TO MY EVER-LOVING BROTHER

In my mask, I joined James on the long road trip which he can't deny planning before now for I do not understand where he has been driving us for the past three hours.

"Keep on with that look, and I will drive further," James shouted while laughing out loud. He is enjoying himself. He raked his fingers through his wind-tossed hair daring me to react.

"Didn't you say you are taking me to the hospital?" I shouted so he could hear me too amidst the loud music leaping from his cassette.

"Clinic!"

"They are the same!"

"Snap it off Greg and enjoy this...feel the fresh air of the universe...wooh!"

He looks happy and gosh! My brother is handsome. With his hair flying beautifully in the air, I see why every lady is dying to have him. That sunshade is doing wonders on his face for right now, he looks so graceful. I refused to wear it when he offered for my eyes needed a handful of freedom after yesterday's blindfold.

"We are almost there ok"

"I am tired of hearing that."

"Hahaha...Hey bro, you don't want me driving into a nearby hospital? The farther we get, the lesser the headlines."

What is he talking about?

"Check this out," he continued. "Hot billionaire's son drove his brother for an ass stitch-up."

"Shut up!" I yelled to his laughter.

He is right. It could have been safer if I had gone alone to any hospital around without him but he insisted on taking me. And with James, I am far from invisible. Going to any mum's hospital is out of the options too, because she will be aware of us right before we get any attendance.

I wonder how James got to know where we are going though, it is out of town, like damn!

"The long drive is the fun part of it all, yeah, we should have fun while trying to stitch your ass, don't you think?"

"One more word about my ass..."

"Easy tiger, we are here."

James announced as he turned into an entrance.

Wow! This place is a graveyard.

He drove seconds more before I could see the building. Why is the building this far from the entrance? In a place like this, any woman in labor will deliver even before getting to see the doctor.

"You didn't tell me we are coming to a cemetery."

"Your ass is dead anyway."

"James!"

"Sorry...The more isolated it is bro, the better. Come on, let's find a doctor."

"How did you know of this place?" I couldn't but help ask as we walked into the hall of the quiet clinic, hospital, whatever.

"Google Map."

"Is this place on a map? How did you...?

"Hello."

A decent-looking man with a white coat asked, interrupting my inquisition. I have no idea when he came before us as I was bent on knowing how James knew of this place. He should be in his late thirties, he is quite young.

"Hello," James responded.

The white-coated man kept smiling at us.... demanding a question.

"How may I help you the young fellows?" He finally asked when James kept smiling back without a word.

"We are looking for a doctor or something."

Damn, James! His attire declares who he is.

"Something?"

"Someone...Someone to attend to us," James corrected.

"You are quite familiar. Do I know you?"

Great. I turned to the mighty James who believed his lousy face won't be recognized in the suburban. He blinked anxiously and I looked away, he should handle the exposure himself, I will have my mask handle mine.

"I don't think so. This is my first time meeting a handsome doctor."

Oh! My dear brother, I died of his embarrassment. He may have thought complimenting the doctor would save the day.

The said doctor smiled. I looked at James who winked at me in conquest and I shook my head.

"It has been a while since we had young faces around here. Let me walk you boys to my office," he said and led us to follow him.

"I am Dr. Saint." He introduced on our walk through a long corridor.

"James and that's Greg."

Everything here seems far from the other. Not only is the building from the entrance, but the doctor's office is also miles away from the reception. Pray, I am not taken out of the clinic when I request to use the restroom for my bladder is running out of storage already.

As we walked further into the corridor to a room, I appreciated how clean and calm this place is unlike other noisy hospitals I have visited. The only sound here is that of chirpings and I looked around to see those birds keeping this place a little lively.

This place feels so chilly, I bet there must be a water body nearby. I noticed a couple of aged men sitting below the trimmed grass compound with a nurse, I suppose. Having that cup-like thing on her hair tells nothing more. And with those aged men wearing that regular hospital uniform, I confirmed they must be the patients.

Inside the office with Dr. Saint, James took the post of an elder brother to narrate why we needed a doctor, and of course, he excluded the rape part. The doctor smiled all the way even as he heard how torn my hole was, James exaggerated.

When James finished all the necessary talks and payments. He was asked to step outside and wait in the hall until Dr. Saint finished his business with me.

I took off my mask to the complete recognition of the doctor. Dr. Saint is decent and kind, he didn't look at me shamelessly or accusingly. He ushered me to a rectangular bed covered with a blue sheet and directed I to remove my pants and lay on my stomach.

He started a story to distract me from whatever he was doing to my butt-hole. I feel no pain, maybe as a result of the injection he gave me. He kept telling his distracting aimed story as if I was a toddler and that made me remember Granny and everyone, always treating me like a child.

After a long cleaning and stitching, he announced his completion and helped me up. I felt much better. Apart from the obviousness that my butt was worked on, I feel less pain. He gave me lots of drugs with thousands of instructions. He didn't forget to warn me against having sex again until I was healed.

Ok, I am not gay!

He smiled when he saw that look on my face...

"Don't be embarrassed. I am sure that was your first time. It will get better..."

Holy crap! Now I am embarrassed.

"...The tear was huge. You are a strong one, I must say, but you need enough time to heal before..."

I didn't allow him to finish that when I unintentionally coughed out of embarrassment. If only he knew the whole story, he wouldn't appreciate me and talk about this "healing before....." Before getting another raped?

I don't know where to settle my gaze anymore, nobody told me I would be having this type of conversation. Helplessly, I decided to explore this absolutely neat office. My eyes caught a picture frame on the wall, I am sure he followed my gaze when he said...

"Ray. He is my partner."

"Partner?"

"We are married."

"Ooh!...."

"We own this hospital. We live here....not in here," he laughed softly. "I mean this town, nearby. But Ray is currently out of town."

I have no idea why he is telling me this. I wish James was here, he could have taken a bowl of popcorn and had this conversation to the end.

I stared at the photo again and blurted, "he is beautiful."

That was a mistake. I didn't mean to say it out loud. I had thought of how beautiful that man was before he told me he is a partner. Men are not to be qualified as beautiful but handsome.

"I am sorry, I mean to say handsome."

"Haha, come off it. Everybody knows he is beautiful and.... just like you are."

"What?" I scoffed out of surprise, I should have been prepared.

I have heard people whisper about how beautiful I am. I pay no attention to them since all they do is talk behind me and the fact, that I have never heard such a compliment from my family especially James who wouldn't hold back in saying it out loud if indeed I am, made me believe they are only trying to get my attention with such lies.

And now, with a voice loud and clear, Dr. Saint said it.

"There is nothing wrong in saying a man is beautiful if they are truly are."

"I ...."

"Oh! Don't be shy. Your boyfriend must have said that to you countless times."

"Boyfriend?"

Okay, this doctor is something. I am single and never ready to mingle. Well, I don't look single with this face of mine, everybody believes every handsome guy has someone. I need not blame him for assuming I have a boyfriend.

Holy crap? What am I thinking? I am not gay.

"We better walk back to the hall and let him see we are done here."

Wait a second!

"James?? He is my brother, Dr. Saint," I half shouted.

"Oh! I thought.....I am sorry," he apologized shyly.

Good. He should feel how it is to be embarrassed. Nice.

"You got yourself a caring brother," he managed to say after seconds of retracing his mistakes.

"I know. Thank you. May I use the restroom?"

Using that at this moment will save not only my bladder but also from this doctor.

"Yes please, over there." He pointed to the closed door at my left.

Finally found something decently near. "Thank you," I said.