Chapter 8

It's a nice surprise to find my parents by my side when I woke up. The words they said was quite relieving that I am not in too bad a condition. I am feeling less pain the attacks seems to be coming less often and my tiredness has dropped. Although it's still not normal even for me, It's an improvement. Ah-Long's Spirit told me that he feels that I might get slightly better. I am missing Sancai very much however we still have no trace of her whereabouts. It's very worrisome but there isn't anything I could do since I'm ill I have to rest.

Special lessons

In a small office a young lady sat on a desk going through various files. She looked up as she heard someone knock on the door. She sighed... She hates it when someone disturb her work but she went over to the door and opened it anyway. Her Secretary looked apological however a look of relief was also present. The Secretary was getting quite worried because ever since her boss has gotten upgraded to a higher status however her dream has not been accomplished she has been much more busy than before therefore there was no room for almost everything else. She does have proper meals however the Secretary doesn't think her boss was getting enough sleep. She looked so tired but continue to study and carry out her duties. Jing looked at her Secretary with a questioning yet annoyed glare.

"Sorry to bother you but you just got a urgent call from someone who claims to be your childhood friend and she has already called over twenty times however you said you'd get back to her every time that the last time she said that she would come drag you away from work if you don't call her back within one hour!"

"Who is it?"

"Dou-Min-Zhaung"

"I wonder what's up. She usually don't get worked up so quickly. She is anything but impationt... unless dealing with her brother."

"Only way to find out is to call her."

"Oh, I will." She dialed a number "Hi is something the matter? ... What!??!!? How? ... You're not one to joke with me so don't start with it now... ... You're not joking...? What Happened? ... Are you Positive? ... ... Okay. I'm going. ... She hung up."

Ah-Zhaung sighed that boy she remembered wasn't very clear in her memory but she was sure that the uncle who told her that it was time to go home is Lei's father. From her memory the boy was sick or resting almost every time they hung out together therefore she knew he was unwell. She decided that Lei's parents returning to take care of Lei has something to do with the death of their first son. She knows that Lei has gotten rather ill before but never ill enough to have his parents worried so much as to fly back and postpone work to take care of him. It was evidant enough that Lei was in critical condition however she hasn't seen it herself she decided to Call Jing and tell her about it however it seems no matter how many times she called, Jing was always busy. Finally getting fed up and desprete she told the person who did pick up that she will go and drag Jing out of her office if she did not call in one hour and that worked.

"Jing, Finally. Listen, Lei needs you back in Taiwan as soon as possible. He is unwell! ... Would I Joke about something like this!? ... I'm not sure what happened but I know that he is sick, Ah-Si's extremely worried and it really seems that Lei's condition is critical. ... No not 100% however I can tell you that I am quite positive. Lei's parents even went to take care of him! You know how much it takes for them to leave their post. ... Good, I'll see you at his house tomorrow! bye." click

Jing shook her head, She wasn't planning to take a vacation until she at least graduated from Law School however if Lei is ill she has to go see him. She would like to know the situation. Suddenly she heard a voice of a young boy. The voice sounded like Lei when he was a preteen however this voice was slightly different; it was lower and it sounded Weak and softer than Lei's voice. And Slowly an image came to her but it was very bleary. She could hardly make out the figure but the voice was clear. Finally she decided that it was a past memory from a long time ago. In that memory she now sees a small girl contently sucking on her pacifier while crawling towards a boy she couldn't make out who it was. The boy looked a lot like Lei however it wouldn't make sense because she recognized the little baby as herself from her baby pictures however she did not have any pictures of that boy. The voice seem to be teaching her or guiding her and giving her encouragements. Jing blinked and the images faded. She then thought about the boy she heard and barely saw and realized that she was only two or younger when he had died. She remembered asking her mother where a certain big brother was when she was slightly older but she forgot his name and everything else about him.

Upon waking up from another Stomach Ache he groaned and curled up trying to fall back asleep however the pains continue to grow stronger. Lei finally gave up on sleep and just tried to endure the pain. Suddenly he felt a large hand prop him up onto his back and was rubbing his stomach with slight pressure and then his mother whispered soothing words and held his upper body up and started to rub his backside and brushing his hair from his face with her hand. At first Lei felt relaxed however after he started to feel a bit better he flushed... It felt so good to be babied however he is nearing twenty-one and it was quite embarrassing.

Lei tried to get up and his dad looked at him "What is it Darling? Do you need something?" he asked.

"Father! What the heck? Please let me up. I need to use the restroom." Lei exclaimed.

"Oh. Right. Get the wheelchair ready." Lei's father helped him stand up, he is too big to be carried and his father is getting old for such sport. Since it is a pretty lengthy walk from his bed to the restroom because of the spacious room they decided to use the wheelchair. They didn't think Lei could handle standing up or taking more than two steps. Ah-Long always asked to be carried when he was in pain. Lei's mother brought over a wheelchair however it looked extremely comfortable and you can lay slanted back and his dad helped him into it. By this time Lei was feeling quite ridiculous.

"Does this chair feel uncomfortable? Or is it too small?" his mother asked.

"No mother... it's too comfortable, and the size is fine... Where did you get a wheelchair that looks so much like a... um... Stroller?" Lei asked incredulously as he did a double take of the item that he was placed in.

"Your Daddy's company had it made a long time ago. It was only for family usage." She replied.

"Let me guess, it was designed for my brother Ah-Long wasn't it?" Lei half wondered half mocked.

"Yes and no. It was made for everyone. Daddy had this idea since he was a child when he watched his daddy struggle with lots of tummyaches. while he was on a wheelchair he was really uncomfortable so he thought maybe it would be better if it was more like a stroller however not really a stroller because strollers are for toddlers. Daddy developed this, later after Ah-Long was old enough he helped test it. The size should be perfect for any adult in case Daddy becomes ill too like your granddad did." Lei's Father replied.

"I see. So it wasn't for my brother." Lei asked and got up he grabbed the wall to support himself as he felt a little weak however before his dad could do a thing he closed the bathroom door and locked it. A few minuets later Lei opened the door and stumbled a bit as he was still in pain. Lei's parents helped him onto the wheeled sofa and took him back to bed.

"Are you hungry?" Lei's mother asked.

"I guess I am a little hungry..." Lei answered. Lei's mother called in a servant and instructed her to heat up a broth and sat down on the bed and started to massage Lei's shoulders and his upper torso as his father worked on his abdomen and legs.

"Lei, if you feel any discomforts by our massaging tell us to stop right away." Lei's father instructed.

Lei sighed he felt like a child however to his currently pain filled body these massages are the best medicine at least that was what he felt. About ten minuets later the servants brought in the heated up Broth, Lei's mother took the bowl and started to spoon feed him. At first Lei protested that he wanted to eat on his own however he couldn't sit up. It hurts a lot more if he did so he stayed laying down and opened his mouth.

It was not going to be an easy task especially since she had so much work to do however she cannot deny herself of this urdge that she is anxious to know what is wrong with her childhood friend even lover however she has to get herself a vacation before she could go anywhere. Ah-Zhaung wants her to see Lei as soon as the next day. If she took the flight after dinner she would make it around noon the next day... She then got permission from her boss to take her yearly break. Her boss agreed to give her a break of one month and she could start as soon as she finishes that day. After work Jing went to grab a bite and to the airport.

When she got off the plane Jing was surprised to see Ah-Zhaung also waiting for the luggage to arrive. Jing came to the conclusion that they took the flight from the other country at around the same time. The two ladies quickly greeted each other and soon the two of them started to talk about options for where Jing should stay. She wasn't planning to go home because if she did her parents would stop her from leaving again so they decided it was best to have her stay in one of the spare rooms of Dou-Min family's home.

Ah-Si Xi-Men and Mei-Zuo met the two ladies as soon as they got a call from them telling them to pick them up at the airport. The three boys arrived at the Airport just as the luggage were ready for the ladies to pick up. Ah-Si took the luggage from his sister and Mei-Zuo took Jing's luggage... Usually Lei is the one who'd take Jing's but since Lei isn't around right now Mei-Zuo took it instead. In the car Ah-Zhaung gave Ah-Si a hard glare and demanded him to tell her what was going on. The boys exchanged glances and sighed. About twenty minuets later the group sat in a pub and Jing finally asked the question that was on her mind ever since the moment she got the call from Ah-Zhaung.

"Where is Lei? Is he really ill?" Jing asked after they ordered some wine.

"He... He's at home resting." Mei-Zuo stated a little sadly.

"He is very ill. He's doing somewhat better now however his dad said something about him never recovering." Ah-Si put in.

"What do you mean 'never' recovering? Of course with the proper treatment he'll be back to top shape in no time!" Ah-Zhaung exclaimed

"Da-Jie... You haven't seen him after he got ill yet... If you see him you'd understand. He is really pale, almost ghostly and he is very weak, might not be able to withstand much... Ever since we found him we always had to help him around or push him on a wheelchair." Xi-Men explained.

"But do you know how he got sick or what happened to make him so ill?" Jing asked.

"Yes and no... So far all we know is that the illness is some kind of virus that gets passed down from generation to generation... That was what Lei's father told us." Xi-Men answered

"Does Sancai Know?" Ah-Zhaung asked.

"No... Actually we haven't seen her for months." Mei-Zuo stated this time sighing.

"What do you mean you haven't seen her?" Jing wondered. "What happened?"

"We don't know, however Sancai disappeared some time ago... One day Lei contacted us and notified us that he was going to search for her. At first we kept in contact and he told us that he seemed to be close to finding her then we lost contact with him for about two or three months. When he called us again it was already 2 or 3 months later and he was already in the hospital. He said he just woke up and when went to see him he looked as good as dead." Xi-Men explained.

"As good as dead... Don't say things like that!" Ah-Zhaung chastised.

"It's true sis, The doctor told us that he might not survive however when we got a call from Lei's family they said something about Lei dying and some kind of genetic thing so we called his family doctor to confirm what was going on. That doctor managed to convince the doctor in the hospital that Lei was staying at to release him and instructed Lei to not take anymore medicine. Something about someone named Ah-Long and something about nutrition shots..." Ah-Si continued.

"Ah-Long! That's it! So that was his name!!" Jing exclaimed

"Ah-Long-Ge... He was long gone by the time Lei was born..." Ah-Zhaung mused.

"He died... Now I remember! It was when I was only two... there was that funeral... where the two of us thought it was some kind of dress-alike costume party..." Jing exclaimed "I think mom said he was sick and angels took him to heaven taking away his pain..." she trailed off laughing at herself for using such childish words.

"Jing, Da-Jie, you two know this Ah-Long?" Xi-Men asked...

"Well sort of... We were very little when he died... We remember little of it however I believe he would have been Lei's elder brother had he lived. He was very ill and was constantly in bed... that's all I can recall." Ah-Zhaung explained.

"If the illness is a genetic thing then Lei might have the same thing that killed Ah-Long-Ge..." Jing concluded.

"Then does that mean Lei will also die...?" Mei-Zuo shouted.

"The doctor said that he should be okay for now... I sure hope he's right. Why don't we all go see him?" Xi-Men replied.

The group made their way out of the pub and off to Lei's house. As they drove the girls thought about what might have happened to Sancai. Ah-Zhaung called some people and started a search party as Jing thought of the possibilities. Before she got very far the boys informed them that they already looked in every possible area and still haven't found her. They even had Xiao-Yo and Chin-Huah on the search... If anyone other than Lei who could find Sancai it would be those two.

When they arrived at Lei's house they were surprised to see Lei sitting in something that greatly resembled a stroller and his parents sat nearby setting up food and other things on a nearby table like as if they are picnicking right in their front yard. They were invited to join the picnic so they helped set up. BBQ beef, pork, and other various food were scattered on the table. Lei was having a good time since the day he fell ill. He looked relaxed however one could still tell that he isn't in decent condition. He had an air mask attached to his nose, he also looked really tired however his color is somewhat normal although a bit pale it was a lot better than the last time the boys had seen him. When Lei spotted Jing and Ah-Zhaung his smile widened. He waved at them and when they went over to him he greeted them with a hand shake. The group ate and chatted until sunset and soon Lei was too tired to continue and fell asleep. As soon as that happened Ah-Si offered to help carry Lei back to his bed. Some time later F3 and the two ladies went home. Jing settled in the room next to Ah-Zhaung's and the the two looked at some of the photos that Ah-Zhaung had of when they were toddlers with Ah-Long in it.

Days went by quietly, Jing and Ah-Zhaung were frequent visitors, they were at Lei's house almost everyday. It wasn't long until Lei was due for an examination at the hospital. Ah-Si, Ah-Zhaung, Xi-Men and Jing decided to go with him. Mei-Zuo wanted to go with them however he had to go on a date with Xiao-Chou so he would be late. The doctor allowed everyone to stay around surprising most of the visitors however Lei's parents expected that. Xi-Men decided to ask however before he could the question was answered as the doctor explained more about Lei's condition.

"So how is my little boy doing? He seems to be in much better condition than Ah-Long." Lei's dad stated.

"Ah-Long was different, Lei is a physically strong child. The virus' attack seems to be a little weak currently probably due to the rest period since it seem to have been really strong recently... Is he worried or upset?"

"Who wouldn't be upset and worried when one of your best friends goes missing and no matter where you look you can't find her?" Ah-Si pointed out.

"Oh? Girlfriend is it? Is this the same person you went looking for?" Lei's father asked.

"She's not my girlfriend... I like her but she doesn't like me." Lei explained. "And yes she is the one I was looking for. I was worried about her..." He continued.

"Why do you want to know about this Doctor?" Xi-Men wondered.

"Well, Being upset or worried causes stress to your system therefore while the virus attacks it actually hurts him more. A stressed system wouldn't be able to heal and fight off attacks as well. Being happy has the opposite effect. Haven't you boys heard of Happiness enhances Healthiness? If you're unhappy, or miserable you lose weight, you hardly have appetite and would become unhealthy. Try being happy, it'll really help you feel better. You guys are his friends right? Help him stay happy and healthy." He explained.

"First he says no medicine now he says no getting upset... How are we supposed to do that...?" Mei-Zuo wondered as he joined them after settling Xiao-Chou at a mall hearing Xi-Men's question and the doctor's reply.

"That's why we need to find her at all costs." Xi-Men said...

"Anyway, He is doing okay... not ideal but good enough for now. Give him these vitamin boosters everyday and make sure he gets plenty of rest. If he is asleep insert it through a syringe. You should remember what to do. Come back in two to three weeks for another check up." The doctor instructed as Lei's parents nodded. They would need to call their long time dismissed nurses that helped with Ah-Long's nutrition and vitamin shots.

A few days later everyone was in Lei's bedroom watching the lad sleep. He had been in a deep sleep for 19 hours already. The group was relieved as the boy finally opened his eyes however he did not look very well. Lei moaned and winced as pain seared through his abdomen. He let out a low moan and shifted into a crouched position to try to ease the pain. Lei's parents started to rub his back and soon had him straight on his back and his father started to massage the tense muscles in the stomach as his mother held his head up and pulled him into a slight sitting position leaning on her. Jing felt heartbroken to see her childhood friend struggling like this. It was the first time she saw him in pain of such magnitude.

"I've been wondering, Uncle and Aunt, About Lei's brother... I know it's a sore subject however I remember too little about him... Can you please tell us what happened?" Jing asked as politely as she could.

"Yes, It's about time you kids found out anyway..." Lei's Mother sighed

"It's a long story so get comfortable..." Lei's father started.

"I remember only slightly of Ah-Long-Ge as well... I remember he used to help us or kind of play with us however it was usually in bed." Ah-Zhaung put in.

"Yes, He was always needing rest. He sleeps a lot more than Lei does... It's because his condition is a lot worse. He was born premature... We've already explained part of it to Lei. This illness is passed from generation to generation from Lei's father's side of the family. Some babies will be ill a bit after birth and some won't fall ill until much later in life and still some doesn't even get sick at all. The doctor is working very hard to find a way to make us immune to this genetic disorder however he's had no luck so far." Lei's mother explained.

"This illness attacks constantly, depending on how strong the immune system is and how well a person has taken care of themselves. If the immune system is strong like mine, it's less likely I'd fall sick if I take good care of myself however that month where I wasn't able to get enough sleep was all it took for the illness to start. If my immune system is still strong and I continue to take good care of myself I should be okay." Lei continued as he felt better.

"Lei, We told you little of the illness how did you know so much?" Lei's mother asked surprised.

"Ah-Long told me. I met his spirit or as an angel some time before you returned." Lei explained "Anyway, we want to know more about my brother, not about the illness! I think we all already know enough about it." Lei then demanded.

"Let's see... The child was born early and had a weak compromised immune system. He got ill almost as soon as he was born. Doctor said he could have died right on the spot but he fought hard and survived. It was a long hard battle and he finally lost. We have photos of him..." Lei's mother trailed off while the servants took out photo albums.

"He loved drawing and looking at beautiful things or places. The boy would lay in bed and stare into the sky for a long time. Everyday that he was awake he would sit in bed and draw something or watch the clouds go by. When we take him out he would be contented just by looking at the views around him. The child was very needy however, we couldn't leave him alone for more than ten minuets. His illness is so severe that he was constantly complaining and wishing that he was never born with that illness. Every night he had to look for shooting stars and try to wish for the illness to go away. We let him stay at home and let him do as he pleases however we still set rules for what he could or could not handle by doctor's advice. He had a strong imagination and believed in a lot of things most people didn't believe in. He wasn't scared of death..." Lei's mother described... going into each detail like each one was the most important one.

"Mom, Dad, do you think he would have lived longer if the accident did not occur?" Lei asked.

"He would have died anyway... He would have died by the time he turned fifteen... He wasn't afraid of dying! He was only worried about what would happen to us! ... That child told us once that he wanted to die, to let the pain go away after he die but he won't kill himself because he loved us too much to consider doing that. He was only 8 years old when he said that, I thought he was so mature. It turns out that he has been thinking a lot about death because the doctor has told us many, many times that it was a miracle that he has lived through the first few months of his life and would defiantly not live past his 15th birthday in accordance to how ill he was. He was almost always in pain or I should say at least one aliment was bothering him every moment of his life. He has a weak immune system and is also physically weak however in a way he was a strong child... He had a strong will and mind... determination... He endured so much." Lei's dad answered.

"What do you mean accident?" Jing asked.

"Well Medicine has the opposite affect to this illness. One day when I was busy doing laundry and his daddy was in a meeting... I was only gone for a few minuets and he was burning up with high fever... a new servant who we just hired not too long ago felt there was the need to give him some fever medicine and by the time our head maid realized what was going on it was already too late. He screamed and it looked to us that the pains became a lot worse and before we could do anything he died. He was only 10 (nearly 11) years old." Lei's mother cried.

"Mom, please... Don't cry." Lei said.

"I can't help it... He was my baby..." She said.

"I'm your baby now... aren't I?" Lei tried to comfort her...

"Yes but..."

"No buts! ... Mom, Dad, tell me about when I was little!" Lei exclaimed.

Sighing Lei's parents shook their head at Lei's randomness and started to talk about when Lei was a baby... How he was overdue and overweight as a newborn baby... How they were careful about not letting him fall ill and how he was raised to dislike sweets... All had something to do with him being overweight and how paranoid his parents were being afraid that being overweight could affect his immune system and he would fall ill like Ah-Long did...

Lei sighed when the boys fussed all over him once again when they came to see him. He really miss the time they didn't need to do that... They'd tell him to get up and they were gonna go somewhere... He misses their yelling and silliness when they pull on him... There was that time where Ah-Si came to his house to wake him up to show him cookies that Sancai made for his birthday present at 6:30 am... Sancai... He really miss her. He feel so lonely without her. Finally slowly he lets his tears come and roll down his face and cried out like a five year old throwing a tantrum for not getting what he want. Ah-Si Xi-Men and Mei-Zuo were shocked to see Lei cry because he hasn't cried in front of them since he became a teenager or even younger than that.

Xi-Men went over to him to comfort him and when he saw how pale Lei looked he froze for a few seconds. "Lei... You can't be like this! You'll get yourself worse..." He said The boys sat on the bed trying to get Lei to cheer up but it did not work. Lei's parents came in and smiled. It was the first time they've seen Lei let out so much emotions in years. They remembered how his doctor had said that letting it out is a good thing so they told the boys to let him cry. He'll feel better emotionally afterward however he could get worse it would be better for him in the long run.

Sigh after sigh shaking their head sadly The two sat at the dining table deep in thought. Their only son the last hope of an heir for their company is ill and there is that chance that he will not recover. They are trying to decide what to do if worse come to truth and Lei dies what could they do. They called Lei's friends and asked them for advice because the future lies in the hands of youngsters like them. The boys still has to learn to accept and deal. Even though the don't know the fate of their son it is best to prepare his friends of the worse possible solution.

Ah-Si Xi-Men and Mei-Zuo has other plans however. The three of them believe if they take good care of Lei tragedy would not happen therefore they have to learn more about what they need to do and go take care of him. The boys discuss about what they could do and puts their plans into action.

Mei-Zuo decided to be an active volunteer at a hospital to learn how to take care of ill people. Xiao-Chou came to the hospital for a check up to find that Mei-Zuo pushing a elderly man on a examination bed into another room. After her check up she waited for him to come out and when he did she asked him what was he doing in the hospital. He told her of the situation so she decided to help and also applied for volunteer work. Mei-Zuo learned how to give people shots, draw their blood and many more.

Ah-Si did not know what to do however he remembered Yea-Sa has been ill so he decided to ask her for help. Ah-Si went to her and she told him of how she felt each time her Leukemia attacked and how she felt about her love for him but had to try to give up because she was trying to get him to remember Sancai so she could return him to her. She changed her mind after she found out she was sick and because they all thought she did not have much longer to live she gave up ignoring her own feelings.

Xi-Men went to the book store to look up information about illness what would help lessen the effect of Lei's discomforts. He bought many books and read them every day. He found out a lot. His mother was getting worried for him because the boy was reading medical information she thought he was getting ill. One day she asked him what was wrong, she was surprised that he was trying to learn things to help his friend.

Lei is feeling tired of staying home all the time. He decided to take a walk. It was a long time since he had a nice long stroll down to no where particular. He let his legs carry him where ever and as he passed by each area he had been to with Sancai he reminisced the events. Suddenly he felt weak and tired so he looked for a place to rest.

AN: Hi everyone. This story is coming to an end soon. Thanks for all your support. Please Review, I'll be working on the next sad Chapter... It might be a while until I get it out because it might be hard for me to come up with the right way to type it. I'll see you next time. Have a good day.