"So, listen, Hazel and I..." said Alex, stopping midway through his sentence as he heard approaching footsteps.
The footsteps belonged to Dr Olive, Helix's family doctor, who had come to see Hazel.
Alex fell silent upon seeing Dr. Olive approach, and Rosy signaled for him to keep quiet, thinking their noisy neighbor, Mrs. D'Souza, was coming for gossip as usual.
As Dr Olive approached, Rosy greeted him and led the way to Hazel's room, with Alex following behind.
Upon examining Hazel, Dr Olive reassured them, "There is nothing to worry about in this situation. Due to crying for a long time, perhaps there is some weakness."
"And there is no problem, neither is Dr Olive, as you know. What would Hitler Helix do?" said Rosy with a slight laugh.
"No need to worry, Rosy. Where is she? My poor soul," Dr Olive said, trying to lighten Rosy's mood with a hint of jest.
"She will be working as usual," said Rosy, pursing her lips.
Dr Olive had known Rosy and Helix for the past eight years. He was their family doctor and, more than that, a very good friend to both.
( Dr Olive, who was almost twenty-seven years old, with black hair, brown eyes, and short stature, was also a very skilled doctor. Additionally, he was a talented singer. He had first met Helix and Rosy at a music gathering where Helix and Sam were jointly rewarded for their first musical work. Since then, Dr Olive has been with Helix and Rosy through all their good and bad times. )
"Okay, Rosy, I should go. There is no problem here," said Dr Olive.
"I have given her an injection, and these are some medicines that I have written on this paper to give her," Dr Olive stated, starting to leave.
"But wait, Dr Olive, can you tell me when Hazel will regain her senses?" Alex inquired anxiously; his expression fraught with worry.
"She will come to consciousness soon. I've given her a sleep injection so that she can rest," Dr Olive replied, patting his shoulder.
"And there is nothing to fear; everything is fine. If there is any matter, remember, I'm here for her, always. She's in good hands, my beloved Barbie girl," Rosy assured Alex, her eyes gleaming with affection.
"Am I right, Olive?" Rosy said, smiling at Dr Olive.
"Yes, you are, my dear," Dr Olive said, comforting Alex and agreeing with Rosy.
"Now, let's put a stop to the inquiries. I have a lot of work to do in the hospital," Dr Olive said, looking at both and asking permission to leave.
"Okay, Olive, let me see you out," said Rosy, looking at Alex and pleading with Dr Olive to understand something with her eyes.
Dr. Olive noticed that Rosy seemed hesitant, as though she wanted to say something but couldn't in front of Alex. Sensing this, he quickly turned to Alex and said, "Alright, I'll head out. You take care of Hezal."
Alex nodded, shook his hand, and replied, "Thanks."
Turning to Rosy, Dr. Olive said, "Come on, Rosy." She seemed lost in thought but, snapping out of it, nodded and walked alongside him.
Once they left, Alex went to Hezal's bedroom and sat on the edge of her bed, holding his head in his hands. Memories of Helix's tearful face suddenly flooded his mind. Then, Hezal's words echoed, "Helix is not able…"
Everything spiraled in his thoughts. His gaze fell on a framed picture of Hezal and Helix sitting on the corner of the bed. Picking it up, he gently ran his fingers over Helix's face in the photo. With tears streaming down, he whispered, "I'm sorry, Helix. I never wanted you to know the truth."
At the parking lot of Highlights Apartments
Dr. Olive looked at Rosy, concerned. "What's the matter, Rosy? I've been watching you—you seem worried."
Rosy, visibly anxious, replied, "Helix wasn't answering her phone, so I came here. She's been missing for the last three hours, and her phone is out of reach."
Rosy fell silent, lost in thought.
"Don't worry, Rosy. She's probably just busy," Dr. Olive reassured her.
"No, Olive, she isn't busy. I called her while coming here, and a man answered instead. There was so much noise in the background, I couldn't hear anything. I thought she might be stuck in traffic, but…" Rosy trailed off, lost in her thoughts again.
"Rosy, please tell me everything. What's going on in your mind?" Dr. Olive asked, his puzzled expression intensifying.
Rosy took a deep breath and said, "When I arrived, I saw Hezal crying and upset. Alex was the same. Hezal even asked me about Helix."
She suddenly froze, her gaze fixed on something in the parking lot.
"What now, Rosy?" Dr. Olive asked impatiently. "Stop thinking and just tell me!"
Rosy pointed to a broken coffee mug on the ground. "That's Helix's mug. Something's wrong."
Dr. Olive glanced at the pieces skeptically. "Rosy, come on. How can a broken mug tell you that something bad happened?"
Rosy shot him an exasperated look. "Will you just keep quiet and let me think?" She carefully collected the pieces, inspecting them.
"Look closely," she said, raising an eyebrow.
Dr. Olive frowned, leaning in. Among the broken shards was a picture of Rosy, Olive, and Helix—part of a mug Olive had given Helix on Friendship Day.
Dr. Olive's expression turned serious. "We need to ask Alex and Hezal. They might know something. From the way Alex was behaving, I'm sure something's wrong."
"No, we can't," Rosy countered. "Hezal looked so upset and scared earlier. Asking her now would only add to her stress. What matters most right now is finding Helix and making sure she's okay."
"You're right," Dr. Olive agreed. "Let's figure out where she is and what trouble she might be in."
Determined, Dr. Olive walked toward his car, with Rosy close behind. As they got in, Olive said, "Don't worry, Rosy. We won't let anything happen to her."
"None at all," Rosy replied, fastening her seatbelt.
Dr. Olive started driving while Rosy made calls to everyone Helix might have visited. The two searched every possible location, but after five exhausting hours, they still had no leads.
Feeling defeated and anxious, they decided to go to the police.
At the station, Dr. Olive turned to Rosy. "You wait here. I'll talk to the officer."
With a reassuring glance, he headed to the desk.
"My friend, Helix Wilson, has been missing for the last eight hours," he told the officer, his voice steady despite the worry etched on his face.