"You're the one who is pushing me away," he lamented.
The usual warmth returned as his aura and his touch became comforting to her.
"I am sorry if I scared you just now," said Mr. Bruce. "I can only request that you keep this to yourself, I don't want others to see me as a sick person, and those eyes looking at me with sympathy, please don't do it."
Saying this, Mr. Bruce walked away to gradually disappear from her sight. She sighed deeply coming back to her senses. "I just came back alive after almost dying?" she mumbled as she stood there.
Then, she braced herself for the scolding that she was to receive from Dr. Ian. She headed back in his cabin and sneakily peeked through the door, she called Bonnie out. "Bonnie! let's go back home now."
Bonnie sat on his father's lap, who immediately gathered some reports and stacked them one upon another. Seeing Oriel at the door, he called her by name and asked her to come in. "Miss Oriel! I have some important stuff to discuss with you."
Oriel could predict that she was about to lose another job. Taking turtle slow steps, she went inside. Dr. Ian helped Bonnie jumping off his lap and told her to leave the space for a while. She sprinted outside, leaving her dad and Oriel in the cabin alone.
"Is there anything that I can do to make up for the mistake that I have made today?" she asked.
"It's fine, I can understand that Bonnie can be a little stubborn as a kid, but still you should have stopped her no matter what."
She lowered her head and apologized one more time. "I am really sorry."
"I wanted to ask if you are close with the man who was just here?" demanded Dr. Ian. "I will need your help regarding a serious issue with his health."
"But I barely know him," said Oriel. "I won't be able to help you in any way."
Visibly wide wrinkles formed on the smooth forehead of the doctor. His head moved slightly from one side to side in disdain. "I don't think that I will be able to save him after all," stated Dr. Ian. "His aneurysm is at high risk of getting ruptured. A surgery must be done in order to prevent it from causing serious complications, although the surgery also has its risks, but now it is the only way this fellow can live."
The situation from the doctor's mouth sounded critical to her ears. "What about his family?" she asked. "Shouldn't they be aware of this?"
"If it is to be put in one sentence, then he has got no family, none who can convince him to be more considerate of his health," told Dr. Ian.
He got back to checking the diagnosis reports. Oriel silently left the cabin and came outside, walking steadily inside the corridors, mulling over something that suddenly bothered her more than anything else.
"If I tell this to his wife, then he will certainly kill me, and if I keep this to myself as he said, then he will never get treated."
She fell into the dilemma that had a life on stake. Then, an idea struck her mind that seemed so outrageous to her that she immediately shook it off. "No no... there's no way I am involving Collin in this."
------
LITRE Bar, Downtown, 9:15 pm
Under an exotic cocktail of warm and cold lightnings and alongside the alcohol enough to fill a pond, the bar premises had the presence of Collin at one of the bar stools at the counter. After a fascinating play of pouring alcohol by the hands of the bar tender, Collin received a glass with whiskey flowing like molten gold inside.
He emptied the glass in one big gulp and placed the glass down towards the other end of the counter as a request to refill it.
"You have not completely recovered yet," came the voice of Ursula, approaching from behind. "Get that glass refilled for me though."
She came and sat beside him on his right. "What are you doing here?" he asked.
"I'm here to pour some drinks inside and stress outside, sharing both of them with you."
Suddenly, another familiar voice arrived, "I am taking him for that purpose today, you can have him some other time," said Mr. Bruce, marching toward them, taking the counter stool on the left side of Collin.
Both of them sat on either of the sides buy refused to take a look at each other."
"Get lost! you've got other toys to play with, and I will never give you mine," confronted Ursula.
"Someone just called you a toy, brother. Make it clear to her that you're a living person," told Mr. Bruce to Collin.
Collin shut his eyes in exhaustion, he was tired of listening them quarreling all the time and coming to him for complaints. He stretched his arms in the air, and his chest inflated to appear even wider. "I hope that both of you leave me alone today. I am tired of your childish fights now."
"Did you get that? he wants you to leave," spoke Ursula.
"What he wants is peace, and for that it is you who will have to leave."
"Enough!" shouted Collin. "You both are going to hell for doing this to me."
Every other present at the bar turned their heads towards the three at the counter. Both of them finally stopped fighting and ordered themselves a drink each.
"Alright"
"I am not saying anything."
The bar tender served them drinks and also refilled the glass of Collin. He didn't drink out of it and kept on stirring the ice cubes inside the glass, lost deep in some thoughts so that the music playing behind was the only sound that existed there.
"I am going to quit," he said. grabbing their attention towards him.
"Did I hear it wrong?"
"You are going to what?"
They were brought to their edge, and were dumbfounded. The didn't seem to like the idea of him leaving the side of the family.
"You've heard it right. I can no longer handle you both."
"I will pretend I didn't hear it." Ursula scoffed at what he said, she appeared to be more surprised and offended than Mr. Bruce, who was calmer and poise. "If that't what you really want then I won't stop you and I will also wish you a good luck," said Mr. Bruce.
"What's wrong with you now. He is saying that he will leave us. You gotta stop him. At least try to convince him although I know that's something you can never do," said Ursula.
"I am not someone like you, who just wants to satisfy her obsession."
Ursula closed her eyes tightly and let a deep sigh out, calming herself down. "Let's not kill somebody in a public place, Ursula," she muttered.
Then, suddenly two cellphones ringed in unison; these belonged to Collin and Mr. Bruce. They brought them out together and checked the screens at the same time. Both of them read the messages that displayed and rose from the stools in the same manner.
"What's going on?" seeing them act like this, Ursula put this question.
"I'll have to leave, just got an urgent appointment," said Mr. Bruce and left.
"Get yourself anything you want, I have already paid the bill. I also gotta meet someone right now." Collin also left the bar in a hurry.
Ursula sat there confused and unaware of the situation.