20 YEARS LATER...

~NEW POV~

"Help us! Nathee! Run!" I gasped and woken up by that old nightmare that I have since I was a kid. I sat and lean on the headboard of my bed, as far as I remember I am Thitipoom Tongchai and I have a twin brother Thanapon and a little sister Thalia. I sigh, to regulate my breathing.

It was almost 20 years and my memories was so vague that day, all I can remember that it was so dark and we are running for our life. My twin brother and I got separated to our cousin brother. All I hope that I can see them again, does they still know about me? The only memory that left from me was a necklace from our parents who have my name and a picture of me and my twin. I sigh. I get up  and prepare myself for a job-hunt. 

I have a different life now, since the day we escaped to our kidnappers. There was a man who help me to bring to the police station, but the kidnappers try to catch us so the man drove fast and didn't notice the truck on the other side we crash into it. We got help and sent to the nearest hospital but the man who help me declared to be dead on arrival, while I suffer from a second degree burn on the left side of my face up to the left side of my chest.

My adoptive family left the world after a year I graduated from college. They were the parents of the man who help me, they took me in and treat me like their own grandchild. I am truly grateful for them they even help me to find my family and my brother but luck was not on our side and they don't have enough money to pay some people and help me for my surgery so that my face can be like before. The kidnappers were still looking for me, so they gave me a new name and their surname and we transfer to another city, now I am Newwie Lee.

My plan now was to find a job so I can start to earn for my surgery on my face and to find my family even after all those years. I was walking to the street and when I turn into the corner I saw an elderly woman who loose her balance. I approached her immediately.

"Ma'am are you okay? Do you want me to bring you to the hospital?" I asked while I hold her hand and support her body.

"Yes son please" She said and collapse on me. I hailed a cab and help her to get in, we head to the nearest hospital. At the hospital the nurse and doctor attended the old lady as fast as they can. They run some test for her while I waited at the hallway outside her room.

"Excuse me sir, Madam was asking for you" I was startled when the nurse approach me and gesture me to went inside the room.

As I enter the room I saw man who I guess same age as me talking to the old lady and they both smile at me when they saw me coming inside. "Good afternoon ma'am, how are you?" I politely ask her and just smile at the man beside her.

"I am fine now, come here son" The old lady softly called me and I came to her. 

"Thank you for saving my grandma, I am Max" The man said to me when I was near them.

"I am New, don't mention it, I was on the area. It's good to see that you fine ma'am" I said to them.

"Call me grandma please... and thank you for helping me son, how can I repay you?" the old lady ask me.

"Please don't ma'am... ahm... grandma, I do it on my own will" I said to her and smile.

"What a sweet child" She said and cares my face "May I know what happen to this scar in your beautiful face?" the old lady was so gentle like my adoptive grandma. I hold her hand.

"It was an accident grandma when I was a kid" I said to her.

"Oh my poor child, Max call your uncle Jarred and book a flight we will visit him and we will help this sweet child" I heard grandma and I gasped to her.

"Okay grandma, leave it to me" I heard Max and he went outside calling someone.

"Care to come with us, I would love to help you" Grandma said to me

"Grandma... I... I..." I stuttered, I don't know what to do and just nod to her.

"Oh, do we need to talk to your family, we can fetch them so they can come with us, where do you live?" Grandma ask me and I smile to her.

"Ahm... Actually grandma I am an orphan now, a year ago to be exact" I slowly tell her and I can see tears in her eyes.

"Oh my... I am sorry son" she hug me and I feel comfortable to her.

"It's okay grandma, it's all in the past, but where are we going?" I smile to her and wipe the tears in her cheeks.

"In South Korea, let me help you and you can call me grandma Alice, my oldest son was a surgeon and I know he can help you" the old lady said to me and I can feel the tears on my cheeks. And she hug me giving me some comforting words.

"Thank you grandma"  I softly said to her and compose myself. Then I saw Max came inside together with two nurse.

"It was all set grandma, and the doctor said we can go home now" Max said.

"Thank you Max, for now let's go home to rest and prepare for tomorrow" I heard grandma said to us. And Max help her with the assistance of two nurse.

"Grandma, can I get my stuffs on my home?" I softly ask her.

"Of course, Max you help him, then follow us home. Take care the both of you" Grandma answer.

"Yes grandma, come New follow me" Max said and I follow him outside.

I said my address to him and we were on Max car going back to my house so I can get my necessary stuffs for this unexpected turn of events. I was startled on my thoughts when Max talk to me.

"Thank you so much for helping grandma earlier" He said to me sincerely.

"Nah, Don't mention it, it's my nature to help others" I said to him.

"Thank you anyways, I am sorry for your loss, I heard your conversation earlier" Max said.

"It's okay, I miss them but life moves on" I said to him.

 "Yeah it's true... I was shocked earlier when I get a call from the hospital and it felt like 20 years ago" Max narrates and I just nod at him.

"Why, what happen? If you want to tell" I curiously ask him.

"Haha, it's fine don't be shy. Well, my cousins was missing for almost 20 years, and we still frantically finding them, and finally after collaborating from their other relatives we got some clues that they were on another country and were starting from that" Max said. 

"That's good to hear" I said to him.

"Yeah, and I hope we meet them soon. Grandma was getting old already but she didn't lose hope to see them again" he said to me.

"I pray that you see them again" I said to him and he nod.

"So, we are here, get your important stuffs like ID's, clothes was not important" he said to me when he parked at the side road in front of my house.

"Okay" I said and get outside the car and went inside my house, well the house of my adopted parents but they left it to me since they have no other relatives except from me. I hope this small  opportunity will help me find my family. I get my back pack and put some important stuff in there and went back in the car.

"Your fast" Max said to me and I just smile at him.

"You said gather the important stuffs" I said to him and he just nod and drive to get back to their house.

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~South Korea~

It's almost three weeks well almost a month, since my life start to change after I help grandma Alice who passed out to the street. And as her payback, her son Dr. Jarred who was a surgeon perform a free operation for me so that the evidence from my previous accident would be gone. Grandma Alice visit me from time to time, because it was bad for her health to stay at the hospital for too long, and Max went back to Thailand he was busy looking for his cousins. So, here I am a mere orphan who was having  a free shelter for almost a month in this hospital.

I was leisurely walking to the hospital garden to have some fresh air, consuming the beauty of the area when I bump into someone.

"Oooppss... Sorry!" I said to him.

"It's okay, I'm sorry too, I was not looking"  he said to me.

"You speak in Thai, can you understand me? are you okay?" I ask him. I don't know but I feel excited, maybe staying here for almost a month I miss talking to someone who can understand me.

"Ahm... yeah, actually I am a Thai, we just came here two weeks ago for my mothers operation" he said to me and he seems lost in thoughts.

"Let's sit at the bench and talk" and we went to the vacant bench "How is she?" I ask him.

"The operation was successful and she was still recovering" he answer me.

"Hey, don't be so gloomy, she will be fine" I said to him trying to lighten up the mood.

"Thank you" he said to me and he smile, somewhat I felt familiar to his smile.

"Honestly, you look familiar to me, do we met before?" I curiously ask him.

"I don't think so, maybe we cross our paths in our country" he said to me

"Yeah maybe, by the way I am Newwie and I also have surgery here and I am also in the process of healing, well it's been almost a month staying here" I said to him and he gasped.

"You were practically living here in the hospital?! What about your bill?!" He ask in bewilderment.

"Yeah, something like that, and about the bill, ahm... somewhat it was free, just like scholarship" I said to him and he nod, he gets what I mean.

"If you don't mind, what happen to you, by your looks we were almost at the same age. Oh, I am Nathee but you can call me Tee" he said to me.

"I have an accident when I was a kid and half of my face and chest was burned, I survived but my adoptive father die and only this time I got my operation" I narrate to him and he just nod.

"Oh sorry... but you know you are so brave" He said to me and I feel comfortable talking to him. I don't know why.

"Nah, don't be sorry it was all in the past, now my target is to find my real family" I said to him.

"Yeah, I hope you find your family soon... you know we were almost the same, I am also adopted but for me I have no recollection from my past so it's hard to find my real family. So, I cherish mother because she was all that I have" he said to me.

"I know we will find them, you are brave also" I said to him and he smile. I don't know why talking to him feels so comfortable.

"Oh by the way, I need to get back maybe my mother was looking for me. We were staying at room 308 if you want to visit us feel free" he said to me.

"Yeah, I will visit and I was staying at 608. See you around Tee" I said to him.

"Yeah, same to you." he said to me and leave me at the bench.

After he leaves I was in deep thoughts my mind keeps on thinking about Tee, I am sure we have met before but where? I was till thinking about him when my phone vibrates and a message from Doctor Jarred looking for me. I fished back my phone inside my pocket and get back to my room before my doctor get mad at me.

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It's been two days after my encounter with Tee, grandma Alice visit me yesterday so I don't have time to visit Tee and his mother. Now I was back thinking where the heck I saw Tee and why he was so familiar to me. I was thinking so hard when I saw my reflection in the window and my eyes widened.

I run inside the bathroom to look at my appearance in the mirror and it sinks in my mind. I cry, that is why he was so familiar to me. I remember the other side of my face, which was not burned in the accident. He was having the same face as mine before I undergo in surgery. 

Thank God I found him, I found my twin brother, maybe it's our fate to meet here of all the places. So that's the reason why I felt so comfortable talking to him, he was my brother. But wait, he doesn't have any recollection from our past. What happen to him? What if he doesn't believe in me? I need a proof that he was my brother, what should I do? Maybe his adoptive mother know something. I need to find them.

I was remembering what room they were staying , I hope they didn't discharge yet. I went to the elevator and press the button for the third floor. I was patting my chest to keep calm when I felt my necklace. That's it! We have the same necklace with our name and picture. I need to know if he was my brother. Why am I so stupid he was using his nickname Nathee for his real name and making it too short by using 'Tee' because he can't remember his past. Please, I hope that Tee was my brother. When I reach the floor I was almost running to the corridor when I spotted Tee.

"Tee!" I shout and he look shocked why I was shouting.

"New? What's the matter" he asked when I came in front of him. I didn't get to answer and without warning I hug him while crying.

"It was almost 20 years, who would have a thought that I would see you again" I whisper to him while crying and I tighten my hug to him. He patted my back and return my hug by reflex.

"What are you saying New?" Tee asked me when we separated from the hug.

"It's me, your twin brother, you may not remember me, but I can remember the half of my face that didn't get burned in the accident, although after surgery my face was so different it doesn't matter" I said to him trying to make a sense to him and I can see him cry.

 "Ahm... sorry I have no memories at all, but maybe my mother can answer some of our questions, would you like to get inside?" Tee said to me and wipe his tears.

"Let's go inside, maybe she can help us" I said to him and we enter to his mother room.

When we came inside I saw a middle age woman and I cannot tell by the first glance what is her age she was so beautiful maybe around 40's.

"Oh you are awake, mother" I heard Tee said when we came inside the room. Tee sat beside her in the bed.

"Good afternoon ma'am sorry for the intrusion" I said to her with a smile.

"Good day to you young man, have a sit. You were also a Thai? Tee who is he?" She ask Tee. While I take a sit in front of them. 

"Mother, he is New and yes he was the person I was talking about the other day... and he said that I am his twin brother" Tee said to her and she gasped.

"Really?! How come?!" She asked me and she seems happy to know that I am Tee's brother.

"I can remember the half of my face before I undergo in surgery, here are some proof" I get my phone and open my gallery where I save some of my photos and I can hear their gasped.

Then I was wrapped with a warm hugged from her and she talk softly to me "What happen to you son?" I can see that she got teary and I hugged her back. After the hug she start to talk.

"I found Tee in the forest after our hiking trip, he was having a fever. I brought him back to the cabin where my friends and I were staying during our trip. We took care of him and called a doctor, after two days the fever was gone but when he woke up he cannot remember anything. So, I decided to bring him in the city for the better check - up. Ever since then I become his mother, and I love him so much. My family didn't question me when I return with a child they just assume that Tee was my biological son, because his age was same as the year I didn't go back home"  she tells the story of Tee and I was shocked to what happen to him, so that was the reason why he doesn't have memory of our past. 

"We got abducted when we were five with our older cousin, luckily we escaped but got separated from each other. Then I continue to run until I came on the road and there was car who was passing by help me but we got into an accident and he die. His family took care of me and consider me as their grandchild, but grandpa passed away in my high school year while grandma passed away after I graduated in college." I briefly narrate my story to them, but I was still teary when I remember my adoptive family. 

"I am sorry to hear that, stop crying we are here for you" She hugged me again and patted my back.

"How are you so sure that you are my brother?" Finally it was Tee who ask me. I smile at him.

"Do you still have the necklace with our nickname and our picture with you?" I slowly ask him and I show them my necklace. Tee gasped and fished out his necklace and compare it to me and he cry and hug me.

"Mother, our wish came true" he said and hug his mother after he hug me.

"Yes my baby, I am happy for you maybe your brother can help you" She smile at me.

"We will help each other" I said to them and they both hug me.

"Son, it's fate... imagine of all the places and time, you came across each other at the hospital" She said to Tee.

"Yes mother, I don't know what to say" Tee agreed to her.

"By the way, I am Natalia and you can also call me mother like Tee, I don't mind having a twin son" She said to me and I hug her again.

"Thank you for taking care of my brother" I said to her.

 "It was not a big deal, I treat him as my own son, now you can share your stories to each other, so you can patch up the years that you are not on each other side" Mother Natalia said to us and we nod in agreement.

We are telling each other stories when we hear a knock on the door and a doctor came in.

"Oh New, you were here all this time?" The doctor greet me.

"Doctor Ritz, are you the one in-charge for mother Natalia?" I ask him.

"Nope, I just came to check her because Dr. Pia had an emergency, do you know the patient?" Dr. Ritz ask me while checking mother Natalia.

"Ahm... Dr. Ritz meet my twin brother Tee and our mother Natalia" I introduce them to my doctor and his eyed widen.

"For real? What a small world, you said that you were looking for your family and now they are here" Dr. Ritz said in amazement.

"Yes it's true Dr. Ritz, please don't tell Dr. Jarred that I am here" I heard mother Natalia said.

"Don't worry ma'am, we are professional" Dr. Ritz said and smile to her.

"You know Dr. Jarred too, mother?" I ask her.

"Yeah, he was my friend, how about you? How do you know him?" she smile at us.

"Dr. Jarred was his surgeon ma'am, this boy help madam Alice when she passed out on the street, they were so grateful to him that they offer a surgery for him to get back his handsome face, who would have thought that staying in the hospital you will meet your family." It was Dr. Ritz who briefly inform mother Natalia and Tee. I felt shy.

"How is madam Alice?" I heard mother Natalia ask.

"She was doing great, yesterday she visited me" I answer her and she smile at me.

"Ma'am Natalia, you were good to go but I suggest that you take a rest and maybe this two can help you" Dr. Ritz said to her and mother smile at him.

"Thank you doctor" I heard Tee said to him.

"I should go to check other patients, New get back to your room it was almost time for your meds" Dr. Ritz said to me 

"Yes Dr. Ritz" I answer him and then he leave the three of us in the room.

"Maybe I should shift my bed in here, so we can stay together" I said to them.

"Leave it to me young man, but now you need to go back to your room. You need to take your meds. Tee accompany your brother" Mother Natalia said to us.

"Are you sure you mother?" Tee ask her.

"Yes, and I am sleepy maybe I will take a nap again, just go, don't disturb this poor lady here" Mother Natalia said to us and we giggle at her. We kiss her and hug her before we leave the room.

We came to my room and the nurse gave me my medicines and leave us after.

"So what's the plan, when we get back?" Tee ask me.

"Tell me your plan first" I said to him.

"I will still pursue my dreams, just like mother Natalia" Tee said to me.

"And what is it?" I ask him.

"To be a singer or an actor" Tee said to me with a smile.

"That's good bro, by the way grandma Alice offer me a job when we get back, so don't worry I will support you until you reach your dreams!" I said to him 

"Then, maybe we can find our family. I just want to know them" Tee said to me.

"Yeah, I hope it was not to late to know them" I said to him.

"It's not to late, look at us. Fate brought us back. I know soon, we can find our family" Tee said to me smiling.

"Yeah, we can do it. We got each others back"  I said to him.

"Now let's go ask the reception if we can shift your room with mother" Tee said.

"Yeah let's go" And we went to the reception to ask permission to the rooms.

When we got into the reception area, they said that it's already done and we should wait until tomorrow afternoon before they will transfer us to another room that has a capacity of two beds. We thank them and we get back to mother Natalia room, she was already sleeping so we went to the hospital garden to catch up. We are on the garden when I receive a message from grandma Alice that she will be visiting me again later and she wants to see my twin because Dr. Ritz told her about the good news. I just send a simple message to her "yes grandma" and went back talking to Tee.

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A/N:

Keep safe everyone...