Of Love and Sacrifices

“Hey lovebirds, I’m here!” Sean shouted as he parked his car in front of the mansion. “You might want to stop your activities first and greet me down here!” He said as he smiled to himself.

After several knocks on the door and nobody’s opening, Sean’s initial thought was that the couple are still sleeping because of their activities the previous night. He also tried to call Viggo and Orlando’s numbers several times on his way to the villa but they were both not answering his calls.

Sean was surprised to know that the door was not locked at all. ‘Stupid lovebirds, they did not even bother to lock their door’. Sean thought. Since the door is open, Sean decided to get in. He went directly to find the two. When he approached the master’s bedroom, he heard someone moaning. He knocked gently. “Vig… Orli?... It’s me, Sean… Can I come in?”

No answer.

“Guys, you might want to stop your honeymoon for just a little while…. I know you can’t resist each other right now but I am also in a hurry. You can resume your activities later if you would not mind.” Sean explained through the door.

Still, no answer.

Several minutes passed and still nobody opened the door. Suddenly, Sean became worried. So unlike Viggo and Orlando. His friends would always find time to answer him. “Guys, I- I’m going in…” Sean said as he opened the door.

Sean was taken aback at the sight revealed to him. Viggo… Viggo is awake… tied in a post and gagged. He was obviously crying. His face is bruised and bleeding, and his whole body is also covered with bruises.

Sean immediately went to remove Viggo’s gag.

“Orlando…” Viggo whispered.

Yeah, Orlando… Sean saw Viggo first and he completely forgot about Orlando. Sean looked at the direction that Viggo is looking.

There in the bed, Orlando was lying face down, naked, bleeding and unconscious.

“H- Help him…. Please….”

“Viggo… Oh my God… W- who did this?!....” Sean was trembling as he untied his friend. He does not know what to do. He is alone… and he does not know who to attend first.

Sean hurriedly untied Viggo. It was not that easy at all. The bindings were too tight. After Viggo was release, Viggo held Sean’s shoulder. “Sean, please… please help Orlando… H- he needs you more than I do… Please….” Then he slumped on the floor.

Sean immediately went to Orlando and covered his body with the sheets. Orlando moaned but he did not wake up. “Shhh… It’s okay… it’s okay Orli… I… I got you…”

“J- just take him to the hospital first… Sean… please… “

“B- but how about you?... I… I can’t leave you here by yourself!”

“Shit Sean! Don’t mind me! H- he needs a doctor.. please! I beg you!”

“Okay, okay…” Sean finally agreed. Viggo is right, Orlando is in more danger than he is. And he can’t help both men by not wasting too much time. From the way he sees it, Orlando badly needs immediate attention right now.

“I… I will get some help! Stay where you are, Viggo!” Sean shouted as he carried Orlando outside.

A week passed swiftly after the incident. Orlando’s parents and his brothers stayed at his side all the time. But Viggo….Viggo could not afford to look at his husband in his condition. The bruises and other marks were already starting to fade, but the hurt that he feels inside is reflected in Orlando’s eyes.

Viggo could not even stand to be in the room with his husband. He would just end up crying and he knows that it would do no good to Orlando. Viggo was thankful that his parents and brothers were there to comfort Orlando whenever he would wake up from his nightmares and whenever he is in physical pain.

Sean gave his friend all the support he can get. Though Orlando’s parents and brothers would tell him that it was not his fault, he still feels deep inside him that if he did not offer his villa to his friends, this could not have happened.

After almost two weeks in the hospital, Orlando was permitted to go home.

Viggo brought his husband home but everything was far from okay. Orlando would seldom speak to him and Viggo would always find his husband crying.

It pained him to see his husband suffer that way. Viggo could not erase in his mind what happened that night. While he was all tied up in a post, his husband was repeatedly raped right before his very eyes. And he was helpless. He was not able to do anything to stop the men. Worse, they do not even know who those men are.

Just as Viggo thought that the worst has already happened, he woke up one morning to find his husband emptying his stomach in the bathroom.

“Orli… b- baby… Are you okay?” Viggo knew the symptoms. But he does not want to confirm it.

Orlando looked at him and cried.

“Baby… I- it’s okay… We’re going to be okay….” Viggo said as he held his husband in his arms. His own tears also started to fall. He could not even get over with the idea that his husband was raped. How could this tragedy fall upon them? W- what if Orlando is pregnant… with one of those men as the father? Will he be able to accept it? He was there when they took turns in raping his husband, and all three did not bother to use condoms.

The following morning, Orlando’s mom came. She found her son still lying in bed. Viggo informed her of Orlando’s retching in the morning and occasional dizziness.

“Honey….” Sonia said as he approached her son. “Wakey- wakey, darling….”

Orlando was no longer sleeping. He just wanted to pretend he is still asleep. But he knew that his mom would not let it pass.

“Honey, come on… we have to get going… Your dad is waiting outside… I will accompany you to….”

“Mom, please!.... I don’t want to know!” Orlando cried.

“Orli….Orli please listen… We have to know… so that… so that we could take the necessary precautions. Y- you might be endangering your life and that of….”

“No… I… I can’t be pregnant! I just can’t! Mom, what have I done to deserve this?!” Orlando said as he buried himself in his mother’s chest. “What did I do wrong?!”

“Honey… please, please listen… No matter what happens, just remember that we love you so much and we will always be here for you. Please… please be strong for us… and for your husband….”

“Why do they have to destroy everything?! Why do they have to do this to me?!”

Sonia could not answer anymore her son’s questions. She too could not find any more answers. And it pains her a lot to see her youngest son suffer like this.

Viggo heard everything through the door. He ended up crying in the other room.

Sonia stayed with her son and cried with him. She kept on telling him comforting words until Orlando fell asleep.

Even Orlando’s dad could not have the courage to face his son. He still could not accept the fact that it has happened.

After sometime, Sonia was able to convince Orlando to go to the doctor. Viggo stayed in the house. He does not want to hear what the doctor might say. Orlando also does not want Viggo to be there.

The doctor confirmed their greatest fear. Orlando is pregnant. The child has to be born first to determine who the father is.

Orlando was devastated to hear this. How could he tell Viggo about this?

“I… I want to have an abortion…” Orlando said when they reached the car.

“Orlando? Honey… the child… has nothing to do with….” Sonia tried to explain.

“Mom… I don’t ant this child! After what they did to me… you expect me to be happy with this news?!”

“Orlando… honey… please…. we are not sure yet as to who the father is… What if… what if the child happens to Viggo’s?” Sonia knew her son is in a dilemma right now… and jumping into conclusions will do them no good. “And… and no matter who the father is… the baby… the baby is still yours… our grand child….”

“You don’t know how hard this is for me! You don’t know because you were not the one who was… who was….” Orlando could not say the word himself.

Sonia fell silent. She tried to avoid her son’s gaze. Orlando saw the pain in her eyes.

“Mom… Mom… I’m sorry….”

“Honey… t- there’s nothing to be sorry for… I know… I know I did not suffer what you suffered… God knows how I wanted it to be just me… how I wanted to take every pain they inflicted on you… If I was only given a choice… I will take everything… I will take everything if that would mean that they would not in any way hurt my baby….”

“Mom….It just hurts…. It hurts so much… When will it stop from hurting?”

“Honey…”

Sonia just hugged her son and cried with him.

It was Sonia who told Viggo the news. And he did not take it nicely.
“P- Please… please attend to Orlando for a while… I… I just want to go somewhere…. P- please take care of him… I- I will be back soon….”

“It’s okay, Viggo….I understand…Don’t worry… I won’t leave my son… after all that has happened….” It was supposed to mean something…. And Viggo knew it.

“A- are you saying….”

“I’m not saying anything…. Viggo… I’m just telling you that I will be here for my son no matter what happened. My love for him will never change…”

“You know how much I love your son….” Viggo whispered.

“Was it past tense… Viggo? Do you see my son differently now?”

“Sonia…”

“You seldom went near his side in the hospital…And now that you learned he is pregnant… you will again walk away and let him face this himself? What kind of a husband are you?”

“You don’t…. have any right to say that to me… You don’t have any right… at all…” Viggo said with bitterness. “I was there… and I saw those men took turns in raping my husband… They let me witness everything! I was helpless… I could not help him… He was screaming… begging for them to stop… begging for me to help him… and I was not able to do anything about it… You just don’t know how hard this is for me… You were all focused on your son’s pain… but what about mine?....”

“Viggo….” Sonia realized what Viggo meant. All this time, Viggo was trying to keep everything to himself.

“Please… just take good care of him… I… I will be back… soon.”

Sonia just nodded and Viggo left.

TBC