Goddess Bless You From Death

Case File 43.

The shocking event that took place two days ago has been widely discussed. A serial murder case with seven victims linked to several similar cases in the past, all of which occurred every five years, starting with the first case in a northeastern province. 

According to the investigators involved, there were two culprits. One was a former abbot highly respected by the people, who was reported to have died at the scene during the arrest. The other was a member of a ghost-hunting YouTube channel team, severely burned and currently under custody in the hospital. Initial estimates suggest up to fifty deaths. The investigation revealed that beliefs and human sacrifice were the driving factors in the case. Several officers were injured during the investigation, including Inspector Singha, who closed the case...'

Thup pressed the remote to turn off the television. He was tired of seeing the same news over and over again for the past two days. Since Singha's condition stabilised enough to move to a regular room yesterday, Thup had gone home to pack so he could stay with his big brother day and night. He went back and forth between the examination room and his brother's room so frequently that the nurses had grown accustomed to seeing him.

King, who recovered the fastest, took over the case, handling interrogations, informing the forensics team to examine the crime scene, and coordinating with police across provinces to investigate past cases. The case quickly gained widespread attention.

Darin, severely injured, was still recovering in the adjacent room. Fortunately, the bullet missed vital organs, and the two culprits had stopped the bleeding, intending for her to survive until the ritual. She woke up yesterday, crying from shock, and Sei had to stay with her day and night. When Thup visited, he saw them arguing as usual.

The floor was busy with police officers since it housed both injured officers and the surviving serial killer. Bom had miraculously survived the fire but was now living in agony with third-degree burns, no hair, and bandaged skin prone to infection. 

Thup often saw wandering spirits around Bom's room. Reflecting on the day he met Bom, Thup remembered seeing the ghost possessing Mrs Chaba. The ghost had uttered "ig)0', which means 'ghost' in Khmer. She wasn't referring to herself or the spirits around, but to Bom.  Bom's fate, had it not been for the sacrifices, would have ended long ago.

He's no different from a ghost... Now and then, he faced the torment of repeated debridement and dressing changes. No one knew if Bom would survive to face trial, but the victims' relatives cursed him daily. Wishing him the same fate he brought upon others.

Current victims' families had received their loved ones' remains while authorities searched for the past victims' burial sites. These untimely deaths called for urgent resolution as much as solving the case.

The temple manager, Uncle Ken, was caught while trying to cross the border. Money withdrawn from the temple and rare amulets were seized. He confessed to embezzling funds for gambling but denied involvement in the murders, claiming ignorance of the abbot's actions; the abbot had appeared too frail and virtuous, so he trusted him as much as the villagers did.

All past cases were being reopened for fair trials. Wrongly accused individuals would receive justice, and negligent officers would face consequences. All injustices would be addressed once the truth was revealed.

Thup looked at Singha, still asleep, before resting his head on his big brother's hand. He often returned home in the mornings to cook. Hoping Singha would wake up, only to end up eating alone.

"I miss you, P'Singh."

"Hey. Thup," a voice called from the door, making Thup turn and smile.

"How's P'Rin?"

"She's asleep. She complained a lot, hurting my ears," Sei grumbled, rolling his eyes. He stood by the bed, looking at his bandaged friend. "Have you been sleeping?"

"On and off."

"Your eyes look as deep as moon craters. Go get some rest."

"I can't sleep well."

"Ghosts bothering you?" Sei raised an eyebrow.

"No, since wearing this amulet and being with P'Singh in this room, I haven't seen any. But I still see them when I go home or walk around the hospital," Thup replied, stroking Singha's hand. "How about you, P'Sei? Still in patient clothes but always walking around."

"Not making fun of me, are you?" Thup laughed and shook his head. "I get bored in my room."

"And P'Mek?"

"Mek is handling the information, tracing what the temple manager and you reported." On his first visit, Sei gave Mek an earful about shoddy wound care that nearly killed his best friend. But without care, death would be the only result, so he didn't scold him much. "He'll wake up soon."

"Yeah." Thup glanced at Singha again.

"So, you're hitting on my friend?"

"Y-Yes," Thup immediately turned red when asked directly.

"Do you think you can handle it? He's quite a handful." "A handful?"

"Yeah, with that innocent face of yours.." Sei tilted Thup's chin, scrutinising him. "Doubt you can handle it."

"P-P'Singh doesn't like me anyway. He might kick me out when he wakes."

"Then just go back to your condo."

"True.." Thup sighed. Since moving in with Singha, he had continued paying rent for his condo, unsure when he'd return or whether Singha would kick him out.

After chatting for a while, Sei returned to his room, leaving Thup and his unconscious friend alone.

"I want to talk to you about so many things, P'Singh. So many things." Thup rested his head on Singha's hand again and fell asleep. He had many unresolved issues and needed someone to talk to, and that someone was right in front of him.

As the sky turned from blue to orange, a knock on the door woke Thup. A nurse entered to check Singha's wounds and change the dressings as usual.

"How are his wounds?"

"No more bleeding, and no signs of infection."

"When will he wake up?"

"Probably in the next couple of days. We'll wait for the doctor's assessment."

"Thank you," Thup said, bowing. He sat on the sofa, letting the nurse tend to Singha and fiddled with the amulet around his neck before deciding to leave. Thup got out of the taxi and stood in front of the meditation centre that Singha once brought him to. He took a deep breath and walked in. Since the first day Singha was hospitalised, Thup had informed his mother, but she hadn't visited yet.

"Hello, Auntie," Thup knocked and called out. Soon, Singha's mother, with a calm yet kind demeanour, opened the door.

"Hello."

"Well. I'm Thup, who came with P'Singh last time."

"I remember." 

"P'Singh... He's in the hospital now. He's stable but hasn't woken up yet..."

"Thup, go sit and wait for me at the marble table in front of the house. I'll be right there."

"Alright," Thup replied, bowing respectfully before walking over to the nearby marble table. The gentle breeze provided some relief, as he had hardly had a moment to rest since the incident. His body and mind were both exhausted. A tray with flower arrangements and sacred threads was placed in front of Thup. He picked it up and held it.

"With everything that's happened, you should perform a ritual to call back his spirit."

"Will you do it for us, Auntie?"

"I can't leave here."

"Excuse me?" Thup exclaimed, puzzled

"Singha must have told you about Maysa, right?"

"..Yes."

"After Maysa passed away, Singh blamed himself. He stopped going to school, stopped playing, refused to eat, and eventually ended up in the hospital. The doctors couldn't figure out why his condition wouldn't improve," Singha's mother recounted in a calm voice. "I personally asked Lord Wessuwan for protection, promising to become a nun and renounce worldly life. After that day, Singha started to get better."

"I see." Thup nodded in understanding.

"You know the Bai Sri ceremony well, Thup. It doesn't need to be grand, just enough to bring peace of mind."

"I'll give it a try."

"Singha has always been strong, believing he needed to be the head of the family and care for everyone else, often forgetting to take care of himself." Singha's mother smiled gently at Thup. "He forgot that he himself is also important."

Thup nodded in agreement, recalling how rarely Singha thought of himself, always working tirelessly for others, never knowing his own happiness.

"Can I ask you to take care of him for me?" 

Uh.. he's actually taking care of me," Singha's mother chuckled softly. The gentle breeze passed by as the sky began to change colours again. "But I will take care of him when he doesn't take care of himself."

"Thank you."

Thup returned to the hospital after making dinner at home, carrying a meal box and a bag with the Bai Sri tray. The room was as quiet as ever, with only a dim light by the bed. Thup stood by the bed, taking out the Bai Sri tray as the fragrant aroma filled the room. He prayed and raised the tray over Singha's head.

"Wherever your spirit may roam,

Come back to your body, your family, and your home.

Return to us now, Spirit, draw near.

Have no fear, shed no tears, come back here."

Thup performed the ritual, circling the tray three times. In the final round, he leaned in and gently kissed Singha's forehead.

"Come back to me, P'Singh."

Thup placed the tray on the bedside table, held Singha's hand for a moment, then tied the sacred thread around his wrist. He sat watching it for hours before moving to the sofa to sleep. He had done all he could. Now he could only wait.

[The Bai Sri Su Kwan ceremony is a traditional Thai ceremony that serves various purposes, such as celebrating significant life events, welcoming guests, or seeking protection and well-being. The term "Bai Sri" translates to "call back the soul," reflecting the ceremony's central aim of calling the individual's spirit back to their body and restoring balance.]

The long night finally passed. Early in the morning, after waking, Thup rode back home to prepare meals, as he did every day. After finishing all the household chores, he returned to the hospital once again. As Thup approached Singha's room, he paused, seeing doctors and nurses just leaving, which made him uneasy. He quickly pushed through the crowd and rushed inside. The scene before him made his limbs go weak, causing him to drop everything he was holding onto the floor.

"What's up... little pup?" A raspy yet distinct voice made Thup slowly walk closer. The dark eyes that reflected in his own almost caused Thup to collapse. A warm hand, covered in tubes, gently reached up to wipe away the tears streaming down Thup's face. "Such a crybaby."

"You're back."

"..Yeah, I'm back."

They shared no more words, only the sounds of the young man's sobs and the soft mutterings of the one who had just woken up. After a long time spent consoling him, Thup finally calmed down.

Just then, Sei and Darin came in for a visit. Thup let the close-knit group catch up while he sat on the sofa, watching Singha intently. The forced smile Singha had worn for days was now replaced by a genuine one. His previously tense eyes and troubled mind began to relax. Exhaustion from sleepless nights made Thup's eyelids grow heavy until they closed completely.

"Hey. Sei, help Thup lie down properly."

"Why me?"

"Just do it."

"Alright! Not even my boyfriend, yet it has to be me!"

"Stop whining," Darin grumbled as she went to gently lay Thup down properly. "Our friend just went through a life-and-death situation."

"My accident wasn't life-threatening?"

"Too bad. All three of us were hospitalised. King would have taken all the credit again."

"He said it was Singha's achievement."

"Who was the one talking to reporters every day?"

"A ghost, maybe."

"Sei, you jerk! Don't say that! Once I'm out of here, I'll visit a hundred temples!"

"Are you sure you're brave enough to enter a temple?" Sei teased.

"..Maybe later."

"So, what's next, Singh?" After teasing his friend into silence, Sei turned to ask the person lying in bed.

"Finish up the work here, then head back to Sisaket."

"Why?"

"To handle the case... and to take care of Thup's situation."

"Are you having Mek look into Thup's mother's history?"

"Yes."

"Poor kid," Darin spoke up before turning to look at the young man who was fast asleep on the sofa. "He's all alone now."

"Yeah," Singha replied softly.

"Make sure you're fully recovered before leaving. I don't want to be on ICU duty again," Sei warned before wheeling Darin out. Singha adjusted his bed so he could reach the documents on the bedside table. They were testimonies and investigations conducted while he was unconscious. He glanced at the sacred thread on his wrist, then looked at Thup. He didn't know what Thup had done while he was unconscious, but judging by the mealbox, the thread, and the Bai Sri tray next to his bed, Thup had never given up. Despite the case being closed and himself being cleared, Thup could have returned to his life. But he stayed... He stayed right here by his side.