We Belong Together

Chapter 4

Thai Viet was awakened by the loud ringing of the phone. He grumbled and cursed at the phone manufacturers, why don't you install a vibration mode for your desk phone? Or a shutdown button like a cell phone, won't it help you much? Maybe it was Phan calling again, the only people who knew his home phone number were his parents and Phan. But his parents never called him on a day off, because they thought that on those days when he stayed at home, Hanoi must have had a fire or an earthquake.

- I guess I just woke you up? Something that always makes me happy. How? Did you sleep well last night? - Monkey! Did I just take a nap? And this morning when I woke up, I found myself sleeping on the sofa, so I understood last night wasn't a dream.

Viet plopped down on the chair and continued:

- Damn, what did you do to her? I saw you swearing badly, and yet she was very grateful to you?

- Ha ha, my job is to listen, advise, and when needed... scolding others, right?

- YES! And still have money and talent, that's what I told her about you.

- You slandered me. - Do I praise you? Is it not enough to talk about you like that? Any! Now give me the reason why you woke me up this early in the morning. For what?

- Soon? Are you okay, it's already past 3 pm, and I remind you that this afternoon you have a dinner appointment at my house. Thao is waiting for you to come pick up vegetables.

- Is it 3 o'clock? - Viet almost roared - I promised to take Phuong Thuy this afternoon to buy a laptop. You know, she doesn't know anything about technology, but I fell asleep, turned off my cell phone again, she must be mad at me?

- His assistant? She looks "delicious". Ai... I'm joking, you... I see her as well... that's fine. Do you have any intentions?... What did I say?... Ah! Thao asked me to tell you that you should find someone, that's enough.

- I wish I could thank Thao for that, but I will. This Phuong Thuy, everything is good, agile, clever, intelligent, and ambitious. Or rather, too quick, too smart, too clever, and too ambitious. And you know, like anything, positive or negative, "too" is not good.

- Are you too rich?

- YES! So it's not good either? That's the first reason people remember me.

- Are you too confident?

- I hope so too - Thai Viet was silent, listening to Thach Thao's voice on the other end of the line playing with Phan - I'm going to take a shower now, and then I'll come and pick up your vegetables for Thao right away.

***

Thai Viet went into the bedroom, intending to wake the girl up, but she had already disappeared. Maybe she left while he was fast asleep. Viet looked around in surprise, the room was surprisingly neat, making him feel like he was in someone else's bedroom. No way, according to the schedule, the maid only comes once a week at 5pm on Sunday, right? It's too early now, so Hanh must have cleaned it up already. It is true that a woman's hand is different, his owl's nest looks brighter.

Viet went out to the living room, the window curtains were carefully lowered, she must have been afraid that the sun shining through the window would make him lose sleep. On the cabinet, the speakers, TV, and sound system are cleaned and polished. Furniture and shoes have been returned to the place they were supposed to be. On the table is a vase of fresh flowers that you don't know its name?

Viet stepped into the kitchen, this almost abandoned room after being cleaned and cared for became cozy and clean. On the ice door of the refrigerator, Hanh attached a yellow paper, which seemed to be a message. "You're worse than my youngest brother, I thought I was in an abandoned house? I bought some food, fruit and cold food. You just save it to eat fighting, need it anyway. have something to use when needed."

Viet opened the refrigerator, her "little" is a refrigerator full of food and drinks, probably eating for a whole month. Viet shocked her head, maybe she wanted to repay her, an unnecessary fairness.

***

Thai Viet closed the door while smiling happily thinking about the surprised face of the maid. She must have been surprised to see the house become so clean, neat and tidy. But maybe, the old woman always believed in those magical fairy tales, but didn't think that he had just found a fruit containing Miss Tam.

Dare so much.

***

"It's a beautiful day," Viet told himself as he drove under the light yellow light. After a rainy night, the sky became blue, the space seemed to be cleaned of all dust and dirt, and the air wafted with the scent of milk flowers. On both sides of the road, the Caviaraceae trees are showing off a heavy coat, while the main red fruits are hanging, the Bang trees have begun to change the color of their leaves, peeking out in the green foliage that has begun to point a little yellow. , red as if to show Viet that last night autumn has officially taken over the city.

"The weather is beautiful". Viet said loudly, "How lovely is the autumn in Hanoi?".

Viet put a pile of dishes and chopsticks on the table, turned to the side, where Phan was chopping up a chicken, wondering.

- This! Any patient before being admitted to the hospital needs to be tested very carefully, right? Especially addicted patients, sent to the hospital to get rid of that addiction? I remember all the regulations very well, my institute is only a private institute, but still respects the law very much.

- What do you mean?

- What happened last night, you know what I mean.

- I have to keep the patient's secret, you know that too.

- So you think last night she and I watched each other all night? Don't worry about your Hippocratic oath, it will be reputable to the whole extent. The problem is that I already know it all, and just wondering how does an AIDS patient end up in rehab in the hospital? Is the lab technician blind?

Phan gave a slightly strong knife, causing the chicken wing that had just been cut off his body to fall onto the piece of newspaper used to line the bottom of the cutting board.

"He's not blind at all, but he's just blinded, blinded by the light of the coin, my dear. A lot of money, I guess.

- Do you mean the guy "closed his mouth for money" to change the result from positive to negative?

"Nonsense, it can't be," Thao interjected, usually she's just silent when two men argue, but in this situation, she couldn't sit still - who do you mean? ? What good does that do them?

Phan swung the knife down again, causing the meat to splatter onto the floor.

- Who are they? They are the father of that patient, right? Think about it, if you are a big mandarin, it is too much to have to face because of having a naughty child, and now it brings another blow that your son has AIDS, then honor, prestige and prestige. How will my credit and money be? Taking his son to rehab is just a "sacrifice tactic" to save the father's career, not to worry about his son at all. That's it, it's just a guise to shout: "Hey guys, I know my kids are addicted, but I'd rather sacrifice my honor, rather than say no to social evils". Cool? One job, two jobs, one reputation keeps going up, so even if you have AIDS, you have to go to rehab by any means.

Viet couldn't help but swear again - So he sold his child cheaply? Rafffish.

- That, unfortunately, is becoming normal, today's society is full of people like that - Phan suppressed a sigh.

- But that's my son, isn't it? - still Thao's voice - The tiger doesn't even have the heart to eat its baby. Poor.

- Don't feel sorry for that rotten family, you should feel sorry for Hanh, she just moved there from the internal medicine department last month, but...

- What the hell are you saying, if it's been almost a month, how can there be test results, I thought it usually takes a few months?

- You go and ask the test technician. As far as I know, she was just hit with a needle yesterday morning. - Was it just yesterday? - Viet was shocked - so why didn't she get exposure prophylaxis?

- Yes, but she trusted the test technician too much, so it wasn't until the evening, when she met him and learned the truth, that she...

- Damn it!

- You know, the medicine can still be effective for seven days. But it's best to treat it within 2-4 hours after the attack, because after that, the effect can be very low.

- I understand, poor her. I just don't get it, if I were her, what would I do to that lab technician? Slice him into three pieces, or skinned high?

That you should ask her.

***

Hanh has a message, the text on the screen tells her that the message is from "Honey". She slightly confused, mumbling to herself, wondering why she hasn't changed or even deleted Hoang Viet's name from the contacts list? "After the morning briefing, I'll see you at the same place." Old place? After what he said and did, he still wanted to see her? But what about you? Do you still want to see him?

***

Hanh stood quietly by the lake, watching each pale pink lotus bud trying to squeeze, trying to emerge from the overgrown weeds. This lake was very beautiful in the past, but no one has taken care of it for a long time, so the water dried up, and the weeds grew overgrown and crowded, overwhelming even the small, meager lotus clusters left. Around the lake, there are many straight eucalyptus trees, mixed with dense bamboo groves, looking like a small forest. Across the lake, growing next to a small paved road for patients and doctors to walk, relax and enjoy the wind is a large Si tree, spreading its roots to the lake surface like a dark brown curtain. Hanh strode over to the old man's roots, sat down on the familiar stone bench, where Hoang Viet used to meet her, when both were students, asked to come here to practice.

The chair was still wet with the night dew.

The sound of stepping on the cement floor pulled Hanh out of the beautiful memories of her student days. The sound of Hoang Viet's footstep was unmistakable. She did not move or seem to have noticed his presence, still indifferently looking at the dying lotus flowers in the middle of the lake. This flower, which blooms early, is beautiful and fragrant, but it fades very quickly.

Hoang Viet stood in front of her, did not sit on the chair, or did not dare to sit on the chair? She accepted, she didn't know.

- What happened the other day - he stammered - I hope you... well... that means... don't tell anyone.

- Talk to someone about what? About me being a "sick child"—she used the slightly strong word, harshly, "he didn't even ask how I was?" Sorrowful happiness - or do you have another idea? - Regarding the matter of your professional negligence - he was embarrassed, miserable, a face that only made the other person more scornful - in fact he...

- Ah! Negligence, negligence.

Hanh's smile is cold, fleeting like the wind, it's not exactly that she smiles, because there is no emotion in it. Perhaps, perhaps it was just that her heart was filled with contempt and fatigue. Is this the person you've been in love with for years? Is this the person you think you would spend the rest of your life with? The person you want to share all your difficulties with, and build a small but cozy and happy family together? The one that just the other night, she almost killed herself and tormented an innocent person because of him?

No! This is just a cowardly, greedy, unscrupulous, irresponsible guy. The one who sold his professional conscience and himself for dirty money. The one who denied his responsibility. Even the damn guy standing in front of her, that scholar looking down, had bluntly said goodbye as soon as he knew she was handsome with a needle. Just last night, no need to wait time to get tested again? So he holds the patient's test results in his other hand?

Hanh glanced at Hoang Viet's face with hateful eyes, he lowered his head, avoided her gaze. Hanh smiled again, this time she actually smiled, a smile full of pity, boredom and contempt. If in a few months, when she has finished the course of exposure prophylaxis, when she has the test results, if she can accurately confirm that she has been infected with that terrible syndrome. You don't need to wait for him to abandon you, run away from you like a leper? She will take the initiative to say goodbye to Hoang Viet, she thinks, because she truly that she can make sacrifices for the one she loves. But Hoang Viet did not have enough patience, even to pretend to care and worry, pretend to play the role of a sympathetic and apologetic person. In fact, now, in this moment, she had run out of patience with him.

- Are you afraid people will discipline you? You're not afraid of losing your job, are you? Is your father the vice-president? Or are you afraid of speculation? Afraid your money will be affected?

- You can do whatever you want, I'll give you whatever you want, as long as you don't...

- What do you want? Can you answer it all? You think I'm that cheap? He looks down on me too much. I want a health, can you provide it? - Hanh almost burst into tears, but she tried to hold herself back, she was not allowed to be weak in front of this person. - Is that Okay?

Hanh stood up, Hoang Viet stepped back a bit...

- I'm begging you, we used to...

- You shut up, I forbid you. I forbid you to repeat the old stories. You don't deserve it.

- I beg you, I have a long future ahead of me, I...

- I don't have a future? Why are you so cowardly, you only care about yourself, right?

- No! You still take care of me. I talked to my father, he said that the National Children's Hospital is recruiting. Haven't you always wanted to be a Children's Hospital? I will try to help you fulfill your wish.

- Ah! - She laughed out loud, it is true that she once told him about her dream of taking care of real children. - You take care of me? Or take care of you? Are you scared? You want to push me away, don't you? Don't worry, I'm also tired of seeing you every day. I will quit my job. I'll get out of your sight, but don't think I'm doing it for you, no, just for me.

- But...

"If you can do everything I ask, then I'm just asking you to stop pretending to be worried and interested in me like that again, okay?"

Hanh walked like running, wanted her heart was aching, she to cry but could not allow her tears to fall. She had thought about this last night, had already written her resignation letter, was mentally prepared, but why did she still feel so much pain? Everything seemed to collapse in front of her eyes, she felt like she had just missed the path, fell into a deep abyss, fell forever, fell forever without seeing the bottom?

Disappointed!!!

Fuck with!!!

Shattered!!!

It would be better for him not to come, for him to just let her spin around with this pain, perhaps better than all those false concerns. Those eyes that used to look at her lovingly. That voice had sworn to protect and protect her. That person thought he would be the man holding her hand until the end of his life, but... Love. Past. Present. And Future. Everything was like broken pieces that cut her heart and bled. She wanted to run away, wanted to disappear into the cold tears that were about to burst in the corners of her eyes.