BBDW 65 [Black Butterfly] - Nevereverland

Section 68 (UNEDITED)

The streetlights passed rhythmically through the dark car window. Karen, who was sitting in a smoothly moving car, hesitated and opened her mouth. 

"Well... can you tell me where he was hospitalized?"

"Oh, of course. We could take you there."

Karen freaked out at Jude's passing sentence.

"No, you don't have to! I'm just wondering how he’s doing."

"If you're wondering how he’s doing, you should go see him. Tim, let's go to the hospital."

"What are you talking about? It's probably past visiting time-"

"She’s still a guardian, legally. And we're here, too. If we say it's urgent, they'll understand."

"No, I don’t want to see him!"

A desperate voice exclaimed. Jude looked back and grinned. The old woman's pretty face was so distorted.

"Hey, we're cops, so we have access to information he doesn't know."

"What do you mean..."

"For example, it's easy to figure out that his wife started going in and out of the hospital a few months ago. We haven't figured out the name of the disease yet, but we can check the entry and exit records quickly."

Karen's face was drained of colour. Jude, who briefly looked at her face pale enough to be seen in the dark, turned his head again and put his hands behind his head.

"It wasn't really my idea, but here's a nice, kind detective named Timothy Maxwell..."

"Jude."

"Okay, here's the warm, caring first-class bachelor..."

"Julie."

"He said that you didn't look so good, and so he begged a colleague of ours to let him know. That's why we found out that you had a serious health problem recently."

As Jude finished talking quickly, there was a moment of silence in the car. Tim turned the steering wheel slowly. Without looking back, the dark brown-haired detective quietly opened his mouth.

"I can guess roughly what you're thinking. I understand why you made such a tough decision, but I think it's unfair to your husband if you do so either. Which do you think will hurt him more, his wife acting like this or revealing the truth?"

Karen said nothing even though they were going differently from her destination. After silently staring at her feet for a while, she soon turned her strangely wet eyes and looked out of the window without a word. Tim who exchanged a short glance with Jude raised his mouth and smiled.

It was dark inside the ward. The old man frowned for a moment at the gentle shaking touch, then slowly opened his eyes and looked at the person shaking him. As soon as a familiar face came into view, which became blurred as he got older, the old man leapt to his feet.

"Karen......keup!"

The old man's face was distorted by the pounding pain. Karen quickly laid him down on his back. The old man's face was filled with more shock and joy than pain.

"How do you know I’m here..."

"The detectives told me... you don't know how much... you don't know how surprised I was. I felt like it was my fault...because usually, it's my job to go out and buy things like that, so I feel like you're hurt because of me."

"No, no. What are you talking about. I don't want to think about you being like this instead of me. More than that, you..."

"I have something to tell you."

Karen kept her mouth shut for a moment. Biting her lips tightly, she soon reached out and grabbed Roman's skinny hand. The words burst out after a long sigh.

"Not long ago...I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer."

"What?"

"I heard it's already out of control.....and I was told it would be months at the most."

"Karen, you..."

Roman's eyes were wide open with disbelief. Karen continued to talk while pressing her red eyes.

"I didn't want to let you know. I knew how easily for you to sink into loneliness and how stubborn you are, so I just couldn't tell you. I just thought I'd better break up with you……quietly. I thought it would be best for you. But come to think of it, it's not necessarily like that."

"Karen..."

"The brown-haired young man is right. I thought it might hurt you even more. I'd rather tell you the truth than making you mistrustful of me... so I'm here."

Roman only looked at his wife's face as if he had lost his word for a moment. It was only a while later that his mouth, which opened and closed as he didn't know what to say, finally make a sound.

"Why….are you saying that now? I don't know how you feel. I thought your mind had changed now, and I had no idea... I thought you were tired of poor, unseemly life and left..."

"Oh, no way."

A smile spread over Karen's face. Tears in her eyes flowed down her cheeks. Her hand holding the dried and wrinkled hand were tightened.

"I'm the one who said I'd get married with just six ribbons. That's why I wouldn't leave you. Such an awkward proposal, what would you have done if I was an immature girl from a rich family?"

"You cried, though."

"Yes, I did. I still remember the lyrics of the song very clearly..."

The old couple looked at each other and laughed. Tears flowed through the years of deep creases. Staring at each other for a while, they soon slowly put their cheeks together. Tim looking at them quietly from outside the ward smiled softly. The fact that two people who have walked a long way together are leaning on each other, and that they have contributed to the situation, came as quite a full sense of pride. It'll be uncomfortable to keep peeking around like this. Tim headed for Jude to get back to the car. Jude, who looked toward the elderly couple with a calm face, made a fuss as he faced Tim.

"Oh, my God, I don't know how long it's been since I saw this. Tim, get me a handkerchief."

"Really?"

Jude giggled. Jude, who outstretched his hand, soon turned his foot around.

"Let's go, I heard that it's distressing to be in a place like this for a long time. We're not guardians, we can't actually be here."

"Yes."

Before leaving, Tim turned his head for the last time and looked inside the ward at the couple who started talking. Roman's face was filled with sorrow, but the emptiness he felt when he first faced him was gone. Tim, who had been looking at the scene pleasantly and a little pitifully for a while, soon moved his feet when he saw Jude waving his hand and urging him.

"Let's go to the station and turn the car around and get off work... Jude?"

There was no answer from his partner. Turning sideways, his blond partner already fell asleep leaning against the passenger seat. It was not unreasonable to be tired after running around all day long. I wonder if the reason why he’s dazed these days is just that he’s tired. Maybe I was just unnecessarily worried too much. He even made fun of me for being like a mother hen. Tim struggled to quell the simmering anxiety.

"...um...."

It was then that an uncomfortable groan rang in the quiet car. When he turned his head and looked at him, his face, which had always been a little lazy, was very tense. His forehead, as he narrowed his eyebrows, was covered with sweat and glistened with the faint light of the streetlamp outside. Jude, who constantly mumbled something in his mouth, clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Greatly surprised, Tim hurriedly grabbed the steering wheel with one hand and grabbed Jude's shoulder with the remaining right hand.

"Jude, what's wrong, are you getting a nightmare? Jude, wake up!"

"I... I’m... me... ”

"Jude, wake up!"

"No... don't... don't..."

"Jude!"

Eventually, Jude opened his eyes as he shook his shoulders vigorously and bumped himself into the seat. Jude, who looked blankly at the front for a moment, turned his head toward Tim. His voice was a little puzzled.

"Uh, uh, why?"

"Why, did you get a nightmare? You talk a lot in your sleep. Are you sick?"

"No... no, it's not like that. It's just a little... uh, I guess I got sleep paralysis.”

It was some gibberish somewhat. Shaking his head a couple of times, Tim really pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it to him. Accepting it without saying much, Jude pressed down on his forehead. Tim with his mouth shut soon turned the steering wheel. Jude looked at Tim curiously.

"Why? The police station is not in this direction."

"You, go home. I'll leave the car behind."

"No, you don't have to..."

"Just go. It's okay."

Jude swallowed his words. There was an awkward silence for a moment. Tim turned around the corner and spoke quietly.

"You know you've been a little weird lately, don't you?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I said no, would you?”

"Yes, I don't believe it."

Holding back from wanting to step on the accelerator, Tim passed a path that he had been in and out hundreds of times. Tim, who had been choosing and sorting out his words, soon opened his mouth slowly.

"If you don't want to talk, you don't have to. I know you’re not one to tell if you’re having a hard time. But if it's ruining your life or your health, I can't pretend not to know."

"...Tim."

"So, go home and rest. If you don't want me to bring you to the hospital."

The content was intimidating, but the voice was gentle. There was no answer from Jude.

The car slowly drove to the front of the apartment. Jude unfastened his seat belt and got out of the car. Tim sighed once and tried to turn the steering wheel when Jude knocked on the window. Jude stretched out his face from outside as the car window lowered and grinned.

"As I always think. I'm so glad I met Tim as a partner. I don't know how someone like Tim got caught up with me."

Jude waved his hand briefly and turned around. Tim, who looked a little blankly at the swaying back moving farther away, soon laughed absurdly. Yeah, he’s not such a pig-headed partner, so he'll be back on his feet soon. It was hard for Tim to guess what the hell was going on, but it was something that might be said in his own easy-going voice over time. Trying to comfort himself, Tim calmly took the steering wheel.

*        *        *

Did you or did you not notice how Tim handles our misbehaving Jude? *smirks* I thought about releasing another section for this bulk update but I’m afraid you’ll get a heart attack so I’ll save it for the next update. And we’re about to enter the 2nd last arc. See ya.