"It's you."

Macau sharply turns his head when Kim says those words to the levitating woman who is NOT mama. She SHOULD be mama! It's not fair! He wants to kick the table, cry, and scream all at once. 

But Kim doesn't seem to have the same urge. He seems to be a weird combination of intrigued and annoyed. 

"That's the woman I saw when I died!" he says, pointing up at her, "She's the one who told me things were going to be strange after I went back to my body, but she wouldn't tell me what would happen!"

Auntie Dao squints and walks closer, "That IS her! I saw her when you demanded to see me! I was under the impression I wouldn't get to reunite with you in the afterlife for another seventy years!"

The woman slowly descends from the air until her feet are planted on the table, "To be fair, that was the information I had at the time. I didn't lie. Even fate is not concrete. The woman who did this to you has a knack for manipulating it. However, she does it in a way that is…extremely entertaining. To be honest, none of us are even trying to stop her. It's all been compelling to watch. You could call me a fan." 

Macau lets out a sound of panic when Aree growls and recklessly climbs up onto the coffee table to glare up at the woman, her hands on her hips. 

"You're a fan of someone who turns multiple people into toddlers?!" Aree says, "That's silly!"

The woman shrugs, then lowers herself into a seated position, "I can't help it! It gets depressing watching wars, school shootings, spouses murdering spouses, and parents killing their children! I just dealt with a murder suicide in Canada. A father drowned his eighteen month old baby! Do you know how upsetting that is to deal with? Even the deaths from natural causes can be a downer. I'm pretty desensitized by this point, but some cases still get to me. Watching your predicament is a good outlet for escapism. I mean, come on. Who wouldn't want to watch a group of precocious pseudo-toddlers have a seance? And a semi-successful one too!"

Aree stomps her feet, "It would have been completely successful if you would have stayed out of it and let us talk to her longer!" 

The woman lets out a sigh, "It wouldn't have. As fun as it would be to watch your ritual be a success, bringing back the dead is complicated. It will likely take years to ascend to the level needed for you all to bring her back." 

Macau feels his eyes water, "But I want Mama back now. She didn't deserve to die. She should be here. With me, Hia, and Grandma." 

Macau can't hold it in anymore. He covers his face and stifles his sobs into his hands. Even though he feels Aree jump down and hug him, he doesn't have it in him to hug her back. 

"I'm sorry, Macau!" Aree cries, "We'll keep working on it though, okay? I will try my best to get better so I can bring her back!" 

"What use are you?" He hears Kim say, "You wouldn't tell me I would wake up as a toddler and you won't tell us how to bring Auntie Milan back sooner!" 

"Kim! She's probably powerful!" Porsche hisses from across the room, "Don't say stuff like that!" 

"It's true!" Kim tells him, "She told me Chay was going to die before me! She's a liar!" 

Macau lifts his head at that and Porsche walks closer. 

"What do you mean, Chay is dying?" Porsche says before his expression turns into one of fury, "He's not dying! Ever!" 

The woman rolls her eyes, "He is dying in his late 80s while Kim is dying in his early 90s. All of you are shockingly going to live long lives. Even you, Dao! And you died already." 

"...Oh," Porsche murmurs, then looks at Kim, "Kim, that's not so bad. As long as he dies peacefully at an old age-" 

"He's NOT dying before me!" Kim says combatively. 

"He technically dies before you and Aree too, Porsche," the woman says. 

"NO!" Porsche screams, storming up to the woman, apparently getting over his fear of her immediately, "Chay is NOT dying before me!" 

"He's not dying before me either!" Aree says, still holding Macau, "I'm dying before anyone else in this room!" 

Porsche turns his head sharply, "That is NOT happening!" 

"I'm dying before you are!" Macau tells her. 

Aree blows a raspberry at him, "You are not! I am dying before anybody! I'm gonna have the coolest death too!" 

Auntie Dao shakes her head, "Honey, you can't die first. You're the baby-"

"I'M NOT A BABY!!!" 

The woman whistles loudly, causing all of them to fall silent. 

"Do you want advice from a higher power on how to bring Milan back to life or not?" 

Macau looks at Aree and still wants to argue with her, but it will have to wait until later. 

"Of course," Chay says, stepping forward as he seems mostly unbothered by the announcement of his future death, "How can we bring Macau's mama back?" 

"That's what I want more than anything," Aree agrees, getting back on top of the table, "Tell us." 

The woman lets out a sigh and leans back, her left hand flat against the table, "...I don't know. I have grown attached to you all since I've been watching you during my spare time. I don't want to put any of you at risk. It could be dangerous." 

But Aree must have been ready for this response. Macau is sure that all of them freeze when she climbs onto the woman's lap and looks up at her with her dark brown eyes. 

"Please?" Aree says innocently. 

The woman lets out a huff, "That has no right to work so well. Fine. I'll tell you how to bring her back."

Aree lets out a whoop and the rest of the toddlers do too. Porsche even dances and he doesn't even know Mama! 

"You need to find your grandmother." 

Aree lets out a groan, "So that lady IS our grandma?" 

"Yes," the woman says, then looks pensive, "She is…a peculiar case. She died, and then reincarnated in a body that mirrored her past body. It isn't unheard of. Sometimes souls are very attached to a certain appearance. But she was so attached that it copied her past body to a molecular level. If you did a DNA test, she would still come up as your grandmother. It's very strange." 

"That's not strange. It's impossible!" Chay says. 

"That's what I thought too," the woman agrees, "But she did it. And she never lost those memories. Those memories and the life she made for herself before are more ingrained in her than anything she technically experienced in this life. And due to what happened, she was…a little set on revenge. However, when it comes down to it, she is a good woman. She wants to make things right for her daughter, and she wants to connect with her again. She just didn't know where to start. She had some abilities in her past life, as well as a lot of potential, but whatever she did to become as powerful as she is now…I don't know. I never ran into a case like hers. I do wonder if there was a higher being involved in her initial conception. One of my supervisors, perhaps. I know of a few who would do something experimental like that." 

The woman hums and moves on, "Anyway, your grandmother can help you." 

Kinn steps forward, "She won't help. She isn't a good person. She turned us into toddlers!" 

"Yeah!" they all say. 

"Her methods are…unorthodox," the woman says, "But her intentions are good. I believe she initially started this to get her daughter to remember her children again. And look how she succeeded on that front." 

Chay lets out a huff, "She still killed Beam! She let her men get killed by me and Kim, and she also had some girl's throat slit - for a ritual, probably! She-" 

"Beam isn't dead," the woman cuts in, "She used a a magical bullet on him, dug him out of his grave a week after he was buried, and introduced him to his soulmate. He's living in Seoul with him now. They hit it off fast."

"...Beam came back to life?" Kinn asks, a frown on his face, "And he didn't come back to the compound?"

"Please, his soulmate is super successful," she says, "Why would he come back here? Jong-Su wouldn't let him, anyway. That man is obsessed. Be happy for them." 

The toddlers stare at each other in confusion until Chay speaks again. 

"It still doesn't explain-" 

"Her henchmen and sacrifices?" the woman says, then laughs, "She has found a way to create and animate obedient, soulless bodies. Disturbing, but oddly ethical. Sometimes they can pass as human and other times she doesn't want them to. Like when she made that monstrous clone of Aree." 

Macau looks at Aree in confusion, but she just shudders in response. So does Kinn. 

"Anyway, she would be able to bring Milan back the same way Dao and Kim were brought back," the woman says, "And then-" 

"She won't be able to bring her back without a soulmate," Macau says, feeling defeated, "The only reason Auntie Dao came back was because Kinn turned Uncle Korn. Pa is already dead too. We can't turn her soulmate to bring her back." 

The woman smiles and tilts her head, "Who said Gun is Milan's soulmate? Milan's soulmate is still very much alive." 

Macau's breath hitches and he steps closer to her, "Who is it, then? Is it someone we know? What can we do to-" 

"Why are you here in the middle of the night?!" 

The toddlers gasp as they all turn their heads in shock at Tankhun's sudden appearance. He looks stressed, tired, and pissed off, but doesn't give the woman a glance. 

As for the woman, she is just checking out her manicured red nails. 

"This is NOT acceptable with everything going on!" he says, staring Auntie Dao, Kinn, and Kim down, "I have been looking everywhere for the three of you! You can't just sneak out and go to a random suite!" 

"It's my old suite, not some random one," Kim says, but keeps glancing at the woman. Macau does too. Why hasn't Tankhun said anything about her yet?

"Well, I'm glad about that because if you hadn't been here, I would have woken everyone else up!" Tankhun snaps, then pulls out his phone, "...I found them. They were in Kim's old suite…No, that's not necessary. I can get them back. You can go back to bed…Aw, Arm. You are too sweet to me!" 

"Ugh, I wish I had someone like Arm," the woman mutters, pulling out her own ringing phone, "Jerry, I told you that it's over. I'm dating George now…Because I feel like it! I was with you too long! Of course you feel like twenty years is just a second, you're thousands of years old! I need someone younger and more carefree!" 

"What is happening?" Kinn mutters as he looks back and forth between his older brother and the woman. 

The woman covers the phone with her hand, "I don't want to deal with the conflict, so Tankhun can't see me. Act natural or he'll get concerned. I wasn't talking to you, Jerry! Not everything is about you!" 

"Come on," Tankhun says, unknowingly talking over the woman's argument with Jerry as he walks over to the table. He looks at the Ouija Board and the lit candles in bewilderment, "What were you up to?" 

All of the toddlers look at each other once more. Should they tell Tankhun? He might have more empathy if they tell him they were desperate to bring Mama back. But Aree shakes her head subtly and leans in to whisper into Macau's ear.

"He'll keep an even closer eye on us." 

So Macau comes up with something else. 

"We were trying to talk to ghosts!" He says as he runs up to Tankhun's legs, "We were gonna have a sleepover!" 

"Yeah!" All the toddlers say, although Kinn and Porsche definitely seem like they feel more guilty about lying to him. 

Tankhun lets out a sigh and blows out the candles, causing the woman to disappear. Macau and the rest of the toddlers jump back and gasp. Tankhun to gives them an incredulous look before rolling his eyes. 

"Look at you all! You've gotten yourselves worked up!" Tankhun says, then picks up Kim, "Let's go! I will send out a text to everyone else and you can sleep in my living room together." 

As Macau follows everyone else out, he takes one last glance at the coffee table. There is no sign a woman was ever there in the first place. It makes him feel like they imagined it all. 

However, he is still set on one thing. 

He needs to find Aree's reincarnated witch grandma. And then? He needs to find Mama's soulmate.

 
-----
 

Pete should have known this morning would have been eventful when he woke up to a text from Tankhun. 

Tankhun: Macau is in my suite, along with the rest of the toddlers. They all thought it would be fun to take the Ouija Board you made me your first year here to Kim's old suite. They scared themselves silly with some seance 🙃

Pete: 🙄 but 😂 Thanks for letting me know. I can come get him now. 

Tankhun: He can stay for a while. Crossed paths with Fern. I think she is on her way to you to chat with Vegas. You should stay with him. 

Despite the subtle suggestion, Pete didn't think much of it. He had not prepared himself for more news to be broken, especially with Vegas's paralysis and Macau's situation being broken to Fern. But when Fern comes in right as they are finishing up breakfast, she looks serious and anxious, but also resolved. 

"What's wrong?" Vegas asks, wheeling himself over to her. Fern exhales, opens her mouth, then shakes her head and wheels Vegas over to the living room, beckoning Pete to follow. 

"What?" Vegas asks and signs, sounding a little more frustrated as Fern sits down across from him. Pete takes the spot closest to Vegas and tries to prepare himself for bad news. 

"I need to talk to you about something," Fern tells him, "It's…about your mother." 

Vegas's expression immediately becomes guarded. Pete tries his best to take his boyfriend's hand, but it's gripping the arm rest. 

"This…" Fern starts, "This isn't going to be easy for you to hear, honey. But uh…I think you need to know. You…You know your father cheated on your ma a lot. It…He didn't keep that a secret." 

"...He was an asshole," Vegas says and signs slowly, "I know he cheated on her. It pissed me off, and it pissed her off too." 

"Right," Fern says, nodding, "She would get very upset. But uh…There was this one time she got a little too upset and she…retaliated by cheating on your father. It was a one night thing, don't get upset with her over it-" 

"He deserved it," Vegas says roughly, then lets out a breath before signing as well, "Why are you telling me this? Why do you think I would even need to know something like that? It doesn't matter if she cheated too. He was a lot worse, so I don't need to know about one hook up on her end-" 

"It happened nine months before Macau was born." 

The silence that falls over the room fills Pete's ears. When he finds the courage to look at Vegas, he sees that he's stone faced. 

"It doesn't matter," Vegas finally says, starting to wheel away so Pete does his best to get over his worries and interpret, "We would have known if there was a paternity issue. She would have-" 

"He has a gene associated with epilepsy that neither you or your mother tested positive for," Fern says, her voice a rasp, "Your father wouldn't get tested, so she told him it came from her, but it didn't. She wondered for years and sent both your DNA and Macau's in when you visited me in New York a year before she died…Vegas, Macau has a different father-"

"He does NOT!" Vegas snaps, his voice rising, "Shut up! Just shut up! He's my full fucking brother, you're just old and confused!" 

Fern clearly hears that and lets out a scoff, "I am sixty-two! I'm not THAT old-" 

"SHUT UP!" 

"Vegas," Pete cuts in, wheeling him across the room before squatting down next to him, "Take a break. Just go to our room and breathe. I know you don't want to talk to her like that or disrespect her. You love her. I will get the rest of what she has to say and then relay it you when you feel calmer." 

Pete feels his heart clench in his chest when Vegas's face screws up and he sucks a tearful breath in. As he reaches over to touch Vegas's face, he wipes a tear away before leaning closer to put their foreheads together. 

"He's still your brother," Pete whispers, "Regardless of DNA. He loves you more than anyone else in the world. Even if this is true, it isn't going to change anything-"

"He'll leave," Vegas says, his voice cracking. 

Pete sighs then, moves back a little to meet Vegas's eyes, "That's your trauma and the lasting effects of your hypoxic brain injury talking. Stop spiraling-"

"He'll leave me," Vegas sobs, then starts digging his nails into his wrist. Pete just shushes him, pries his hand away, and gives Vegas pressure to one of his arms. It became a way to ground and calm him while he was more out of his head in the hospital and it has strangely continued to work since. Although, Vegas has not been this upset in a while. Even when he broke the news of his paralysis to his grandmother and cried, there was a decent amount of relief mixed in because it was a conversation he kept putting off and dreading. This is different. He's forgetting all the strides he has made emotionally and is clearly regressing in some type of way. 

He probably feels like has control over absolutely nothing. 

"Take a break," Pete tells him, wheeling him to the room, "It will be fine. And please don't break anything or hurt yourself. Bring up the mindfulness app that you used with Kinn-" 

"That doesn't help!" 

"If it didn't, you wouldn't have used it with him," Pete says pointedly, then pushes Vegas into the room and closes the door. He waits for a minute and listens for any telltale signs that Vegas is resorting to his more harmful methods of dealing with stress and pain. When all he hears are the calming chimes of the app's intro, he figures it is safe enough to go talk to Fern. 

But honestly? He's not happy with her either. 

"Why would you bring this up now?" Pete signs, frowning at her as she continues to sit there, "Vegas has emotional problems. He has a fear of abandonment. It may not make sense that he thinks that something like this will mean Macau leaves him. But his mind jumps straight to that conclusion."

Fern exhales through her nose, "I never planned to bring this up to either of them unless I absolutely had to, like a medical reason. But I was approached and asked about Macau's paternity." 

"...Who approached you?" Pete asks, truly confused, "And why? I thought you and Milan were the only ones that knew." 

"Yes. We were. But Macau's real…parent put it together and had questions," Fern says, then gives him a helpless shrug, "It felt wrong to lie when I was asked, even though I wanted to." 

Pete pauses, then goes to sit across from her again, "What do you mean, Macau's real parent? Why…How…" 

Pete doesn't know what else to sign. Fern seems to sense that since she answers more bluntly. 

"I would think it was a lie too," she says, "But Dao, Tankhun, and Porsche all seem to think there is truth to this. When I talked to this woman myself, her story aligned with what Milan told me-" 

"Woman?" Pete asks, backtracking, "What woman?" 

Fern gives him a look, "The only woman who can be a biological father in this compound." 

It takes Pete longer than it should to put that together, but once he does, his eyes widen. 

"Yok?!" He says out loud. Fern puts a finger to her lips and glances at the door. If Vegas heard him, he must not feel a need to come out. 

"You know her pretty well, don't you?" Fern says, "Is she the type to lie to fall into money?" 

Pete shakes his head, "No. Porsche told me she tried to pay Tankhun back several times when he surprised her by paying off the mortgage to her bar. I don't see her saying anything like this unless she was positive it might be true." 

"...I got that impression from her too," Fern signs, then lets out a sigh, "She was very sincere. Honest. She said she would be more than willing to take a DNA test and follow our lead on any involvement with Macau. She's upset this was kept from her, but she also understands why it was." 

"How did she find out?" 

"Macau reminded her of her and her brother when they were little. She felt a connection with him. Macau was keeping a picture of Milan in his backpack and showed it to her. She remembered her and started connecting the dots from there," Fern says, choosing to voice quietly, "A few men in her family have epilepsy. She is a carrier for a gene associated with it, but never developed it herself," Fern says quietly, choosing to voice now, "I won't lie. I am nervous. I don't know how this will affect Macau, and Vegas already isn't taking it well. But I did tell her that we would likely do the DNA test before telling Macau. She has assured me she doesn't want to disrupt Macau's life, but does want to be involved and form a relationship with him if he's open to that. And she doesn't want to take him away from you or Vegas. I know that's where Vegas's mind is jumping. I don't fully understand why, but I know that's what he said to you." 

"...I'm surprised you heard that," Pete says, "I know you can hear some with your hearing aids, but he had his back to you-" 

"I didn't hear him, but I know him well enough to figure out where his mind was heading," she says, then glances at the door, "He was always a bit reactive, but he was so sweet when he was a kid. He would overthink things and get overwhelmed. He would constantly perseverate on things he thought he did wrong. That's because of his father. Vegas deserved more help with those hurdles, help Milan desperately tried to get him but Gun would often veto. But he never questioned his value to others until…until my daughter died." 

Fern goes quiet for a moment, so Pete lets her stay that way until she is ready to speak again. 

"So I understand his thought process," Fern says after a beat, "Even if it seems far-fetched. But…It's good that he's voicing it again, so it's clear how much he's hurting. He stopped that for a while. Gun being gone probably helps with that. And having you. You're good for him. He loves you very much and seems comfortable opening up to you." 

Pete shrugs at that, "He's trying. And I try to let him know I'm willing to listen and help him through the bigger emotions that hit him. He is better with expressing himself than he was before. He was in therapy for a while. It helped more than he wants to admit. He only stopped going because of everything with Macau. But even without that, he was doing better. He had a brain injury from the…accident-" 

"We're still calling it that?" Fern asks. 

"There are a few lasting effects that make him more emotional," Pete says, then breathes out, "That would probably be a negative to some, but it makes it so he can't hold every single emotion in until he explodes. It makes it so he has to sort through it." 

"Hm," Fern says, then looks at the door again, "That's one good thing that came out of this, then. Do you think he's sorted through his feelings enough for us to talk to him about this?" 

Pete looks at the door too, "We can try." 

 
-----
 

Yok expected to be confronted at some point today. With Kim coming to her new suite at breakfast, informing her Porsche told him everything, and then refusing to leave, she figured Fern would be talking to Vegas soon. As nervous as that made her feel, Kinn's presence is helping matters, as well as tending to and entertaining him. 

Although, he needs to work on his words of comfort. 

"I won't let Vegas kill you," Kinn says as he faces her, perched on her lap, "I promise." 

"Well, I wasn't worried about death until you brought it up," Yok says, then rolls her eyes, "I doubt he'll kill me-" 

"He won't because I will protect you," Kinn says solemnly. 

Great. 

But before Yok can respond, there is a knock on the door. Kinn lets out a gasp, jumps off her lap, and approaches the door cautiously until he opens it in a protective stance. 

"Oh," Kinn says, visibly relaxing as he lets Pete in, "It's just Pete, Yok. He won't kill you." 

Yok certainly hopes not. 

"Hey, Yok," Pete says, offering her a forced smile as he comes closer, "So…Fern talked to me and Vegas this morning. She told us what you thought and said there was a lot of merit to it, since…since Macau apparently isn't Gun's biological son." 

"...She confirmed that when we talked to her," Yok says, "She took what I told her pretty well overall, but was worried about how Vegas might react. How…Is he…" 

Yok trails off and waves her hands, but Pete seems to understand. 

"He didn't take it well at first," Pete says, "Not about it being you, but about Macau only being his half-brother. He was very emotional and in denial for a bit. It…You have to understand that he has as lot of trauma. His mother died. His father was abusive and hot and cold with the affection he showed both Vegas and Macau, but he was very hard on Vegas especially. Macau is the one family member he completely trusts, other than Fern. So with all of that beneath the surface, his mind immediately went to you wanting to take Macau, or Macau wanting to leave him." 

"I wouldn't take him away," Yok says, already feeling herself tearing up, "I just want to know Macau and be involved - if he's open to that. If he's not, I will keep my distance. But if he is-" 

"I understand," Pete says, "And I think Vegas does too. At least he does now. He's calmed down and we were able to tell him what you told Fern. He took Macau down for bloodwork in the infirmary. He told Macau it's for a check up. It kind of is. He needs to be evaluated because of his med changes anyway, but they'll use a little of what they collect to compare his sample to Vegas's. And to yours. You can go down at any time, but the sooner you go, the sooner they can process the samples. They said they can get them done by this evening." 

"...Okay," Yok says shakily, then gets to her feet, "I'll go down." 

"I know where it is," Kinn says, taking her hand, "I'll show you." 

Before Yok can overthink anything, Kinn leads her out the door. 

Macau is so upset with Hia! He hates him right now! This is torture! Macau would rather have time out! 

"I DON'T WANT TO!" Macau sobs, as the nurse preps his arm to get blood drawn, "Please, Hia! I want to go back upstairs!" 

"Hey," Hia says quietly as he holds Macau in his lap, "Shhh, you're alright. You've had this done before a lot of times-" 

"I DON'T WANT TO!!!"

Grandma squats down, "It's important so they can run some tests and make sure the med changes aren't causing any problems. The sooner you do it, the sooner we can go upstairs! You can play video games with your friends!" 

That does sound fun, even though their small hands make it harder to play. He still doesn't want to, but he tries his best to sit still as they draw blood from his arm. He can't help but cry. Hia holds him a little tighter and presses a kiss against the top of his head when they take the last vial. 

"You're mean!" Macau cries into Hia's chest.

"I know," Hia murmurs as Grandma wheels them both out of the infirmary, "I'm sorry. I know that was scary for you while you are like this. If it wasn't important, I wouldn't have made you get it done." 

But Macau can't stop crying, even when they get to the elevator to wait for it to come down. He wants to pull Hia's hair for what he did! 

But before Macau can weigh the pros and cons of that, Yok gets off the elevator and Macau feels a rush of need course through him and he looks up at her.

"Hia's mean!" He says through his tears, then points at his bandage, "H-He made them stick needles in me!" 

Yok looks at Hia nervously. Maybe she's scared Hia will do the same to her too, so Macau leans forward and takes her hand. 

"I won't let them do the same to you," Macau says before his face crumples, "It's torture!" 

"Okay, Macau," Hia says, sounding a little annoyed, "Do you want to join everyone else in Tankhun's suite or not?" 

Yes, but he also wants to go with Yok to make sure no one sticks her with needles too, so he holds onto her hand insistently until she smiles at him reassuringly. 

"I'll be alright," she tells him, "Thank you for caring. You have a good heart. Go have fun with your friends." 

Before Macau can argue, Kinn steps forward. He didn't even notice him standing there. 

"I'll keep her safe, Macau," he says, "I promise." 

"...Okay," Macau says, but then jumps down from Hia's lap, "But if anyone comes at you with a needle, you gotta fight back, okay? Like this!" 

Macau punches the air and does a karate kick, before twirling around and kicking an another imaginary captor. 

"I will try my best," Yok says.

"Show me," Macau says, crossing his arms over his chest. 

Yok only looks at him for a moment, then backs up, "Like this?" 

Macau grins as Yok repeats his moves. She's really good! 

"Like that!" Macau says with excitement, jumping a little as he goes over to her, "Good job!" 

Macau hugs her legs until she reaches down to pat his back. Then, he climbs up in Hia's lap again. 

"She's ready, and so am I," Macau says decisively, but then scowls, "Meanie head." 

"Hm," is all Hia says, then rolls onto the elevator. Despite things being tense, Hia hugs him tight on the elevator ride up. Even though Macau is still mad at him, he hugs him back. For some reason, it seems like Hia needs it. 

 
-----
 

Kim and Hia are so dramatic that Chay can't stand it. But at the same time, it's really funny. 

"I d-don't WANT Chay to die before me!" Hia wails into Kim's shoulder, "You gotta call me as soon as it happens, okay? That way, I can kill myself and join him!" 

Kim sniffles and holds Hia a little tighter, "I'll come over and tell you in person. And then we can kill ourselves together." 

"Together. Because we're best friends," Hia agrees, then lets out another cry, which makes Kim start crying too. It just makes Chay want to gag. 

Instead, he lets out a melancholy sigh, "I'm standing right here, you know. And I am feeling neglected. You don't have much time left with me. I'm dying before either of you, and there is nothing you can do to stop it-" 

"Don't SAY that!" Kim says, ripping himself away from Hia as he storms over to Chay, "It's NOT happening!" 

"I feel an incurable illness coming on," Chay says, swaying on his feet, "I…I am fading away."

"Chay, stop it!" Hia says, coming over too. 

"Goodbye," Chay rasps out, then collapses on the floor, causing both Hia and Kim to cry out.

"I'll perform CPR!" Kim says through his tears, "He did it for me, so I will do it for him!" 

"No, I'm gonna do it!" Hia says, but Chay keeps his mouth stubbornly closed when Hia tries to pry it open. 

"It's no use," Aree says sadly, "Rigor Mortis has already set in. He's gone." 

Chay tries not to smile as he lies on the floor, completely still and his eyes stubbornly closed. 

"Come on!" Aree says, "We need to write an obituary to spread the word of Chay's death. And then we are holding a funeral. After we bury him, we will hold a seance to talk to him. Death does not mean goodbye! We already know that! I bet Chay is waiting for us in the afterlife, all so we can all plan our reincarnation! Kim said that was a thing! He's waiting until we all eventually die-" 

"I'M DYING NOW!" Kim screams, then stubbornly lies down next to Chay. When Chay takes a peek, Kim has his arms crossed over his chest like a vampire and he's lying completely still. 

"I'm dying now too!" Hia says, but Aree lets out a disapproving sound. 

"You're going to make me announce this news to Mama on my own?" Aree asks, "AND plan out your funeral? I already have two on my hands, but I thought I would have your help! You can't die before this is all over and their affairs are settled. Plus, think of what it would do to Kinn!" 

While Hia seems to have grievances, he agrees to stay alive to help Aree. Macau offers his help too, once Vegas drops him off. 

"P'Vegas!" Chay hears Aree call out, followed by the sound of her pattering footsteps, "My brother is dead! Kim was so upset that he died of a broken heart, so now we have a double funeral to plan! Will you help us?" 

"...I'd rather not," Vegas says, causing Aree to let out a sound of disappointment, "Where's your mother?" 

"She's in the shower," Aree says, "She should be out any second. Mama said that she and Khun talked about taking us out to lunch! So we'll have the funeral and then go out to eat for the wake. Be back in an hour, okay?" 

"Aree-" 

"Mama! Chay and Kim are dead!" 

"And I'm gonna die as soon as the double funeral is over!" Hia adds. 

When Chay takes a peek at Mama, he sees her giving him an exasperated look so he quickly closes his eyes again. Regardless, Mama does her part in playing the grieving mother, while Macau plays his role as the strong and supportive brother-in-law. 

Finally, all of the attention is on him. 

And Kim, but Chay is willing to share the spotlight. He's gracious like that. 

 
-----
 

"Nap now, swimming soon?" Korn asks as Pol continues to rock him. Pol hums and pushes a strand of hair off Korn's forehead. 

"Tankhun said we could. Probably not until after dinner though," Pol says, causing Korn to frown, "Hey, it's alright. We will still get to go. It's something to look forward to." 

"...'Kay," Korn mumbles as his eyes start to fall close, "Thank you, Papa. I love you." 

Pol pauses at the title. Actually, he straight up freezes. Should he correct him and set up that boundary before it becomes too confusing for both of them? That's probably the right thing to do. 

But he can't bring himself to do it. The fact that Korn is clearly asleep doesn't help matters. He can't wake him up just to tell him that. However, he doesn't think he would have it in him if he were awake either. All he can do is gently shift him onto the bed and tuck him in before letting himself out of the cell. 

"Papa?" 

Pol quickly turns around, only to see Tankhun standing there. That was the one hard thing about being Tankhun's guard. Normally, he announces his way into a room so loudly that his ability to sneak around and lay low is vastly underestimated. 

"I didn't tell him to call me that," Pol says stiffly, going over to sit in the armchair, "He asked me if I was his papa a couple of days ago. I told him I wasn't and informed him I was his caretaker. He just said he wished I was, but he didn't deserve me as a papa. Because he was bad." 

Tankhun exhales and pulls out one of the fold out chairs to sit next to him, "Do you think he's faking it?" 

Pol stares at Korn's sleeping form, then shakes his head, "Considering that he is extremely entertained by children's books and television shows, has trouble changing his clothes, accidently peed himself while he was sleeping a few nights ago, and seems to get confused when I bring up any of his sons' names, I really don't think he is." 

Tankhun keeps watching his father as his eyes fill up with tears. Pol puts a hand on his back to offer him some form of comfort. As hard as this has been on Korn, he knows it is hard on Tankhun too. 

"I don't think it's good for him to be in the cell anymore." 

Pol turns his head in shock, but Tankhun isn't looking at him. He is just looking at Korn. 

"The smart thing to do would be to assign him a few staff that will stay with him in shifts," Tankhun says sniffling, "And take you back to be with us. You are attached. I can see that, and I can't blame you because…because right now, you are the only person Pa really has. And as much as he deserves to have you taken away, he doesn't deserve it when he's like this." 

"You're right," Pol says, "He doesn't. So what do you want to do?" 

"...I'll assign him a suite," Tankhun says quietly, "And you will have support at all times. During the day, staff will be stationed outside the suite - or with you if you take him somewhere. And at night, I want two staff stationed outside his room. To protect him, but more so to protect you. Even though my heart is telling me you are right about him, my head is telling me to take precautions so you're safe. But I think we both want him to be more comfortable." 

Pol sucks his own tears back as he nods his head, "You're right. We do." 

Tankhun pulls out his phone, types something, then waits for it to ping before putting it away, "It's settled. One of the two bedroom suites in the north wing will be ready by tonight. So after you eat dinner and take him swimming, you should be free to take him up." 

"...Thank you," Pol gets out. Tankhun says nothing else, but sits with him until Korn shows signs of waking up. It's only then that Tankhun turns to him and tries to smile. 

"Caretakers still need breaks," Tankhun tells him, "Maybe you, me, Pete, and Arm can do something on Friday? Even if you can't stay long-" 

"That sounds really fun," Pol says, because as anxious as he gets to leave Korn, a night out sounds nice too. 

Tankhun gives him a smile, and it looks genuine and relieved as he stands up, "Good. Maybe Yok can come too, depending on how she's feeling. We'll saddle Vegas, Fern, Namphueng, Tay, and Time with the babies. And Perth can handle Pa for a night. I know it. He knows his routine, even if Pa hasn't taken to him like he has to you." 

"Okay," Pol says, then finally takes in Tankhun's outfit, "Why are you dressed in all black?" 

Tankhun glances down at himself, "I have a fake double funeral to attend. Aree made me type up a eulogy and everything.  But after I get through this emotional and trying time, we are going out for a late lunch disguised as a wake. I'll send you the menu. Pick out anything you and Pa may want and I'll bring it back to you." 

When Korn lets out a sleepy whine, Tankhun bends down to give him a quick hug. 

"I'll see you later," he says quietly, "Thank you for taking care of Pa. You have a huge heart." 

With that, Tankhun leaves and Pol is free to go into the cell again, all while feeling a lot more hopeful.