Chapter 338 - The scavenger hunt 4

Honey looked up from her arms. "When I climbed the tree, I saw someone there. He had his gun pointing at you." 

The paper plane was Honey's way to inform Wang Shi, keeping in mind not to startle the enemy. "There wasn't any lizard, but dad acting to protect you, and divert the man's attention." At the opportunity, Honey informed Feng Jin about it, while Bagheera and Cleo acted on Honey's instruction. The two wild pets perfectly used their hunting and tree climbing skills to nab the man.

It was a team effort. Only Suyin being oblivious.

Suyin turned to Wang Shi, "How could you leave Honey in danger?"

"He was not. You were. And I know Bagheera and Cleo were there to save him. They are being trained to protect him in any emergency."

"But you could have told me. A hint, a signal, or anything."

"There are things we don't think necessary to tell others, isn't it?" Sarcasm. He was talking about her. "Now if you'll excuse me." he stopped by Feng Jin, "Interrogate. I want to know his motive and who send him here." 

"Give me a day."

"Have you seen Dr. Jeff?"

"With teams, at the base camp. We have stopped the hunt after Honey informed us, and escorted everyone there."

Suyin gulped. She ran a hand through Honey's hair. "I need to talk to your dad. Are you okay? Can you go back with your uncle?"

Honey sensed something off. "Are you two fighting? There wasn't any lizard. Trust me."

"Not fighting. Promise. Its elders talk." 

Honey watched her expression, tensed. "I'm a big boy too."

"Honey!"

"Fine. Whatever it is, solve it. Will wait for you at dinner." She kissed his cheek, before running in the direction where Wang Shi left. For Dr. Jeff.

********

Dr. Jeff looked up in shock at Wang Shi. He scrambled to get onto his foot from the ground, his punched-out jaw pressed with one hand, the corner of the lips bleeding.

"My oath doesn't allow me to reveal my patient's details. I'm sure you wouldn't too."

"Shishi!" Suyin ran inside the camp where Wang Shi was questioning Jeff. She placed herself between him and Jeff. "I asked him to help me. Is asking for help that bad that you are beating him?"

Wang Shi backed away from rage. "For the past three months, you are getting a fever every two weeks. Many times, you are emotionally unstable. You wake up in the middle of the night, sweating. Have frequent headaches. Vomiting. Swelling in legs. The cognitive-behavioral treatment and medicines that he is giving are clearly affecting you. This bastard should have stopped it long back."

"But it's working too. Yous saw it just now." Suyin said, helping Jeff on his foot. "I wanted to be free from my past, that's why I asked him to help. And the symptoms you said are not because of the medicines, I'm not taking any. But it's Xanax."

Wang Shi glanced at Jeff. Jeff nodded. Now that he has Suyin's permission, he was free to tell. He has to tell. "I'm treating her for five months. For the initial two months, she was doing great, but as the treatment progressed and we went deeper, she started getting anxiety attacks during every session. It raised her heartbeat. To calm her down, I had to give small doses of Xanax. That's why the side-effects."

"Then you should have stopped after the first attack."

"I asked him to continue." Suyin defended. 

Aghast, "Suyin--" Wang Shi paused, "--Get out." it was for Jeff. "Make sure no one comes in. Otherwise, be ready to live in this forest forever."

Suyin blinked at Jeff.

Wang Shi took two hurried steps toward her. He cupped her face in his hands. "Why? Why hurt yourself so much? It wasn't necessary."

"It was. I was tired of living in this shackle. I wanted to be free and complete." There was more on Suyin's lips, but she didn't say it. 

"It's one thing to free from the shackle, and another to torture yourself. You are free and complete."

"How can I when any hand that touches my body refreshes my memory of that night?"

There was a pause, and she knew he wanted to ask something, but thinking how. "Can I ask you something?"

"You don't need permission."

"It's rude."

"You can never be." She said.

He breathed, "Knowing you, I'm sure you will allow no other man in your life. And me? You have already drawn a line between us. So tell me, for whom are you going all this trouble?"

Suyin looked away, fear, hesitation rippling on her face. "Can't I do it for myself?"

"After six years?"

"Yes--AHH-"

He pinched her chin up. "Eyes on me, love. Now tell me. What exactly changed that you went for the therapy?"

Suyin had no answer to that. And the one she was giving, he wasn't buying it.

"Silence," his lips quivered. "That's all you have given me in these seven months. I know I had promised never to cross the line and give you the time you want--" she wiggled under his firm grip on her arm. He shook her. "--listen to me. I was, and I'm still willing to wait and let you have as much time as you want. But you know what? It's useless if you are not ready to accept your feelings."

"I-"

"Oh, don't you dare say you don't have any feelings. I understand you more than you understand yourself. Or should I remind you how lost control just now and melted under my touch?" Suyin's face paled. "You think I'm a fool and didn't notice how you look at me every time. Or how you are fighting against your own feelings? Just tell me, why? When there is so much love, why can't you accept it and end this pain?"

Tears and silence. That's all Suyin had to give him. She didn't even have the guts to look into his eyes. Even when he was forced, she was just staring at hollow instead of his mesmerizing eyes, lest her heart waver.

He waited...

But the answer never came.

"Silence. So that's all I deserve, right? Is this all Honey deserves?" Slowly he stepped back, his grip on her slipping. She felt empty, fear crawling. "Fine then. Guess this is the ending." 

He just left?

Leaving her alone in that tent, crying?

She fell to her knees. Tears in her heart became tears in her eyes, unstoppable. And this time, her friend, her partner, her human diary, her man, wasn't there to hear her. 

Standing outside the tent, Wang Shi heard her sobs. His fist clenching. Tears came as if long last acc.u.mulated pain trickling.

"Why Suyin? Why are you doing this to yourself?"

********