Love Again

147. Keeping Secrets From Me

"Sir, may I speak to you?"

"Sure. What is it?"

"There is something I should bring to your attention. I'm skeptical about informing you however, I'm constantly worried."

Seeing that the help was hesitant, Niel felt compelled to make her feel comfortable. She rubbed her hands and averted her eyes as if contemplating on how to start or where to start from. Glancing at the basket of dirty laundry on her hands, she spoke, "It's about your husband."

"What about him?"

"I'd rather show it to you instead." Taking a jumbled up piece of clothing from the basket, she unfolded it, exposing a tarry looking dark red smear on it.

"That's Elric's..." Pointing at it, Niel asked, "Is this blood?"

"A few days ago, he fell in the bathroom after you'd left in the morning. I called an ambulance and he was attended to but the doctor advised him against being hospitalized rather, he informed the young sir to get more rest. The problem is since that time, I find blood smears every now and whenever I take the laundry from your room."

Instinctively, Niel turned to go back to the room he shared with Elric but the help stopped him. "Please sir, I promised I wouldn't say a word to you, but I'm afraid I can't stay quiet any longer. I fear for your fated's health. Every morning, rather than looking fresh and rejuvenated from sleep, he appears more sunken with dark circles as if he never slept a wink. His throat too dry to speak and his lips chapped."

"You should have told me sooner."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know what to do. Most of the time, he anticipates your return then afterwards, upon your arrival, you two dine then retire together. I hardly get the chance to talk to you in confidence. I specifically came early today to inform you of this seeming that you're an early riser."

'Haven't I been accompanying him in all the doctor's appointments? What could have lead him to hide this from me?' "How long has this been happening?"

"About a week but sir, shouldn't he have already delivered by now?"

Niel left the help's question unanswered. "Is there anything he does during the day?"

"He sleeps a lot and eats well whenever you are around. He also speaks to his mom from time to time and she visits too, bringing him food but he hardly touches anything and ends up giving them to me or throwing them away. A few days ago...no, that was last month, he disappeared for hours and came back just before your return. I think that day you were working late. There was a package I received last week for him and it seemed to be from your grandparents."

"My grandparents?"

"Yes. Some fruits and vegetables which he hardly ate and gave them to me to take to my family. Sir, I'm very worried for him and from the way I see it, you don't seem to know about any of this. I was just concerned, I didn't mean to cross the line."

"Not at all. I'll make sure he doesn't know you spoke to me." Niel assured. "So, you said you pick the laundry every morning correct?"

The help nodded. "I kept this to show you since he wakes up hours after you have left. The bleeding is consistent though. I'm not sure if it happens during the day but mostly, I have to change the sheets every morning."

"It's fine. Thank you for telling me."

Upon dismissing the help, Niel informed Elric's mother of his absence from work and decided to stay in for the day. A day of missing his apprenticeship wouldn't hurt. Furthermore, to him, Elric's wellbeing came above anything else, even though it irritated him whenever his fated kept important information such as this from him.