RED INK
EP 31: Where two roads shall meet
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When Aurora turned to look at the exiting back of Dillion, she was surprised to find that Griggs was also there. She looked at them both from head to their feet, assessing their clothings and shoes. When Dillion passed by her, he smelt of coconut oil and lavender. Why does that fragrance seem familiar? She was very sure she had perceived it somewhere before. Or was it not the same night he had come up to hand her Lorin's purse that she captured that fragrance? Why was he acting oblivious of the fact that they had met before?
All these questions kept playing in her head. They were at the door when Hither asked Dillion, "Will you be taking the chopper?"
Dillion stopped without looking back and replied, "As always."
"Won't you make an appearance?" Hither asked again.
Dillion smiled and said, "No." And with that, he walked out of the office to an opposite direction that Aurora could swear an entrance didn't exist in. Their shoes making tiptop tiptop tiptop as their footsteps faded away.
When Hither turned to look at Aurora, her hands were folded, looking directly at him. He smiled and walked past her to an empty seat. When he sat and glanced to her direction, she was still staring him down. "What?" He asked as he crossed his legs, using his hands to support his knee and his ankle, displaying his slippers.
Aurora hadn't noticed that before, now, she tsked as she saw the slippers. "What is this?" She murmured to herself.
Hither must have heard because he then replied, "It's easier for comfortability. I don't like shoes."
Aurora rolled her eyes, "I know you are my boss and all that but you have some serious explaining to do."
Hither yawned. "Well... aren't you one to always go against the standards? You have a knack for disrupting protocols and whatnot...I already buckled my mind for that response." He concentrated on her face and said, "I am listening. Kick away."
She exhaled properly and looked behind her for an available chair, she didn't find one so she decided to rest on the table where Dillion had been sitting. She just didn't want to sit in the president's seat.
As she was about beginning to ask her questions, Hither rose his finger up to stop her. "First things first, there are ground rules to follow, not all the questions you ask me I will be obliged to answer. Secondly, I am not inclined to give you details. Thirdly, you cannot ask about young master Dillion. Fourthly—"
"—if you don't want me to ask questions, just say so." She interrupted. "You just cut out all the relative questions I was about asking. Just tell me not to ask. Tell me to stop."
Hither smiled and rested his back on the chair. "You can ask your question, just not in those categories."
She thought about it for sometime before asking. "Was that a threat he gave to me?"
"Hm? What?"
"About: whatever is discussed in his lady's room stays within the walls of his lady's room?"
Hither robbed the back of neck. "Well... like he said, it's not that deep."
"It sounded like a threat though."
"Well...it is." He smiled at her. "It is also not. It just depends on how you take it. It is something we practice everyday as doctors, don't go about discussing your patient. Especially when they have requested of you personally to keep it confidential. Something like that."
"Why did he have to say it like that though?"
He laughed. "If you take Dillion at face level, you will be misguided."
"How long have you known him?" She asked.
Hither shook his head. "Ah-ahn... you have gone against a rule: don't ask personal questions."
"You said I shouldn't ask about Dillion, you didn't say I shouldn't ask about you."
"That was supposed to be rule four. You actually cut me off before I was able to say it."
She scoffed, rolling her eyes. She just noticed that the table didn't have the name of the President on it. She looked round the room and at the shelves of books, the big window view that was covered with drapes, so only the light inside were lit.
She looked back at Hither who was staring at her. "Oh..." She said. "I was just wondering why the president's name tag isn't on the table." Hither didn't say anything, so she continued. "The president has never shown his face in the hospital. Have you met him before?"
Hither thought about the question, it wasn't really a personal question but it was close to, and he was choosing to answer it. "Yes. Countless times."
"Hmm.." She nodded. "But why isn't he involving himself in hospital business?"
"Not everyone likes to be seen Aurora."
"So what are you? Since he is not always around, are you like the acting president? The one acting in his stead? You seem to be the one handling the hospital matters."
Hither laughed out loud and stood up from his seat. Adjusting his glasses steadily to his eyes, his hair scattered on his head and hands in his pockets, he turned to Aurora and asked, "Shall we go back to work?"
Aurora stood up from the table. "But I am not done yet. I still have questions to ask."
"Ask away."
"What did it mean when he said he knew I had some military training?"
"I don't know what master Dillion thinks. Only he knows why he said that."
She nodded. Fair enough. "Okay. Why do I have to become an assistant Doctor to your patient when you are already taking good care of her?"
Hither's eyes contracted, showing a slight shift of emotion which was in opposite contrast with his unfazed face. "Because...the brother to the president of the hospital deemed you fit enough to be able to take care of his lady...and his child...I will take that as an acknowledgement for being a good doctor, or a better one still."
"Without my certification?"
"Your lack of certification yet doesn't go against you treating patients. Afterall, the hospital you are practicing your residency in is still the same hospital that assigned you to same patient. You will only be doing it in his house and under my care."
"Doctor Hither," She walked closer to him. "I do get what you are saying, although I don't see myself staying 24/7 at someone else's house to take care of one person when I could be gaining experiences in a hospital."
"You could always discuss the terms."
"Or I could decline it."
Hither nodded. She was strong willed and firm and that was what he was going for. He needed someone with a fair back bone to carry out the task that has been designed. He was only sorry that he was not giving her the full story. Since she was one who wouldn't be able to resist a patient, especially one assigned to her, he decided to take it slow. Only that time was not on their side. So he would grant it to her in bits and pieces till she was in full time.
He walked up to her and gently placed a hand on her shoulder, he was about five inches taller in height than her. "It is fine if you do not want to do it the way he said it. Take this as a case study for your research. It is also a learning experience." He removed his hand from her shoulder. "I have compiled different cases from the past that had similar diagnosis and prognosis in her case and have opened a project on it. You are the first medical student I am choosing to share this with. So I recommended you as a good Doctor with good observation skills and practical skills to be able to handle it. Or do you think you can not?"
Aurora's eyes were almost misty and shaky. The words from her mouth could not be formed.
"I have taken you as my aide." Hither smiled at her. "This is a rare chance because you got an opportunity to work with me, internally and I know what you are capable of. Can you handle it? Remember, once you put your mind to something, you will be able to get it. Can you?"
She took her time before nodding. She was misty because there was no one who had supported hee career path. Even though being a Doctor was something to brag about, her father never wanted it for her. He felt her intelligence was one that could thrive in the Engineering elements. So she never got the encouragement she needed. But today, here and now, this Doctor who she had only worked with for a year plus since she transferred from her previous hospital was telling her all she had always wanted to hear. She couldn't bring herself to cry in front of him but she couldn't hide what his words meant to her soul.
Hither smiled at her and patted her shoulder again. "You will be alright."
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"What is this?!" Linda fumed at the man standing in front of her. "I asked that this be sent to Watford within last week. It was supposed to be delivered on Monday. Why is this still here?"
"It was delivered but was returned." The man said, his head cowering because whenever Linda was in such bad mood, the whole day was going to be worse.
"Why? Why was it returned?"
"They made a complaint that it was outside of their budget and should be kept on hold for now."
Linda raised her hand up in the air in frustration. "What does that even mean? Huh? They made an order, we paid for the cost of delivery, they returned it back with our own delivery fare and gave an excuse that it's outside of their budget and expect us to sit and fold our hands?" She pointed to the ten big cartons that laid in the delivery vehicle. "This is over two hundred boxes! They are breaking code of conduct! Even going against our agreement. Who will take in that loss? Huh?" She turned to Greg who was standing beside her. "Call the lawyer and ask him to come see me."
"Yes ma'am." Greg replied and removed his phone from his breast pocket and walking away from them.
"Where is Adam?" She asked the man
"He is at the othee warehouse."
"Call him and tell him to meet me in my office. Immediately!"
"Y-yes ma."
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Linda sat in her seat which was by Dillion's office door, which gave her full view of who was coming towards that direction from the corner. She had a lot of documents to compile since she missed work the previous day. So she did just that now, type in hee computer and arranging schedules of which she would go through them with Dillion later on.
Some minutes later, Fred was walking by from the corner towards her. "Good day?" He asked.
"Yes." She smiled.
He nodded started opening the door.
"Oh!" She said and bent down to her lower shelf to bring out a package that was wrapped in a plain white polythene with his name tag on it. She handed it to him. "It was delivered this morning, you didn't come in on time so I kept it for you."
Fred collected it and looked at it. "Thanks." He said.
Lorin smiled and looked at his brows. She gasped. "Are you alright? You have an injury on your brow."
"I got into a brawl."
"That sounds serious. You went out drinking last night?"
He nodded.
She chuckled. "That's unusual of you. Who broke your heart?"
"It's nothing serious."
"Your brow says otherwise. Are your other body parts intact?"
He looked at her, decided not to answer, opened the door to Dillion's office and closed it behind him as he entered.