With everything going on, Derek had almost forgotten his promise to his mother that he would see a doctor and get some sleeping pills. But Emily, ever vigilant, reminded him that he had asked her to pencil in an unnamed appointment for his lunch hour that day.
Which was why, Derek found himself once again in Dr Cullen's private practice. Right off the bat, Derek knew that something was up. The young man had greeted him warmly enough but he had a haunted look about him.
Taking him in, things finally clicked for Derek, and he could not help but let out a laugh.
"I take it my mother has been to see you," He said, and the haunted look intensified, the younger man looking around like he expected her to pounce out of nowhere.
"That woman is terrifying," The doctor finally said, and Derek had to nod. His mother could be terrifying when she wanted to be.
"I take it you did not tell her why I came to visit you the first time," He said matter of factly, looking down at his watch. The young doctor frowned.
"How do you know I did not say anything?" He asked.
"If you had. My mother would have had you waking up in the nearest war zone where you would have had a negative chance of survival serving as a volunteer for however long you would make it," Dr Cullen laughed, clearly thinking that it was a joke, Derek did not laugh. And when the doctor realized this he paled, his eyes going wide.
"I am just a doctor. I will do my job, and keep your secrets. Just make sure that your family drama stays far away from me, " The young man finally said, and Derek nodded, but he made no promises.
"So, what brings you here today? " Dr Cullen asked, and Derek smiled.
"I need you to write me a prescription for sleeping pills, a real one this time under my name," There was a pause, the doctor took his glasses off and put them on the table. He rubbed at the area between his eyes and let out a long breath.
"Last time you insisted that I do the opposite and hide your actual prescription," Dr Cullen said, and Derek shrugged.
"This time my mother insisted that I get the pills. If I do the same thing as last time, she will get suspicious. So I am getting the pills like she wanted. And I know she is going to make sure that only the three of us know," Derek was pretty sure he heard the doctor mumble something about crazy rich people but he chose to ignore it.
The ways of his family were often confusing to many.
Later that evening he bumped into his mother when she was leaving, he made sure that she heard the rattle of pills in his pocket. Her pleased smile all the confirmation that he needed to know that she'd heard it and made the correct assumption.
She did not need to know that later that night, two of the pills ended up down the drain. Soon after Derek was in the pool, swimming his usual laps. When he finally felt tired enough that his body could be tricked into falling asleep he got out. Rather than go straight upstairs, he stayed in the pool room, looking out at the night sky through the giant windows. Only once he'd had his fill did he go upstairs.
After a quick shower, he had just pulled back the covers and was about to get into bed when his phone vibrated. He ignored it, whatever it was could wait until after he had gotten his precious bit of sleep. But it was not meant to be, the first message seemed to have opened up the flood gates.
Message after message, and call after call came until he had no choice but to pick up his phone from the nightstand. And once he read the contents of the messages. Any thoughts of getting a brief bit of shuteye were erased from his mind.
His uncle had finally played his hand, and it had sent everyone into a frenzy.
Just a few minutes before midnight, his uncle had sent a message to the managers at the solar panel plant.
He was not firing anyone. Nor was he closing the place down. What he was doing however, was giving them choices…
Keep working as you are, and take a pay cut. Pick out the least performing among you, fire them, and you get to keep their share. Push yourselves to produce more than the two hundred and fifty percent that you are producing per day, or you will be replaced.
On top of that, he had added plans to switch from their trusted raw material suppliers to a cheaper one with a dodgy reputation.
As he read the message, Derek was glad that he was sitting down, otherwise he would have fallen.
To him, it was clear that his uncle did not plan to go through with anything. But for people who did not know him, every word would sink in with the accuracy of a poisoned arrow. And Derek knew what the reaction would be… a strike.
Unruly workers, the discontent spreading like wildfire. If he did not handle the situation at the solar panel plant, the discontent would spread from branch to branch and pretty soon. Derek could have a worldwide crisis on his heads.
He did not remember getting dressed, but he must have at some point because the next thing he knew, he was in his car, speeding towards headquarters as he called in every available employee.
It was an all hands on deck situation.