Chapter 5 — Directions to Cloud Valley

After Minh Trang's vital signs stabilized, Dang Khoi contacted Dr. Phong via radio, informed him of the situation and discussed the next plan. The final decision was to let Minh Trang rest for another hour in the open space, while the rest of the group continued to cross the pass as planned, and the group would reunite at the last campsite before entering Ta Chai village.

"Thank you both," Minh Trang said, her voice much stronger than before, although a bit of fatigue was still evident on her face. "If it weren't for Dr. Khoi's timely discovery and Ms. Vy's shortcut, I don't know what would have happened."

"That's our job," Thao Vy replied, smiling reassuringly at the young student. "It's important that you honestly report your symptoms. Never hide unusual signs on trips like this, no matter how small."

"I'll remember that," Minh Trang nodded, her eyes filled with sincere gratitude.

While waiting for Minh Trang to fully recover, Dang Khoi and Thao Vy sat a distance away, both silent, the pent-up emotions from the recent emergency situation still clearly present in the air between them.

"Thank you," Dang Khoi finally spoke, breaking the silence. "Without your topographical knowledge, I'm not sure we could get Minh Trang down in time."

"That's my job," Thao Vy replied, her voice still maintaining a certain distance, although not as harsh as in previous conversations. "It is my responsibility to ensure the safety of every member of the crew."

"Still," Dang Khoi continued, his eyes looking at her sincerely, "the way you handled the situation today, your calmness and determination... it reminded me of why I loved you so deeply."

Thao Vy turned to look at him, her eyes were complicated, a mixture of familiar wariness and something softer that she didn't want to admit. "Don't say those things," she said softly, her voice shaking a little. "It doesn't help either of us."

"I'm sorry," Dang Khoi said, realizing he might have gone beyond the limit she set. "I didn't mean to upset you. It's just that, watching you work today, I couldn't help but realize that you've become a much stronger, more admirable woman than I remember."

There was a long silence between the two, only the sound of the wind blowing through the trees and the distant birdsong breaking the silence. Thao Vy felt her heart beating faster than usual, a feeling that she had tried to bury for the past five years was now strongly resurfacing, making her both confused and scared.

"We should go back to check on Minh Trang," she said, standing up to avoid having to directly confront the emotions rising inside her.

***

An hour later, when Minh Trang's indicators were completely stable, the small group continued their journey, moving along a lower detour to avoid having to cross the top of the high pass, heading straight to the convergence point with the rest of the group.

When they arrived late in the afternoon, the whole group was already present, everyone gathered around to ask about Minh Trang's situation with sincere concern. Doctor Phong checked her health one last time before confirming she was completely safe to continue her journey tomorrow.

"Today is a valuable lesson for all of us," Dr. Phong told the group during dinner, his voice serious but full of encouragement. "About the importance of listening to your body, and about the value of cooperation and mutual trust in emergency situations."

He glanced at Thao Vy and Dang Khoi, who were sitting not too far apart, a subtle change from the obvious distance of the first days of the journey.

That night, when most of the group had fallen asleep after a long and eventful day, Thao Vy lay in her tent, unable to sleep. She looked up at the ceiling of the tent, listening to the chirping of insects outside, her mind reeling with thoughts about the event that had happened, about how she and Dang Khoi had automatically and strangely cooperated in an emergency situation, as if five years of separation had never faded the understanding between them.

She thought about the words he said in the clearing—about the sincere admiration in his voice, about the look in his eyes when he looked at her. Even though she tried to deny it, she couldn't help but admit that, after all the hurt, after all the efforts to build a defensive wall around her heart, a part of her still had feelings for that man.

“Maybe I need to hear him explain,” she whispered to herself in the darkness of the tent, a decision she never thought she would make just days before. "Not to forgive immediately, but to understand the truth, to be able to truly close this chapter of my life, no matter the outcome."

Out there, under the starry sky of the high mountains, not far away, Dang Khoi was also unable to sleep, his mind filled with a fragile hope that maybe, just maybe, the door that he thought was closed forever five years ago, is now opening a small crack, enough for him to see a ray of light of opportunity for redemption and healing.

***

Unable to sleep, Dang Khoi left the tent and stepped outside to breathe in the chilly night air. The highland sky, free of light pollution like the city, displayed a rare sparkling galaxy that he had only seen on long-distance business trips before.

"Can't sleep?" A voice rang out from behind, causing him to turn around in surprise.

That was Dr. Phong, also enjoying the night air, holding a cup of hot tea. “Sit down here with me for a while,” he said, gesturing toward a flat rock nearby.

Dang Khoi sat down and was silent for a moment before speaking. "I'm still thinking about what happened today. About how Thao Vy and I worked together, almost without saying a word."

"It's a sign of a deep understanding, one that doesn't easily fade no matter how much time passes," Dr. Phong commented, sipping his tea. "I think this might be the right time for you to talk frankly with her, Khoi. Not right now, in the middle of the night, but when you're both ready."

"I'm afraid I'll ruin everything," Dang Khoi confessed, his voice filled with concern. "I'm afraid that when she knows the truth, she will blame me even more for hiding such an important thing the entire time we were together."

"You hid it out of fear, right?" Dr. Phong asked, his eyes full of understanding. "Fear of becoming a burden, afraid of ruining her future. It's a fear that comes from love, even though the way it is expressed may be wrong. I think, if you explain it sincerely, she will understand, even though it may take time."

Dang Khoi nodded, his respected teacher's words seemed to give him a little more courage. "I think I will find a suitable time, perhaps after completing the volunteer work at Ta Chai village. I don't want to let personal matters affect the group's overall mission."

"It was a wise decision," Dr. Phong agreed. "But don't wait too long, Khoi. Opportunity doesn't always come twice in a lifetime."

They sat quietly together for a while longer, looking at the sparkling starry sky, each pursuing their own thoughts. Dang Khoi felt somewhat relieved after the conversation, although the worry about the important conversation ahead was still there, constantly in his mind.

When he finally returned to the tent to rest, Dang Khoi looked towards Thao Vy's tent one last time, his heart filled with new determination. No matter how difficult the road ahead is, no matter the final outcome, he knows he needs to face the truth, needs to give Thao Vy the opportunity to know the whole story, so that she has the right to decide for herself whether there is still room for him in her life — a right that he unfairly deprived her of five years ago.

Lying down in his sleeping bag, he closed his eyes, but sleep still wouldn't come. He remembered the first moment he met Thao Vy in town, the shock in her eyes, and the pain he realized was hidden behind the professional facade she had tried to maintain all these days. He had caused that pain, and no matter how righteous his reasons were in his eyes five years ago, he understood that it could not erase what she had endured.

He thought about his father, about the years of watching the disease slowly erode the man he once knew — from a strong, clear-headed man, to one who had to depend on others' care for every single movement. The fear that he himself would follow that path, and that Thao Vy would have to witness and suffer it with him, made the twenty-six year old boy make a decision that now, at the age of thirty-one, he realizes was wrong — not because his love for her was not great enough, but because he did not have the courage to trust her to be strong enough to face the truth with him.

"This time will be different," he whispered to himself in the darkness, a silent promise both to himself and to Thao Vy, even though she never heard it. Finally, sleep found him, bringing with it flickering dreams of a future that he wasn't sure if really belonged to him or not.