Yara barged in and found the director crying his eyes out. The two of them had been close for the past five years and he was humble and understood her condition more than anyone else did in that hospital.
"Hey child, you're here. Have a sit, don't strain to stand too long." That's how he always referred her to, his child because his wife couldn't bear kids for him. He was in his mid fifties still fatherly. His brother died when he was only twenty years old but his death left a gap in his heart, a gap that couldn't be filled by anything. That's why he was always looking out for the wellbeing of every patient in his hospital despite powerful people wanting to buy it. Shark Griffins' had already ordered him to sack Yara's doctor and he had given in but not for the second time, not when it involved that particular patient.
"Who offended you? Did your wife deny you breakfast?" The director managed to put a smile on his wrinkled face.
"No, I just remembered Jamison." He muttered.
"We should embrace death when it comes knocking."
"Don't say such things, you're too young to die. Have hope, will you?"
"I feel like I'm fading and slipping out of the many hands that want to hold me each minute. If I don't get a donor, I'll soon give my life up and join my parents in the graveyard." Yara said bitterly as tears cascaded down her cheeks.
"The hospital is doing everything possible to get you a donor, have faith everything will work out as planned."
"Till when? I dream of death ev-very night Doctor. Maybe I was born...." Thin mucus ran down her nostrils and she rubbed her red nose. Her voice was trailing off because of how she had been so strong that she forgot to cry her heart out.
The director was moved and gave her a shoulder to cry on. She soaked his shirt with tears as he made her short hair damp. His brother had the same symptoms which Yara had and he could sometimes see him in Yara. He reminisced how he used to wake up every morning to clean his sheets. How his face became pale, how his lungs failed and the day he died in that life support machine. He had struggled to breath during his last times and they way he could cry weakly as blood gushed out of his nostrils.
He still remembered his brother's last words, urging him to always help people like Yara. He vowed over the same and build a hospital which had successfully saved people's lives over the years.
The knock on the door interrupted them and they composed themselves before the director went for the door.
"I'm sorry to come here but this can't wait. All the investors have pulled out and they are demanding an explanation over the same." The manager, a short plump man informed.
"Summon all the stakeholders, we're having a meeting in the board room in less than one hour." He sighed silently and looked outside the window. Everything had happened so fast and he knew that his hands were tight. He needed her help, maybe she alone would save the hospital management from collapsing. After the manager left, he turned to look at Yara.
"Who is Shark Griffins to you? Have you ever offended him in the past?" He asked her.
"Wait, is he the one behind everything?"
"Do you know him?"
"Yeah, I just met him yesterday. Apparently he's the cousin of my boyfriend Blake." Yara muttered while trying to sum up what the director meant.
"I think there's something you need to know and maybe you're the one who can help us."
"You're scaring me...what did he do?"
"He was here a while ago and demanded to know about your condition, of course, I couldn't let him have his way even if it meant losing all my investments I made from their family. There's something else, he was the one who ordered that Dr. Matt be fired from the hospital. I really don't know what the Griffins have on you."
Everything Director Richard was saying was beginning to make sense to her. The stranger who had harassed her the other day was none other than Shark Griffins. His family was quite powerful and that kept her thinking that they were trying to dig up some history about her, maybe they were intimidated by a lowlife connecting with their family. She laughed inwardly and knew what to do, she had to cut ties with Blake once and for all. In spite of how his parents welcomed her yesterday, she didn't stand a chance to dine with them. She was a nobody, a poor ailing girl, one who couldn't afford to get a kidney to survive for the next few years.
"What can I do to help you?"
"I really don't know what to do, in fact I'm lost for words to say honestly. I'm trying to figure out why would Shark Griffins go to such an extent when he wasn't directly involved with you?"
"Maybe he's trying to protect the image of the Griffins. Blake and I have nothing real and I'm going to end it. Maybe I'll talk to him about all of this, maybe he can talk things through with his cousin. He's not God, new investors will be willing to work with your hospital soon."
"I don't think so, the Griffins own half of Aston and they can they can hijack the investors planning to have shares in the hospital." The director gave up and prepared for the meeting.
Yara walked out and called Blake who was among the hundreds of students listening to one of the most sort lawyer's documentary in the lecture hall. He saw the incoming call and let it ring because at that point, Yara never mattered. His parents had finally given him access to one of the companies and several credit cards. He irked his brows annoyed when his phone beeped.
[We need to talk ASAP]
[In class....see you tonight at our usual spot]
He replied back and switched off the phone. Yara made her way down the staircase then to the lobby and waved to the security guard on her way out. She tried getting hold off Matt but the call went directly to voice mail. She was hurt by two things, one was the way Dr. Matt sounded convincing when he lied to her and two, was the way the Griffins were desperately trying to pry on her private life. She now had regrets about her involvement with the family. She was yet to get to school and attend the evening class and maybe he'd meet Blake and end things with him, once and for all.