The Brother Knows All...

later in the evening, colin went out to buy dinner for the three of them while shayna stayed back to wait for colby to wake up from the injection. the doctor said he had another attack and needs a lot of attention. shayna and colin were both worried sick about this boy. even though his hand wasn't doing well, colin insisted that he should stay on and make sure colby was alright. his love for colby was so strong and hard to convince that he was more important than a brother, sick and in hospital.

"shayna jie is that you?" colby called. shayna quickly jumped out of her seat and sat down beside him.
"colby. i'm here."
"shayna jie... can you play with me now?"
"colby, you just woke up from an injection. you need to rest now. i'll play with you later alright?" shayna assured him. touching his forehead gently, she felt so much compassion for this boy. so young yet have to go through such a terrible sickness.
"but i'm scared you would go away from me. i don't want you to leave. i want to stay here with you."
"silly boy. i'm not leaving you. you must get better so shayna jie can bring you out and play. not just playing here... i can bring you and play a soccer game, go cycling... have a robot fight at your house. isn't that better?" colby nodded with a smile. shayna was glad to see his smile this once.
"ok. i promise to get better and you promise to bring me out when i can go home alright?"
"it's a deal." shayna said, interlocking pinkies with each other and smiles lit up the room.
"now you have to get more rest. your kor went out to buy dinner. he'll be back soon." shayna said, tucking him into bed and leaning back on her chair.

"shayna jie... do you like my kor?" shayna jolted up her seat. what did the little boy just ask?
"well... i... " she was at a loss for words.
"i know my kor likes you a lot."
"really? how?"
"he never smiles so much at home. but when you always come to visit me, kor always smiles a lot and he keeps asking me about you." shayna started to flush.
"young boys like you shouldn't be talking nonsense. go and sleep now."
"it would be nice if you married my kor. then i can see you everyday. why don't you marry my kor?"
"colby! go and sleep now or i will not play with you anymore." shayna said, a little shocked at colby's innocence.
"ok ok!" colby said, giggling and covering his face with a pillow.
shayna was quite shocked at what colby just said... did he just asked me to marry his brother? of all people? marry colin tan? that baboon? that horibbly handsome and sweet-natured baboon? shayna's heart melted. something's definitely wrong... maybe different... oh well, she's totally confused now. maybe she should just start reading her social work notes and forms. that should keep her from thinking too much about colin and that informal proposal from colby. ha. what just happened? shayna laughed to herself.

"hey honey i'm home..." colin said, walking through the door with a bag of food. oh man... this can't be happening! shayna jumped in her seat.
"oh you're back. i... i... have to go now?"
"so soon? i bought dinner for you... stay a while..."
"i really have to get going... sorry."
"but shayna..." colin tried to plead.

"colin dear!" someone else chimed in. both shayna and colin looked to where the voice came from... the doorway. it was megan.
"meg... megan... what... a surprise," colin said, trying his best not to freak out.
"i thought i would come by and give you and colby a nice surprise visit."
"oh.. that's sweet of you..." colin said, his eyes darted to shayna who was frowning and probably wondering who megan was. but megan realised that there was another woman in the room and started introducing herself. colin knew this was it between shayna and him. no hope. gone. finito... nothing!
"hi... i don't think we've met... i'm megan. colin's girlfriend..." megan said sweetly, cuddling close to colin.
shayna just stared.... and stared... and stared... she couldn't believe what she just heard... colin's girlfriend did she say? why didn't he tell her sooner? maybe then she wouldn't have such feelings for him... maybe then everything would be alright... maybe...
colin then filled in that quietness... "she's shayna... she's the..."
"i'm the social worker. i should be making a move now... excuse me. bye Mr. Tan," she apologised and quickly left the room.
did she just call him Mr. Tan? oh man.. this isn't serious...
"shayna wait..." colin called from behind her and followed her out of the room.

"shayna wait... please stop walking away from me." colin begged. they were about a few miles away from the ward. shayna just wouldn't stop she had to force heself to stop crying.
"shayna... please," colin begged, he tugged at her arm and made her turn around. shayna didn't say anything. she needn't. her eyes of hurt told him everything.
"shayna.... i didn't tell you because... because..."
"because you were too scared to? because you were too selfish to? i should have known you colin tan. you are indeed a chauvanist pig! leave me alone!" she said, tears started to stream down her eyes and she just walked away. angry.
leaving colin.... alone... very much alone..