Broken Bond: Between Vices and Virtues (BL)
Chapter 46: Shawn’s reason for leaving home

Chapter 46: Shawn’s reason for leaving home

Shawn silently followed behind Franz with a crestfallen look. His head lowered and he kept sighing. He could have done better. Why didn’t he notice that the kid was sick? Even if it’s an internal fever, there are symptoms that he could have seen from the beginning!

His eyes watered. He felt sorry for the kid and blamed himself. His steps halted and he wallowed in agony and guilt. He shouldn’t have applied to be a nanny if he didn’t know how to properly take care of a child.

Franz noticed that the presence walking behind him disappeared. He looked back and saw Shawn standing a few meters away from them. He sighed and tapped his boyfriend’s arm, "Can you pay for the taxi for now? I’ll follow ahead."

His boyfriend nodded and left. Franz walked back to Shawn. He ruffled his head, which made Shawn lift his head and greet him in his pitiful state. Franz mumbled, "Hey, it’s not your fault."

Shawn looked away, "But I’m the one who was beside him...I should have known. I’ve been neglectful..."

"Well, you’re both sleeping so..." Franz tried to reason, but he couldn’t find the right words to lighten Shawn’s heavy feelings. The omega was born in an upper middle-class family, so it made sense that he had never babysat a child before. "Let’s go home for now."

Shawn shook his head, "I should...stay. Knox looked exhausted..."

Franz, "Athan is with him."

"Right...but still..."

Franz sighed. He knew Shawn would only sink in self-blame if he went home alone, and he might only be relieved if he saw Knoa wake up. So, Franz nodded and waved goodbye. He made sure to inform him once the child regained consciousness and he was discharged.

Shawn walked back to the corridor. He spotted a vending machine in the corner and decided to buy Knox and Athan coffee. He inserted a cash and pressed the codes of his choice.

Clunk!

Shawn crouched and fished the cans below. His blonde locks cascaded over his face as he bent and stretched his hand, hindering his sight from both sides. He noticed a shadow appeared behind him, and speeded his movement to not impede the man next to him.

He quickly moved away and was about to trod back to the emergency room, when his arms were caught by a large hand, yanking him quite aggressively. Shawn staggered, but he managed to steady his feet before he could fall.

He shot the man a glare but was frozen upon recognizing his visage. "Wha...?"

The tall, handsome male alpha stood before him, clutching his arm tightly as he shot Shawn a cold gaze. His other hand was in the pocket of his pure white coat, and a stethoscope hung around his neck.

"Of all places...I scoured and rummaged around to find you, I’d see you here," the man remarked, voice dripping with sharpness and dominance.

Shawn was too stunned to speak.

His mouth gaped. The man before him was an absolute adonis!

Standing more than a foot taller than Shawn, the man’s visage was like a perfect sculpture displayed in an art gallery made by the hands of God himself.

His golden curly hair resembling a cherub was tied at the back with a single black rubber band; his bluish eyes were sharp, deep, and expressive, drawing anyone into those ocean-colored orbs and drowning them into the depths of his soul; his full lips shimmered and appeared sensuous with its pinkish color, promising a thousand kisses that could enchant anyone into utter submission; with his jaw perfectly defined and sculpted as though the hands of God had personally carved those features for such an incredible creation.

The man looked more attractive than an omega, yet the strong smell of sandalwood lingering on him was enough proof that he was an alpha.

Someone that Shawn should be wary of, yet his eyes refused to abandon such a scrumptious feast laid before him.

Shawn drooled from such a rare delicacy. His mind which was bombarded with guilt was now floating in the air singing praises to the lord for creating such magnificence.

"...name."

Shawn blinked. He gawked at the man like a foreigner never understanding a local’s language, and tilted his head to act cutely.

The doctor exhibited impatience, but he repeated his words anyway, "I asked if you remember my name."

Shawn’s head inclined even lower. His thought jumbled, ’Remember his name? Is it a pick-up line? Is he hitting on me? Whoa, lucky!’

He straightened his head and smiled widely. Then, he shook his head in response. The doctor’s expression darkened, contrary to what Shawn expected. The grip on his arm tightened. Shawn expressed his discomfort at the man’s grasp and it was abruptly loosened, but the hand did not retract.

"You don’t remember me..."

The omega stiffened after glimpsing a flicker of regret in the doctor’s eyes. He whispered, "Have we met before?"

Before the mysterious doctor could answer, a frantic nurse shouted, "Dr. Kayden! We need you in Ward E!"

Kayden immediately let go of Shawn and ran, shouting while he dashed, "Don’t go anywhere!"

An alpha patient was admitted after going berserk at the news of his mate dying from an accident. They had to sedate him, but it seemed that he woke up already and was causing mayhem again.

Shawn was left wondering. The doctor acted strangely familiar to him, yet he failed to recall him from his memory. He shrugged his shoulders and went back to the emergency ward.

Meanwhile, hurried footsteps, hushed voices with heavy breathing turning into frantic screams accompanied by beeping sounds, nurses coming and going, and things clattering here and there, were the noises heard beyond the closed curtains separating the three people from the chaotic ward.

The night was deep yet the place was still lively and disorderly.

Athan lifted the edge of the curtain slightly and peered outside, thinking to himself, ’Of course, what do I expect in an emergency room?’

He went back to staring at the pair of father and son lying on the hospital bed. His lips were itching to spew out the queries that had been bothering him since Knox arrived, but he couldn’t bear to disturb the serenity Knox had as he stared at his child.

Knox would occasionally frown whenever his son’s eyebrows would furrow and he’d jolt from the noise. He would pat Knoa’s stomach gently and caress the center of his eyebrows to straighten out the creases, and he would hum to lull him back to sleep.

Knox noticed Athan’s gaze focused on him. He then mouthed, "You can go home. I’ll stay here."

Athan bestowed him a subtle smile, responding to his words with gentleness, "Let’s go home together. The doctor said we can take him home already. His fever had gone down a bit, and he had already given him a shot."

Knox’s jaw dropped. He looked at Knoa and then back to Athan. Then, he asked incredulously, "Then, why are we still here? We should leave already!"

Knoa’s hands jerked from the increased volume of his voice, he closed his mouth promptly and patted Knoa’s belly again. Athan chuckled lightly. He replied, "I came back after getting his prescription, but you were already lying down and were so preoccupied. I thought you might want to rest first."

Knox murmured, "I want to go home now."

"Then, let’s leave."

He nodded at Athan and gathered Knoa in his arms. The curtain slid open and Shawn’s figure emerged, surprised at the two ready to go and leave.

Shawn, "Are we leaving?"

Knox nodded, "I thought you already went home."

"I can’t stay still at home," Shawn answered, pocketing the coffee he bought, and taking the things from Athan. "You came here with your car, right? We’ll just wait at the entrance."

"Okay."

After Athan left, Shawn immediately bowed to Knox and properly apologized, "I’m really sorry, Knox. I will understand if you kick me right away, and fire me. You don’t even have to pay me at all! You’ll probably say it’s not my fault, but I know I’m to blame. I was so absorbed with my own problems, that I thought if I only watched over Knoa, it would be fine as long I didn’t let him out of my sight."

Shawn looked pitiful. His voice was shaky and he couldn’t look straight Knox in the eye. Knox stared at the poor omega, and only then did he start to wonder why Shawn was kicked out of his house.

Knox dared to ask, "What exactly is the reason why you left home?"

Shawn paused for a moment. He scratched his temple and hesitated for a bit. Shawn’s father was working under Knox’s father, managing one of Horizon’s subsidiaries. He was reluctant to share the reason with Knox because he didn’t want to burden him with their problem.

A car stopped in front of them and the windows rolled. Shawn opened the backseat door for Knox and Knoa, before sitting on the passenger’s seat. He lost the chance to answer, thus, he just ended up thinking, ’How am I supposed to tell him that I toppled over the table at home because they were trying to tie me to the young master? Gosh, Sir Athan is handsome, but he’s not my type~.’

A particular face resurfaced in his mind, followed by the words that commanded him to stay. Shawn just pouted and watched the hospital grow smaller and smaller from the side mirror. A thought dashed in his head, ’If I want to see you again, then I can just go visit the hospital, right, Dr. Kayden...’