At the scene, Mike found a large assemblage of steamed people surrounding Ken. Everyone was carrying a cane as they were dying to teach him a lesson.
"What is happening here?" he asked loudly, and everyone stared at him.
Amidst the silence, a man with a deep and frightening voice responded loudly from the crowd, "We may answer your question only if you accompany your friend down there. Have you heard?" Ken trembled instantly.
Shortly, another person uttered, "He is the friend, moreover, his closest friend. Get him down very fast. They combine efforts to mistreat us."
Mike plotted to break loose from the mob and run away on hearing this, but it seemed impracticable. So, he decided to humble himself and stay calm. His humility equated to that of a domesticated dog chanced upon transgressing even though everyone sustained the intention to vex him.
"Please forgive me, my people. I beg for a chance to change. Excuse me today, but if the conditions at the health facility persist, you will be right to come for me," Mike pleaded.
Immediately, a threat emerged from the crowd, "Then we shall come for your head, have you heard?"
Mike made a sudden movement that caught everyone's attention. He touched his head with his right hand and immediately bowed down. What was he searching for? A moment of enlightenment or a hidden answer to the burning proposal?
As he finally leaned his head on his right shoulder, he looked like a tortured soul seeking relief from his inner demons. The air was thick with anticipation as everyone waited to see what would happen next.
"Why my head? Why not any other part?" he begged.
When he looked up to see who would answer, everyone gazed at him silently while those at the back continued conversing.
A group of five young and able-bodied men quickly advanced before the crowd. The leader, a well-known wrestler named Mr. Don, immediately warned him.
"Don't try to look at us, and if you try, a dead body remains here! Have you heard?"
While looking aside, Mike replied suspiciously, "Yes, yes, yes!" He also felt a sudden urge to urinate as his bladder filled up instantly.
Don's commanding voice immediately echoed in the place again. "Rise!" he bellowed.
Ken sprang to his feet with lightning speed, eliciting a roar of thunderous laughter from the crowd.
In that instant, the urgent need to relieve himself vanished into thin air, leaving him wondering if his bladder had somehow obeyed the same command. Was it possible that his urine had retreated into his kidneys, or had the power of Don's voice scared it away? The electrifying atmosphere was palpable, and anything seemed possible at that moment.
Mike stood upright, facing toward the health facility. His heart rate was so high that it could be heard from a distance, causing bystanders to wonder how quickly he would breathe if he was whipped.
"Now, it is instruction time. Attention!" Don commanded. Mike stood still, set to listen to the instructions.
"We are sending you to the in charge of Lagoro Health Center IV," said Don, "inform him of whatever you encountered in this place and all that is happening. No stopping on the way, you risk, you cry. Have you heard?"
"Yes Boss! Aya yayaya!" Mike exclaimed with a high-pitched voice, and laughter erupted among the crowd again.
"Do you need a ride? No worries! These two natural wheels will get you there!" Don assured him.
Subsequently licking his lips, Don continued, "I will count from three to one, but if I say 'cut and run' and you delay, you will immediately pay for it. Only five strokes cannot make you reach your breaking point. That will be the only treatment for your illness. You will then go back and run. Is it clear?"
"Yes, yes!" Mike replied spiritlessly after briefly seeking his voice like a thief questioned by an angry mob.
"So, Three! Two! One! Cut and run!" Don commanded.
Mike took off very fast, and some people could imagine him to be using a four-wheel drive. The whole crowd burst into laughter again, but the infectious sound from Don's Belly laugh was so captivating that it stimulated people to laugh uncontrollably with him.
A few people followed Mike to some short distance from the scene while others stayed back. He ran straight to the in-charge's office, obeying the command that directed him.
The in-charge's office was quite a beautiful room, well decorated with glittering clothes and flowers. Air regulators projected downwards from the roof, and the room was well-ventilated with cool air from the surroundings.
The room was just a haven of relaxation with a fully stocked refrigerator boasting chilled bottled water, soda, and juice. Not a single soul ever felt the urge to step out, and nobody was ever compelled to leave. Cozy vibes and refreshments were just what everyone needed to unwind and recharge.
Inside the office, the in-charge sat comfortably, watching health news on the TV. His secretary's room was just adjacent to his. No one could traverse his office without seeking permission from one of his secretaries.
Mike rushed in, panting like a dog, with his entire body covered with sweat. Even though his body odor was equitable to that of a he-goat that had been in the rain for quite long, the secretaries could not clog his movement. He proceeded to the in charge's office like a shot.
Lota, one of the secretaries who had not seen Mike move in, complained of the possibility of a he-goat's presence in the surroundings.
"Hey Achon, did someone bring a he-goat here?" asked Lota.
Achon, his co-worker, just smiled and burst out laughing.
Lota asked again, "What is it that you find funny?" He was surprised to hear Achon laugh at his question.
"A he-goat in a clinical room! How feasible can it be? Well, if you meant a human substitute for a he-goat, then you are right," he wondered, laughing again. His eyes later widened as he stared at Lota. Suddenly, he pointed towards the first time closed door to the office of the in charge and exclaimed, "The he-goat entered that room!"
What could it mean? Adrenaline started pumping through Lota's veins as he followed Achon's gaze, wondering what secrets lay behind that closed door. It was the first time he saw the door to the in-charge's office closed while he was in.
Immediately, Lota rushed to the door, opened it slowly, and peeped in to see the he-goat. He was surprised when he only saw a dirty man stand before the in charge, answering seemingly tough questions.
Upon entering the office, Mike's filthy appearance and strong odor from accumulated sweat were unacceptable. Despite Dr. Lee's attempts to remove him from the room, Mike refused to leave.
"You dirty pig, move out!" Dr. Lee commanded, but Mike ignored him and kept moving forward.
Mike was Ken's closest friend at the workplace. Both were known rummies at the hospital. Several individuals reported them multiple times to the supervisor's office for screening, but the supervisor, Dr. Lee, would not intervene as he would receive much money from Ken to lull the people. These alcoholic men were so pesky to patients and were known for teasing and persistently vexing them.
This time, Dr. Lee whose mind was preoccupied by earlier information, could not imagine anything else. His thought was that Mike could have met trouble at the drinking place.
"How dare you abuse my office this way? Fall back!" Dr. Lee yelled at Mike again. He had to betray Mike because he knew that if he acted stupidly, he would suffer the consequences.
Mike shivered in response, and because of too much energy that the crowd used to send him, he refused to leave. It would be a lethal offense. So, he just bowed before Dr. Lee humbly. To start speaking was also a big challenge. He and Ken had been cautioned several times against boozing by Lee, but they could not conform to the moral values expected of them. When he finally found the strength to talk, his voice was rough and full of fear. He stumbled over his words, and sweat dripped from almost every part of his body.
"Forgive me. I …" Mike had started to apologize when Dr. Lee interrupted.
"Stop! I shall not permit such any sense. Didn't I warn you against drinking? After wasting much time and energy cautioning you, you still return to me with your problem. Cry locally, and I will help you, or else you will find the solution to your problem from within the problem. So, no tears within a few seconds, no help. Is it clear?"
In the blink of an eye, Mike's eyes welled up with tears, slowly at first, then streaming down his face like a rushing river. His eyes turned a fiery red, reflecting the intensity of his emotions. He then humbled himself even further, like a daring thief trying to evade the wrath of a raging mob by showing utmost respect. It was a heart-wrenching moment that left Dr. Lee spellbound.
When Dr. Lee glanced at him, he immediately permitted him to speak.
"Now that you have accomplished your task, how can I help you?" Dr. Lee asked.
"Thank you, sir!" Mike expressed his gratitude towards Dr. Lee as he tried to gain more confidence. Dr. Lee was tired of the odor emanating from Mike's body and responded immediately.
"Listen to me! I have allocated my time to help you, not for you to apologize. How many times have you come here trying to justify your erratic behavior? If you do it again, I will immediately ask you to leave this place for good. Do you understand?" Dr. Lee sternly warned Mike and got up from his seat.
"Yes, I understand," Mike replied.
Dr. Lee then walked towards the door and said, "Wait! I'll be back shortly."
Mike was left standing alone as Dr. Lee left his office to go outside and take a break. On his way out, he passed by the secretaries' room. The secretaries were extremely frightened, thinking they could be his possible target.