes. Realizing his harshness, John softened his voice and explained, "It was just for you. I was worried about you. You know, on my way here, I had almost hit a car... and still, are you going to say this?"

Sky looked up at him poutily and said, "No, I will not, if you give me a kiss."

John smiled in spite of himself and teased, "Ohh! I see. My baby wants a kiss. Ok! I will not give you."

Sky pleaded, "Plz! Plz! I really want it, plz!"

Giving in, John leaned down and kissed Sky deeply. Sky couldn't help but smile during the kiss. After a little while, John gently broke the kiss, looked at him, and said:

John: "My baby is happy now."

Sky smiled softly and replied, "Yes, I am happy."

With the tension finally leaving the room, John sat down comfortably on the edge of the bed .