Emerging from the less crowded location his home was situated in and into the populated part of their district, the temperature decreased to a more comfortable one of lower degrees.
He also felt the ventilation get better.
Some air dispensers were tactically placed in this region of their district as they needed it to breathe.
Most of which were donated by charity organisations from neighboring districts who took pity on the civilians here.
Off the road, in the alleys where the light from the lamp posts couldn't fully illuminate, a group of homeless individuals huddled in the corner, merging into the darkness like shadows.
They had a reputation of stealing and robbing many passerbyes when possible so we're usually avoided by everyone.
On rare occasions they scavenged the left overs of the few restaurants in this district for food earning them the name 'scavengers'.
He didn't differ much from the scavengers in that he also ate from left overs.
The only difference being that he didn't steal or rob people of their belongings for survival. He was taught to work for it.
The straight road he tread on got branched to both sides, accompanied by lamp posts placed at regular intervals which glowed for as far as he could see.
Now almost at the commerce center of his home district , he saw some kids on their electric bikes which had blinky lights attached to them to help them see when they ventured into dark places.
They were probably visitors from the upper end of the district or from another district entirely.
Looking ahead, he saw the the shops, most of which were flats with very few story buildings among the lot.
The buildings were situated in a circular formation with two openings formed by the road he was walking on, which cut across the circle on both sides into two semicircles.
He stopped at a shop which had a sign above it's door that read, 'Stanton's bar and restaurant ' on the neon sign.
He went around the back and through the back door as he had always been instructed to.
When he got into the kitchen, he was met the familiar faces of the coworkers he had grown acquainted to.
"Oh you're finally here Huh?" A brown curly haired woman, supposedly in her late twenties stated grumpily, with one hand on her waist and the other holding onto a fork soaked in foam just like her yellow apron.
Her hazel eyes which complimented her brown skin looked infuriated and pissed as usual.
" I'm sorry Ms Shanaya. There was a power cut and that stopped me from coming earlier ." He retorted confidently even though it wasn't entirely true.
He was stalled by his mother's sudden cough attack but she didn't need to hear that.
" I don't care Griffin. There's a big mess left in the dining hall from the customers that arrived during the last shift. Customers have arrived already but the entire room is filthy and covered in grease. Rosie started without you.
Get to work! "
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Before his working hours were over, Axel wasnt able to acquire the early leave he had anticipated to get.
When he asked for it, the head of the bar, George Beanie declined, saying that Shanaya reported his late arrival to work which was terrible work ethic.
For someone who had earned a bonus a day ago, his performance had gone down hill.
Hence, after his work hours had come to an end he headed East side of their district where the doctor who was going to help his mother lived.
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On the porch of a two story building, next to tall pillars well sculpted to bring put the artistic interest of the house owner, stood Axel.
A gray haired man sat in a chair by a round-table as he leisurely sipped sipped his tea which ice cubes suspended in the brown liquid.
He stood before an elderly man who should have retired from practicing medicine,but was still in the business making medicine.
White lights from the ceiling above them and the the little bulbs placed at regular intervals on the building walls filled the vicinity.
Axel waited in silence patiently in silence for the man to speak.
"Griffin. " Mr Oswald began slowly after he sipped the tea in his porcelain tea cup, his grey eyes trailed all of Axel's movements.
"What brings you to here?"
Axel phrased his words in his head before he spoke calmly.
" My mom. Her condition is still not showing any improvements " He looked down at the table covered in floral patterns on plane white fabric that complimented the white marble floor.
Mr Oswald looked up from his ice tea cup, from which he was about to sip his tea from. He lowered his cup and placed it on the white saucer on the table.
His peppered hair looked well combed and taken care of despite the usual hot temperatures of this district.
He was shielded from its heat in this well ventilated and cool building.
" What about the medicine I gave you?"His grey eyes surrounded by ripples of wrinkly skin peered at the boy before him.
" We have been feeding her that but it doesn't seem like she's improving. It's getting worse" He said the last part of the sentence slowly and almost inaudible but despite the man's old age, he caught it.
"Your mother needs more medical care than you are providing her. And without giving her body what it requires, it will not improve. I hope you understand what I mean." He lifted one of his peppered brows as he spoke to the young man before him.
" I know. That's why I'm trying my best to give her that but it seems everytime I get her medicine, she gets worse. " He pleaded with his blue eyes once full of life now haunted with exhaustion and fear.
His eyes moved to the Metal gate, well sculpted to shield this infrastructure from the outskirts.
"I don't know what to do anymore..." His voice died down as he unlocked some of his insecurities to the man before him.
Still standing by the table, where the old man was sitting, he clutched the black strap of his back pack and waited for the possible help he might get from the doctor.
"What's different about her health now? " He asked the boy curiously.
Axel looked hesitant as he tried to put his thoughts in words before the doctor which made him feel like dirt that layed buried in grease on the filthiest side of the district.
"Her body is growing weaker daily. She can't stay awake for up-to an hour anymore. She sleeps frequently for a long time and recently her cough attacks have been extreme. She coughs out blood now" He clenched his jaw as he stated the last part.
The old man's face seemed to darken as he talked to the boy but the boy was to wrapped in his emotional turmoil to notice.
He quickly schooled his expressions and spoke
"Well the last time you came, I gave you some medicine that should have helped, which I am sure helped. Even though it made a miniscule difference, I am sure it did." He paused to drink his cold tea before he continued.
" Like I said before , she has an infection in her lungs and a common body hypoxia which threatens her breathing but like you said, it seems to be getting worse.
You need to treat it fast if you want her to live"
He spoke flatly with no emotions attached to his words.
"Of course I do! In fact that's why I'm here. Surely there's more medicine that can help her" He begged.
Mr Oswald crossed his hands on the table and peered at the boy " That will cost more money and it doesn't seem like you can afford that" He sized the boy with his eyes.
"I'm ready to do manual labor in exchange for the medicine as long as it helps her health." The man looked away as if tired of the young boy before him.
"Please. Help me" He pleaded desperately.
The old man folded his hands over his chest as he fell into deep thought.
"Fine" And that one word skyrocketed the boy's spirits.
.