"Hey, Gempa."

Gempa pursued his lips as he looked on their youngest brother worriedly. Solar was looking worse for wear. His hair was disheveled, and there were bags under his eyes.

"Solar... are you okay?" Gempa asked worriedly from behind the phone.

Solar's smile dropped and he sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It's really hectic, Gem. People are panicking, and we're working nonstop. Heck, I don't even remember when's the last time I actually slept properly."

"Solar..." Oh how Gempa wished his brother could come home. How he would welcome him with open arms and take good care of him.

But... duty calls for him, and he had answered the call.

"A lot of patients came in today," Solar continued on, averting his eyes. He didn't want to look at Gempa's warm, golden orbs, or he will be tempted to just abandon everything and go home and melt into his brother's arms. "There's barely any room for them anymore. We had to apologize to them for the tight fit."

Solar's eyes moistened up. "It wasn't just the patients that were suffering. Even my acquaintances are. Some of them had even collapsed on duty, having overworked themselves to the point of exhaustion. Some had already broken down in private."

"We're tired, Gempa. I'm tired. I just want to go back home and sleep. I just want to go back home and tell my brothers that everything will be alright, just like it always had. I just want to go home and cuddle next to Thorn to sleep."

"I just want to go home, Gempa. With you, with the rest of the family. Fuck the virus, fuck COVID-19. If I'm gonna die, I want to die beside my brothers, knowing that at least I was happy with them."

Solar's face was now wet with tears, and he was sobbing hard against his hands. "I'm tired, Gem. I'm so tired."

"Just... hold on, Solar. It will be over soon." Gempa felt helpless. He wanted to reach out to the screen and hold his brother in his arms and comfort him.

But he can't. He was home, and Solar was in the hospital.

"Solar? Your break time is almost over," a voice in the doorway sounded.

"I'll be out soon, Nut," Solar said tiredly as he wiped his tears away.

Nut smiled sadly and gently closed the door behind him.

Solar sighed and looked one last time at the screen. "I have to go, Gem. Hope to see you soon."

"See you soon, Solar. Take care of yourself."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The next time Gempa had a call from Solar was a few weeks later.

Only that it wasn't from Solar.

"Hello? Is this Gempa?" an unfamiliar voice spoke from the other side of the line.

"Yes, it's me. What's wrong? Where's Solar?" Gempa fired the questions rapidly, worried for his youngest brother.

"I'm sorry, sir, but Dr. Solar had just collapsed while on duty and the others tried to stabilize him but to no avail. His body gave in to the exhaustion."

The earth elemental felt his knees shake from beneath him and head to sit down before they gave away.  He heard the person saying his apologies from the other side of the line before the call ended, but he didn't hear any of it.

Solar... he's dead. His precious brother was dead. Died saving thousands of people.

He was pained. He was sad. But most of all, he's angry. Angry at the people who were careless to ignore the warnings set by the government for their safety. And now his brother paid the price. His brother, and many other doctors around the world.

They stayed at work for the people, and the people repaid their sacrifices by rebelling.

Oh, how unfair life is.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Stay home, stay safe, and stay healthy. These people, the doctors, the police, the scientists, the medical experts, they go to work just to eradicate this virus. Let us help them by staying safe and following what the government tells us to do.

Lovelots,

Glace, the Queen of Angst