Michael breathes deeply, understanding that the time for this issue to be settled has come to be. "Yes, it is", he replies to Andrew. "Why didn't you tell me from the moment I woke up? Although it's a big issue I would have been able to handle it", says Andrew bitterly. "I wanted to delay the issue as much as possible, at least, until when your condition has been stabilized before opening it up to you. I never imagined that you would start training undermining all my warnings", says Michael sighing, after all, although Andrew was a bit of a blockhead, he did pay heed to most of the stuff Michael told him, that was why Michael thought that Andrew would still follow his advice this time around but he seemed to underestimate his will of wanting to be more powerful and close the gap between them so that he would always be able to accompany Michael in all his missions and to share some of his burdens with him. "What is wrong with me? Why can't I train? Can't it all be resolved? I have gathered a lot of money, I can pay all the necessary bills", cries out Andrew still not fully understanding the situation he is in right now, he throws questions after questions at Michael without waiting for his replies.
Michael sighs deeply while remembering all that the doctor told him and thinking about how to put it in a more comforting manner. After a while, he finally says, "If it was about the money, I would have taken care of it all. But...", he pauses for a while before continuing, "But, the battle you got yourself involved in ended up leaving you in a critical situation with your body all battered and wounds everywhere. It was even a miracle that you were able to survive and more of a miracle that you were capable of getting out of bed by now. It would have taken months for you to have been able to walk but look at you right now being able to walk around and attend to your normal daily routines".
"That's not what I want to hear from you, Michael. Tell me what's going on with my body, I can sense that am getting weaker every second. Although at a very slow pace not even up to a millimetre, I can still sense my loss of powers", says Andrew still at loss about this new development.
"You can no longer become a hunter", replies Michael finally opening up, "The doctor said your muscle tissues in various parts of your body were torn apart and it would be difficult for you to be up to the standard of an average hunter in the future". He drops the bombshell all at once and waits in silence for Andrew's reply, after all, he understood that if he was the one in such a situation he would be devastated and could perform any sort of atrocities in rebuttal of the truth.
But contrary to his expectations, Andrew starts laughing hysterically. He laughed like a madman and this shocked Michael thinking that the news has given him such a shock that he has gone insane. He had heard of such situations where someone got insane due to certain traumas, news or situations, but this was the first time he was witnessing such an act. He thought about knocking Andrew unconscious before coming up with a solution but decided against it at the last moment and waits to check if he truly has gone insane.
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His wait was long but paid, for as after a long time of laughing, Andrew got up from where he was and says to Michael, "I would be going out for a while, don't bother about me. Even if I don't come back today, don't go looking for me". After dropping those words, he takes up some of his saved-up money and left the house. Michael not having anything to say to console him, just watched him as he left before sighing once again, the world was indeed unfair.
This was the second time that Andrew has been truly devastated, although he knew that being with Michael would mean he would get taken care of, he hated being a burden to others and living off the care of anyone. 'Guess I would be back to square one all over again. This is the end of my second chance I should say. I was a fool for thinking that I would be able to be stronger and get everything I ever wanted. My happiness was so short-lived', says Andrew inwardly to himself while tears flowed out from his eyes. He hated the fact that he would be getting weak on a daily basis and he didn't know what to do from the way the situation was going and just thought of drowning his sorrows by drinking liquor.
From that day henceforth, Andrew usually frequented taverns and drank from morning till evening. He didn't have the face to meet any of the hunters he was usually with, although he didn't bully any of them and was friendly with those who went hunting with him. He thought of himself as being pathetic if he went to meet them now. He drank alcohol, vomited, drank again, got drunk, and went back home. That was pretty much his routine nowadays and everyone in the village started acknowledging him as a new village drunk. Although he was not up to the age of drinking, due to his former prestige and hunting prowess, he was attended to.
After all, more customers means more money and Andrew was not stingy when paying for his bills, he even added tips now and then, hence the shop owner didn't have any reason to refute him. During this period, Michael tried countless times to try and get Andrew out of his new drinking habit but all his advice seems to fall on deaf ears as on the next day, Andrew would be seen drinking and came back all drunk and reeking from alcohol.
Even his fellow hunters and comrade in arms all tried all they could do but to no avail, after all, Andrew was still young, just thirteen years of age about to get to fourteen in just a few months. He still had a long life ahead and could maybe learn other skills of which maybe he could be perfect but Andrew was now always seen in a desolate state, soliloquizing or laughing like someone who has gone insane.
It got to a point where some of the village children started cussing at Andrew and calling him all sorts of names, even parents ensured that their kids get far away from Andrew. Even the hunters all gave up on him when they saw that their words were not getting through, but Michael still treated him perfectly and wasn't too harsh on him. He was the only one who believed in Andrew and has not truly given up and he believed that Andrew would be good soon no matter how much many people ridiculed him and denounced his actions. Even the village head and his fellow hunters advised him to give up on Andrew and send him away from his house but he still held on strongly to his belief.