New Life : A Second Chance

Delilah burst into the room and ran right to Kyle. She cried again seeing all the injuries on him.

"Oh my! My baby! Are you okay?!" Delilah said, "Of course you're not okay!"

"Mum, I'm fine," Kyle assured her, "This looks worse than it is. Really."

The Agents had done their work very well. The hits were as such that it maximised effect but minimised damage. It was all external injuries - except for the knife wound but that was shallow. The pain was bearable and nothing more than normal injuries sustained during training.

He's had worse.

"This is the result of overconfidence and stupidity," Patrick said sternly, "What did you think you were doing?! Going out at night?? Where was your brain?! Do you know what you put your mother through!!"

Once Patrick started, it seemed to gain traction and escalate.

"Oh, Patrick, enough," chided Delilah, "He's injured right now. He's safe. That's all that matters."

"Delilah! No," Patrick replied, giving her a stern look, "Not this time! He has been too wilful and irresponsible!!"

Delilah kept quiet immediately, looking down.

Patrick had a point, but she disagreed with him blasting away at Kyle when she just got him back. She hadn't even had time to hug him, or anything when he started.

Problem is, once the Smith Anger comes in, there was no point in raising any issue and the best was to keep quiet. Couldn't he have waited, though?!

Delilah was not happy.

Kyle, in the meantime, started to feel his own anger starting.

He was prepared for Patrick's scolding for the cover-up story they came up with had him slipping out like that. It was the only way to deflect the blame on Kay and the others.

However, he was NOT prepared for Patrick raising his voice at his mother. He did not like the tone of voice that he used. Even if he didn't have the sort of emotional connection most kids have with their mothers, it did not mean Kyle was apathetic towards her.

He loved her very much, in his own way and he was very protective of her as well. No person can disrespect his mother, even if it was his own father.

He glared at Patrick.

"What? Not satisfied?" Patrick demanded, seeing the way his son bristled on the bed, staring at him in anger.

This was the first time he had seen Kyle truly angry, and it triggered the anger in him as well. How dare this son of his not see what he had done wrong? Not only did he not feel remorse over his actions, he was rebellious like this?

Kyle was his son, damn it!

How dare he be so disrespectful. He was already lying there, on the hospital bed, and so severely injured. If it hadn't been the random act of kindness from a stranger, he wouldn't be looking at an injured son - but a corpse instead.

That thought had terrified him so much that he felt his previous actions of letting his son do what he wanted, was wrong. His son was too wilful, too stubborn and too arrogant to learn properly. Patrick had to?remain steadfast, and get through that blockhead son of his that he was still a kid.

He was not invincible.

He has to learn this.

Patrick needs to instill some discipline within him before it was too late, if it wasn't already.

"You will go home after this and cancel all your engagements. There will no longer be any activities outside of school and you are to stay in school until the end. No more deviations, and detours. Stay home and in school," Patrick announced.

"No," Kyle replied, not breaking eye contact at all, "I have responsibilities and contractual obligations. You can't expect me to drop everything just to please you."

"It is NOT about pleasing me!" Patrick said, his voice getting louder, "You are only 15 years old and you are supposed to stay in school!!"

"Not pleasing you? Only 15 years old? Are you hearing yourself?" Kyle countered, unabashed at his rudeness, "Perhaps you haven't noticed, but there is nothing in school that I don't already know! In what way is me staying in a school all year round if I don't need to, unless it is just so that you feel better about it?"

"Your arrogance astounds me," Patrick said, clenching his teeth, "Since you're not learning anything from Sakura Academy, I'll transfer you to the Royal Military College. Perhaps some discipline will knock some sense into you."

"You can't make me," Kyle hissed, his eyes narrowed into slits, "I'm already a legal adult. I make my own choices!!"

"Not in this case!!" Patrick said, slamming his hand on the bedside table.

Delilah jumped but remained quiet. That only triggered Kyle even more.

Kay held on to her hand, her face showing her worry as well but she knew she couldn't say anything. She looked at her father and brother. It was a pity that both of them were just too stubborn and angry to see anything clearly.

Xing Han and Sam had already slipped out quietly, for this was a private family matter and they felt uncomfortable witnessing it all.

"Whether it is this, or any other case, it is MY life and MY choice!! Stop trying to control me!!" Kyle shouted.

Kyle was enraged at this point. Partly because he found Patrick unreasonable and partly because he had made his mother scared. He could see how worried she was, staring at Patrick - and him - but he couldn't back down from this.

He had been trying to keep his voice down but the more Patrick shouted, the more the anger boiled within him.

"I am NOT controlling you!! What you're doing is wrong!" Patrick roared, "No matter what, you are MY son and you WILL do as I say!!!"

"NO I WILL NOT!! Perhaps if you had actually acted like a father, I would!!!" Kyle roared back.