Chapter12

While Nobel Lin was catching some z's, aunt Mya was making the room spotless. Dun was strolling around the room and his sight fell upon the in-progress painting. So he went near it to get a closer look. The boy used mostly red and black colors. He portrayed a small stream where moonlight was lit at night. There was also a bridge and a boy was standing on it. However, what Dun didn't understand was why the color of the water was red. Nobel Lin was not used to signing his name for his paintings, but he made sure to address the date. It seemed that he has not finished it yet for he didn't put the date under it. Dun was intensely observing the painting to look into the boy's mind. Nobel Lin despised bright colors, especially red. Yet, he used mainly red. Does this show his mood? If a person who couldn't express his feelings is using drawings to show them, then do these paintings serve as the bridge to the boy's mind?

Dun found it difficult to hit the sack as his mind is filled with mysteries. Nobel Lin was turning in this whole evening. Due to insomnia, he went to Nobel Lin's room and slept beside the boy. Only then, he could sleep soundly thanks to someone's warmth.

"Umm"

When light shone on Dun, he woke up and stretched his hands. By the time he opened his eyes carefully, he realized he was in Nobel Lin's room and discovered the boy was not by him.

After Dun washed himself, he went downstairs and caught sight of the boy wearing an apron and moving to and fro in the kitchen.

"Son, did you sleep in Noh Noh's room? Your brother has been preparing breakfast since he got up early. I think he's fine now."

"It seems so. Thank God!"

Dun was giving a response to what uncle Naung had said and then, he walked up to Nobel Lin.

"Nobel Lin, what are you making?"

Dun made up his mind that he would ask the boy the open-ended questions, rather than yes or no questions. Nobel Lin took a glance at him. And he turned around to see his dish. It can be assumed that he was striving to answer my question. Dun was familiar with this kind of situation as a psychiatrist. They had to develop a habit of patience. Thus, it's not monotonous to wait for answers from the patients.

"If there's a question, there has to be an answer, Nobel Lin. What are you cooking?"

Even though Dun spotted pork tenderloin, he was still eager to hear Nobel Lin's answer. He wanted him to speak more. If he couldn't ask around about the boy, then he had to try himself to help the boy open up to him.

"Pork."

"I don't get it. Speak in Burmese."

Dun obviously lied to the boy and asked randomly to get Nobel Lin to speak more. Dun had already expected Nobel Lin would give the shortest response so he was one step ahead of the boy.

"Pork....Imm....Pork tenderloin."

After Nobel Lin replied letter by letter, he proceeded to place the food on the table.

"How many servings did you make?"

Nobel Lin continued to do the things he needed to do without minding Dun. Dun also didn't plan to give in soon.

"I'm asking how many servings you made?"

Standing rooted to the spot by the table, Dun intended to inquire till the boy gave a reply.

"Four."

Dun beamed and a thought of Nobel Lin's current mood seems to be fine sprang to his mind.

"I told you to say in Burmese. I ask you again. How many servings did you make?"

Nobel Lin answered the questions though he always chose to reply in a few words. Today, he was determined to talk incessantly.

"F..o..u..r...s...e...r...v...ings"

As Nobel Lin came into Dun's trap, he raised his eyebrow and his lips curved upward. After that, he shot another question.

"Tell me who they are."

Nobel Lin was hesitant to say. He seems troubled as he has to say a lot. There was one thing Dun was thankful to aunt Nilar. Because it seemed that she trained him to give a response when someone asked.

"Aunt...U Naung...Noh Noh...And"

He prolonged each name and finally, he pointed at Dun. He didn't seem to come up with a name to call me. It was not wrong to say that he was a little disappointed. He noted how to call aunt and uncle because he has seen the way Dun called them. What about him?

As long as he remembered, Nobel Lin had never initiated to call him. If he were to call Dun, how would he address him? By his name, Dun? Or KoKo (endearment to call "brother")

that others asked him to use? Dun admitted silently that it was cute Nobel Lin called himself "Noh Noh."

"Let's eat if the dinner is ready. Come send me a lunchbox today. The lunch at the hospital's canteen was not as excellent as yours."

Truth to be told, Dun was kicking the habit of having lunch at the canteen due to Nobel Lin. The meals he was having for over two years suddenly appeared to not be tasty and luscious. Another thing had to be taken into account that Nobel Lin wouldn't think of anything else when he was engrossed in cooking. Dun intended to take a leave at first to accompany Nobel Lin. Nonetheless, he still had patients he had to observe daily. Hence, he decided to go to the hospital.

"I heard that a donor has appeared to transplant a heart for Shin Min Myat, Doctor."

Dun was delighted to hear what the nurse said. Dun was sympathetic to Shin Min Myat as she was suffering congenital heart disease , topping that developing mental illness thanks to family cases.

"That's a relief. When will the operation start?"

"The exact date is still unknown, Doctor. Because Shin Min Myat said that she didn't want to do it."

"What's the reason?"

"As you know, she doesn't open up to anyone except the Doctor."

"I see. If so, let's visit her ward first."

When he was there, he encountered that the girl was melancholy while she was gazing at the window mindlessly.

"Mee Mee, what were you thinking that you didn't notice my arrival?"

Shin Min Myat turned to look at him as tears swelled up in her eyes.

"U(uncle)"

"What's wrong? You promised me that you will do an operation when you get a heart transplant. Why do you say otherwise now?"

"Sob..I heard what the doctor said to my gran. He said that there's a low percentage I could survive even if I go through an operation. I don't want to. I don't want to have an operation."

It appeared that she overheard the conversation between the doctor and her Grandma. Dun didn't want the girl to lose hope in addition to suffering depression.

"It's not like that, Mee Mee. I just asked the doctor. You misheard their conversation. It's above 80 percent that the operation will succeed. Mee Mee, you are going to live long."

"Really?"

"Of course. Come and eat something. Then, you have to take medicine. Okay?"

Even though Shin Min Myat didn't want to eat, she relaxed herself and nodded her head. It seemed that she accepted my words because she didn't want to disappoint me. Sometimes, doctors needed to tell a white lie if the situation called for it.