Mia pulled into Hangzhou psychiatric health center with a clear mind. Everything that had happened yesterday was just memories, there was no point thinking about such things. Mia had on her white doctor's coat on top of her black suit. Conservatively she tied her hair up in a ponytail and wore her reading glasses, she was the image of sophistication. Women looked at her with starry eyes and envy as she strutted through the entrance door.
"Morning Doctor James." Jhan said cheerfully handing her a coffee.
"Morning Jhan, thank-you very much I'll but you one tomorrow in return. Have there been any calls today?" she said signing in. Jhan shuffled through her notes and handed Mia a piece of paper. Mia sipped her coffee and almost choked to see what was written down.
"Director Wu wants a private meeting with me?" she said concerned. Director Wu was a very busy man running the top hospital in Hangzhou, so it stunned Mia to see she was on his schedule.
"The director insisted upon it, he said there was some new regulation he wanted to put in place." Jhan responded. Mia didn't jump to any conclusions, but he'd just given her foundation £40,000. Was he regretting his choice?
"I'll call him on shift Thank-You Jhan." Mia entered the facility and began reviewing the patients care plans. As usual only one or two were rejected treatment without her there so she headed to her office to make an action plan. Hao and Kai were both waiting for her.
"What's with the welcoming parade?" she said casually as she sat at her desk. In their white uniforms, the two well built men stood with worried smiles. Mia wrote down the action plan and handed it to them.
"Ku Rho has been refusing food again?"
Kai, "Ku refuses to eat without you their Doctor."
"That's impalpable, I can't have her being so reliant on me. Ku had Anorexia Nervosa, one of the deadliest mental illnesses there is. I'll see to her first thing but prepare yourselves, she won't like what I'm going to inform." Mia said sadly. Ku was a twenty-seven years old female, she'd been on the ward for 6 months and her weight began to increase. Mia referred her to a health professional and since then her weight had reduced.
"What's her current weight?"
Hao, "7 stone 2 boss." Mia shook her heard disheartened to hear this. That was the weight of a thirteen-year-old girl not a twenty-seven-year-old woman.
"I hate to say this but if her weight does not improve in one week then we fill have to tube feed her." Those were the words Mia dreaded as it was very distressing to Nervosa sufferers, but she would die from malnutrition if she didn't change her eating habits.
"Understood Doctor, there is something for you." Kai left briefly to the staff room and came out with a bouquet of roses. Mia face went red with embarrassment.
"Secret admirer?" Hao asked cunningly. Mia shot him a look and he quickly clammed up.
"That will be all gentleman." They both nodded leaving the bouquet on her desk. Mia studied them for a while and noticed a tag. Suddenly, she felt sick and was reluctant to read it. However, curiosity killed the cat.
"If my mind is decaying then maybe I'll admit myself, then you can't get away from me…"
Mia felt physically ill reading the note, Sam was starting already, and she wasn't prepared. If he was interfering with her work, then he must be serious or had no interest in living. Mia ripped the roses from the ribbon and threw them across the room. A nurse came in after hearing the ruckus.
"Doctor James, are you alright."
"I want a review of our security system and visitor records. Where you on shift when those roses were delivered?" she asked panic in her voice.
"I was, it was a business man."
"Describe him."
"Well, he had blonde hair and he wasn't fully Chinese. In fact, he reminded me of you Doctor."
Mia titled her head back as she thought, this was such an insignificant act in any other person's eyes but for Mia this was war. Not only had he sent her flowers to her work with a somewhat threatening note. He had entered her work and placed the roses on her desk, he knew the layout and nature of everything.
"I want that man banned from this property, if he ever visits again do not engage or disclose even a snippet of my information am, I understood. The same goes for any other staff members." The nurse didn't know what to think seeing her boss so unnerved. Mia was an upstanding doctor and worked with the mentally ill every day, so she had a formal, professional attitude.
"Yes, Doctor James." The nurse went off to inform the other staff and Mia bit her open as she studied the note, over and over. When she was in high-school she didn't have the intellect, she did now therefore Sam's past attempts to court her seemed unusual but not dangerous. Now she was slightly worried to what lengths her cousin would go too. Mia shook her head, she was shaken up but still had patients to tend to, so she went on her rounds.
As she was handing out medication, she wandered past her mother room and felt an overwhelming sense of guilt she wasn't there to receive her medication. It would be a few days before Jane would be coherent enough to talk so Mia would have to contain these perturbing thoughts until then.
"Doctor James, Ku Rho is requesting you." Hao said with a hopeless tone, he looked exhausted. Ku Rho would often give the ward staff trouble, she trusted Mia and Mia alone.
"I'm coming now take a break Hao." She said kindly patting his shoulder, dealing with the mentally ill was exhausting indeed, having the tolerance to deal with broken minds was a hard skill to master. Mia however was the black belt in dealing with patients.
Mia walked into room 5 narrowing dodging a slipper thrown just an inch from her head. Ku Rho was a small, frail woman with a baby-face and bobbed black hair.
"Close call don't worry I come in peace. You asked for me Rho?" Rho looked with wide-eyes regretting not looking before throwing her slipper.
"I-I'm sorry Doctor." She said pitifully. Mia looked at her charts and sighed.
"Don't worry about it, you have every reason to be agitated. Your blood sugar level is low." Mia said sitting on the bed with her.
"I feel fine." She said weakly. Mia looked at her with warning eyes and Rho knew she couldn't lie to her.
"Rho, you've lost half a stone in two weeks. Can I ask why?" she asked sincerely. Rho looked down shamefully and wrapped her hand around her wrist squeezing it tight. These were signs of Nervosa taking control over the mind, where every waking moments is a battle with food.
"Listen to me. This is extremely difficult for you, I am here to support you all the way. But help is a mutual effort, if you don't meet me half-way, I'm not sure what to suggest Rho. I know you can do this, I see the determination on your face every time I see you. You can fight it." Rho began tearing up, Mia always knew what she was thinking and hit the nail on the head.
"What if I can't Doctor James, what if I'm in here for the rest of my life?" she said hopelessly.
"It's normal to feel hopeless Rho, this is a hard fight. It doesn't go away just by wishing it, you must act. There are people who care about you, what about Mika I'm sure he misses you dearly." Mika was Rho fiancée.
"I know but if I can't get better for the man I love, I can't get better for anyone." Mia took Rho's hand and looked deep I to her soul.
"Love is the strongest emotion and the most influential. Mika wants you to get better, but you also must want that for yourself. I have a proposition for you." Rho looked up with teary eyes, she knew Mia had a way of motivating her.
"If you can gain 2 stone in the next three weeks, I will discharge you and treat you from home. You'll be the perfect weight to have your pick of wedding dresses." She smiled honestly. Rho felt her heart ease to hear there was a way out of here.
"What can I do?"
Mia, "This is my plan but if you feel overwhelmed or uncomfortable with any details tell me and I will render them. Okay?" Rho sat up straight in interest.
"To achieve your weight goal, I will offer you proteins bars as well as shakes. It will temporarily substitute your daily intake and it will make it easier for you to manage. After that I hope to get you eating solid meals, this is the best route to recovery." Rho thought about it for a while, but Mia understood eating was practically torture to those with Anorexia Nervosa. However, hoping to create a new way to correct the chemical imbalance in her brain, she picked the quickest and most effective care plan.
"I'll do it if I get to be with Mika I want to get better." Rho spoke deservedly, and it made Mia smile.
"That's good to hear and I'll be with you every step of the way." Rho hugged Mia before she could stop her and nodded gratefully.
--------------------------------------Shijie Li company headquarters----------------------
"It's settled I'm allocating One million to Li American base, I expect a considerable investment."
"Of course, Master Li." An American official sat opposed to Aiden in the meeting room discussing branching overseas, so the company income could improve and be well know.
"Meeting is adjourned thank-you for your business." Aiden shook the man's hand before plonking back in his office seat Yang by his side. Aiden was running the business fine but his current situation with Mia was becoming a distraction. Yang watched Aiden stare off into space and decided to give him some valuable advice.
"A woman who can't be swayed or corrupted by wealth is a proud one. It will take more than the contents of your wallet to keep her." Aiden rolled his eyes at this sudden wisdom.
"Money was never a factor, when did you become so concerned about my love life. I pay you to assist me not give me relationship advice." He said coldly.
"I'm just trying to help Master, you seem awfully distracted lately."
"Is it affecting my work ethic?"
"Well n-no—"
"Then it's no concern of yours, you're dismissed." Yang lingered wanting to say more but knew once is boss made up his mind you would be stupid to challenge him. Aiden watched Yang leave and placed his head on the desk. This was proving a harder situation than he anticipated, hearing she had moved on was killing him. Is that what she really wants? For me to let her go? As if fate was in his favor Yai Chu called him with some information.
"Chu that was fast, what did you find."
"I found that our precious Joni hasn't changed, she spends majority of her time at work. Yu is still her friend and she goes around her place often. Speaking of things that don't change your not going to like this."
"Just spit it out idiot."
"Sam James is back on the scene, I was observing her work collected information when he turned up before her shift with a bouquet of flowers."
"That sadistic asshole, wait till I—"
"Ah ah ah Master Li, you can't do anything without the Joni's say so. If you get involved your cover and my cover is blown. I for one value my life, if your mind is still in-tact you should know not to test her." Aiden sighed, he was right. You couldn't win against Mia, quick-wit and stubborn words were her specialty.
"So, what do I do, we both know how dangerous he is. I can't just let him harass her."
"You wait until she asks for your help. Little bit of advice, patience is a virtue. If you smother her, she'll push you away stronger." Chu words resonated with him, he couldn't believe he held some wisdom in that shallow brain of his.
"What if I'm done being patient, it's been five years Chu. I'm tired of waiting."
"Stop being so stupid, a lot happened in those five years. Mia went through a lot when you left, you took everything with you Aiden. Ask her then maybe you'll understand." Chu sounded annoyed which was unusual for a cool and collected guy like himself. Aiden had spent so much time waiting to see her again he'd disregarded what she had done while he was gone.
"What are you talking about?"
"Just ask her Aiden." Chu hung up and text Aiden Mia's bank details. Aiden looked in her funds and wasn't surprised to see there wasn't much in. Majority of her wage went on the Hangzhou psychiatric clinic and the rest on rent and bills. Mia had nobly completed her dream with very little to show for it.
"Don't worry Mia, I've got you."