[Theodore POV]
My world shattered...
The illusion that my child would always be safe and healthy was proven just to be... just that, an illusion. I couldn't do anything to stop it from happening.
The heart monitor that didn't work. The doctor that almost announced my son's death. The touch of his lifeless body beca a recurring nightmare for .
I...couldn't do anything to stop it.
I...almost lost my son.
By so cosmic miracle, he managed to wake up, but I just couldn't relax.
What should I do if he falls into that state again?
What should I do if I didn't manage to get him the proper help he needs?
What if the next ti this happens, he doesn't wake up?
The debt I have to him kept gnawing at my heart. The debt of not being there during the most difficult tis of his life.
I was a...useless dad. A drunk. An alcoholic. I ran away from reality on my own, leaving behind my son facing the tough tis alone.
A child who lost their parents is an orphan. Spouses who lost their partners are widows or widowers. But how does one call a parent who lost their child?
Nothing. Because there are no words that could describe the pain.
"Ted...Ted...wake up!." My dad shook out of my nightmare. I was startled and quickly raised my body and sat on the bed. My entire body was wet from the sweat, and I was huffing my breath.
I turned to look at my father slowly, and I saw a concerned look on his face.
"We should talk." My dad said.
I shook my head slightly and said, "No. I need to-"
"Ed is fine. He's sleeping. He's not doing anything." My dad said in a calming manner. "You on the other hand...You need to get so help."
That was the mory of my first night on the ranch. My dad brought to drink and vent out my emotions, but I couldn't do it even though I was drunk. That's when I knew that alcohol would not work on anymore.
I couldn't calm down my feelings no matter what. And when I couldn't see what Edward was doing or where he had gone, my anxiousness almost made crazy.
Days passed by, and when I saw Edward was bonding with his cousins and his family here, it actually helped. I knew that I couldn't get rid of his freedom, so all I can do is to surround him with the people I trust.
I tried to hypnotize myself, to believe what the doctor said. But I still couldn't. Maybe it'll work one day. I just need to keep trying.
...
[Edward POV]
"Damn, my dad got a panic attack?...My dad?" I asked incredulously after hearing the gossip from the staff mbers after I woke up from my sleep. They didn't see coming, and were surprised when I suddenly appeared behind them.
"You and your cat feet." Pepper scoffed after he saw the whole thing.
"Thanks." I received the complint with a smile, but for so reason Pepper looked at in disbelief.
"Hmmm..." I rubbed my chin as I fell into contemplation. Pepper walked towards and stood one step behind as I was facing the couch.
"What evil deeds are you planning next?" He asked with a hint of fear in his tone. I was still rubbing my chin as I replied, "I think...I need to have a long talk with my dad."
"Hmm? Really?" Pepper's eyes lit up, "That's actually what I was going to convince you two to do today. Now, I just need to focus on convincing your dad about it."
He wanted to walk away, but I raised my hand as I stopped him, "I'll do it by myself."
"Really? It'll be...awkward...especially since the both of you have an emotionally distant disposition, even towards eachother." Pepper said with a sarcastic smile.
I nodded as I agreed with him, "Yes. But from my continuous watching of TV drama series and rom-com movies, the heart-to-heart talk will be the climax of a story."
Pepper was baffled, but before he could react, I walked away to find my dad. He was eating breakfast at the mont. I stood next to him and muttered in a solemn manner, "We need to talk."
My dad spit out his coffee as a reflex, and then looked at with shaky eyes. "I'll wait for you by the swing. Co after you've finished eating." I told him.
"Ed, don't you want to eat-" My grandma was concerned and her eyes darted between the two of us. I shook my head slightly and said, "No. I need to settle this first."
"Why does Ed look so scary right now?" Maggie muttered with a sense of fear. Amy unexpectedly licked her lips, "Don't you think he looks so sexy being like this?"
Maggie looked at her sister in disbelief while I left the kitchen to wait at the small hill behind the house. It was the place where I traced Amy before after she ran away crying.
I sat on the tire swing as I waited for my dad. The old tire however was already too small for to actually enjoy it. I beca lancholic as I looked over the grassy plains. A few birds started to perch all around . Even a small sparrow landed on my head.
In the few days I've been here, I'd basically conquered the heart of every animal here except maybe the bugs.
I waited and waited, and was surprisingly patient. It wasn't until two hours had passed that my dad reluctantly ca towards the spot. I already expected he would be late. He needed so ti to prepare himself – hell, even I needed to prepare.
"Ed."
"Dad."
We greeted each other with our brows scrunched. My dad was still hesitant, but before he could open his mouth, I ordered, "Sit down."
"Here?"
"On the rock over there. Or the grass, your choice as long as I can see your face." I said as I pointed at the huge boulder nearby.
"Can't this wait until we get back?" He asked reluctantly as he didn't want to sit.
"You know. You forced to go to therapy. I could do the sa thing to you. But instead of therapy, I'll just tell Sal how to make you drunk and let her have her way..."
"Alright. I'll sit!" He quickly sat in front of , perching his butt on the boulder as he sat there awkwardly.
"Good. To answer your question. No. This matter can't wait until we get ho. We both know that once we get back, the both of us will imrse ourselves in work again, and then it'll be prolonged until only god knows when."
"And based on the TV rules, unresolved issues will co back and kick your ass later in the future. You could get addicted to pills, and then knock yourself out. Then when I visit you at the hospital, you'll conspire with the doctor to tell that you're dying to teach a lesson about not caring for you. You'll tell that my dad is coming, and then reveal that you're not my true dad-"
"Ed...Don't get wrong...I'm intrigued by the story...but what the hell are you talking about?" My dad stopped and asked in confusion. He smiled a bit as he thought it was nonsense, which actually accomplished all my goals.
"It's nothing. I just want you to relax a bit." I smiled as I looked him in the eyes. Then, I sucked in my breath exaggeratedly, "Here goes. Dad. We need to talk about that night."
"Ed. I don't want to relive it-"
"That wasn't the first ti it happened." I cut him off, causing him to stand up in shock. His hand shivered as he looked in the eyes, trying to see if I was lying.
"W-What?"
I sighed and said, "Sit down. Calm yourself down first. It's not as serious as you think."
"Ed...how long?"
"Since I was a baby? I think. Honestly, you're building up all the fear in your mind. Let explain what happened to ." I said dismissively as I gestured for him to take a seat again.
After he cald down, I asked, "Dad. What happens to a laptop you're still using, if they're being too laggy?"
"What- what does this have to do with your disease? Unless you have a computer virus-"
"No. Not a computer virus. Well, I don't think you know computer terms, so I'll just continue. You'll reset it. Then, it will work better. My deep sleep is similar to that."
"This isn't scientific Ed..." My dad was becoming incredibly confused. Then, I smiled and said, "You know how long a person needs to fall into a deep REM sleep?"
"No." He shook his head as he didn't have a clue of what I was talking about.
"Well, they take at least 6 hours. In the 8 hours of sleep the doctor told you to get, only the last 2 are actually when you fall into a deep sleep cycle."
"6 hours?" My dad muttered, amused. "But I only slept for 5-6 hours?"
"Yeah. It depends on soone's age and habits too. So, now you know a normal person needs a long ti to do it right?" I asked him calmly, as if I was a teacher giving lessons to a very slow student.
He was a bit insulted but he nodded anyway. I then continued, "Well I can enter a deep sleep process in under 30 seconds."
My dad almost stood up in shock again, but midway I scolded him, "Are you going to stand up every single ti? Or are you just hitting your leg day?"
He was a bit embarrassed, "How did you know this Ed?" He still needed a little push to get confirmation lest I was trying to trick him.
"I can take a brainscan if you want. And show it to you." I muttered without fear. It was true. Using my [Rest] skill, I can enter a deep sleep cycle in just a few seconds, so I wasn't afraid of him trying to make take the test.
"So, I only need a shorter sleep than most people, and sotis, my body will fall into an extrely deep sleep, like the one you saw before. It happened a few tis, and it was actually very beneficial to ."
"How so? The doctor almost announced your ti of death." My dad asked with a concerned voice. I shot him a dirty look and said, "Didn't you hear what Dr House said before? My heart beat slowed down, but it was still there. The doctor couldn't see it, and almost made a mistake."
My argunt was based on the data Dr House showed before. Although I couldn't explain what happened to my soul at that ti, my strategy was to concoct a convincing story about my physical body.
"Like a laptop, my body condition will get better after the cycle. My mind will beco clearer, and my bodily function will improve. But dad, you have to keep this a secret."
My dad was already confused from the bombardnt of information, and fell into another because of my request.
"Why can't I tell this to other people?" Right then, he did have a sense that I was trying to trick him, but he still wanted to hear what I was going to say.
I scoffed internally but pretended to have a worried expression on the surface, "Well...You can say that it's dangerous for if it's revealed."
"Why?" He was dying for to spit everything out at this ti. He kept shaking his legs anxiously, and his palms started to get sweaty.
"You know about the theory of evolution?" I said in a solemn manner before I joked, "Or is it banned here by the Baptist Church?"
"It was banned till the 90s. But they couldn't control the spread of information anymore after that." My dad blurted out, which caused to be baffled. "Don't get sidetracked. I want to know WHY is it dangerous for you if anyone else knows?"
"You can say that, I am currently evolving from the path of a homo-sapien. I can be called a homo-superior— a word that doesn't an that I'm a superior homosexual."
"Don't joke." He chuckled but stopped himself quickly.
Was I feeling guilty that I was lying to my dad? Absolutely not. Compare my lie to the truth:
Truth; My soul is connected to the afterlife, and I can get abilities, knowledge, and talents of all of the human beings in the multiverse, by rolling a gambling gacha using my karma points as the paynt.
Lie; My body is entering a deep sleep cycle, resetting my bodily function and making healthier.
I didn't hesitate to pick the lie if I could help my dad regain his internal peace.
"So...you already knew all this before that happened?" He asked in disbelief.
"Yeah." I replied shortly. "So the dical bills are actually a wasteful expenditure in my opinion."
He falls into contemplation, disbelief, and even anger at the doctors in the hospitals.
"Can I confirm this? Do you know when you're gonna fall into that reset again?" He asked anxiously.
"Yeah. I think you can. But I won't know if it was going to happen until I was trying to go to sleep that day." I said.
'Great. Now I have to figure out the timing of my gacha session. Hmmm...I can make him confirm it during my birthday, his birthday, or my mom's birthday. Sage's day is also good, but I need to wait a whole year for that. Maybe Halloween? They said I will get called during Life or Death day, right?'
"It's going to take a few months. Wait at least until October. Then you can confirm it."
"It happened quarterly?" He asked in disbelief. "How have I never noticed this?! What have I done all these years?"
"Well to be honest, if Haley didn't put her head on my chest, no one would know. I didn't plan for anyone to know. I don't want to be taken to a research institute and get studied, you know? If you are really afraid, you should let go to sleep with Haley everyday-"
"Stop." He raised his hand to stop quickly. Then, he rubbed his forehead and groaned, "Should I really?"
My eyes lits up, but he continued, "Maybe... I can do it?-"
"DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT OLD MAN!" I shouted quickly to prevent him from getting any strange ideas.
After I made him get rid of those thoughts, I opened up to him about my difficulties in my work, just venting out on him. I did that to his benefit, but the way he was smiling warmly and looked satisfied was irritating .
"Ah Dad. There is another way for you to confirm that I'm an homo-superior."
"What?" He asked with a laugh. He didn't believe my words about being an evolved human being, but he did believe that I have special skills that need to be protected. That was good enough for .
"You should make a brother or sister. With a lot more experintal subjects, you can confirm it. Maybe 10 more?-"
He glared at , and I ran away quickly. "EDDDD!"
...
For my last day at the ranch, I didn't do anything much other than spending so ti with my grandma and grandpa, and helped around with the work at the ranch.
I noticed that the film crew were following sotis, but I ignored them. I planned to have an online fanet right here, but I decided to wait until I got back to California to do it because of my dad.
bringing the crew here for a film shoot made him have a panic attack, and I don't want to find out what's going to happen if I went ahead and did a full on live broadcast.
I hate to admit it, but I had more fun at Wisconsin than I thought. Especially with the animals.
As I was putting my clothes into my suitcase in preparation to get back, I heard a rough owing coming from outside of the house. I wanted to check it out by going to the front door, but my grandpa stopped with a solemn face.
"Ed. Stop. Jules! Get the gun! There's a puma outside!" My grandpa shouted.
"Wait. Grandpa-"
"Ed. Stay here! I need to protect the livestocks." My grandpa said before I pulled him back, "I said wait. She's not dangerous."
"She?" My grandma ca to the front door with a shotgun in her hands. I smiled wryly and said, "I know that puma."
"Ed. Don't be ridiculous-" My grandpa tried to stop , but my uncle stood up for , "Dad. What Edward said is true."
"Huh? You too Aaron?"
"Just...Let out first. You can follow with the gun. If it tries to attack , then you can shoot." I said while looking him in the eyes.
My grandpa was a bit taken aback. My dad and my aunt Camila rushed to the living room because of the commotion and asked, "What is happening?"
"There's a puma outside- Ed. Damn it." Grandpa Sam tried to explain, but I already snuck out of the house. Maggie and Amy followed the group, and Pepper also was alerted and followed the noise. He was with the crew mbers in the SUV at the ti.
"AHHH!!! SHE'S EATING EDWARD'S FACEEEEEE!!" Maggie scread in horror as she saw the sight of getting 'mauled' by the puma. Amy was shocked and then she fainted on the ground. Maggie turned to her and yelled again, "AMY'S DEAD TOO!"
Grandpa Sam was extrely alert, but when he saw I was petting the puma in an intimate manner, he cald down. "Wait. Seriously?" He muttered in disbelief.
I was laughing as the puma was licking my face, and when Pepper ca, he reacted in the exact sa way Maggie did. My aunt and my dad helped calm the sisters down while my grandpa approached and the puma warily.
"Edward. Explain." He said curtly.
"I think she's soone's pet. Or used to be. She's not hostile to humans. And I think she's hungry for so jerky, so that's why she's calling out. I don't think she'd ever hunted anything before..."
"That explains why my brisket was missing this morning...and also last night." Grandma Jules muttered without any fear for the puma.
"Dad, can I keep her?" I asked my dad.
Ted was startled, and then he smiled awkwardly, "You know, we don't live in an estate. And I'm not even sure if it is legal to keep a puma as a pet."
"The sultan's do it." Uncle Aaron gave so support.
"Why are you- Are you trying to ss with ?" Ted grumbled at Aaron.
Aaron laughed, "Nah. If you saw what I saw, you'd know why."
"What'd you see?"
"I'll tell you, but you won't believe ."
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