The Next Day - At the Government Hospital
"Dr. Summer. Here is the money," Valerie offered blissfully the reward from Brian.
The doctor looked up from his work and frowned.
"Delay is always dangerous, Young lady. We lost your mother last night," he educated her with a stoic expression.
Instantly, she lost her sense of comprehension and stuttered, "D-Dr. S-Summer. I m-mean my mother's medical … Oh, My God!" She wailed and that was all she could remember.
"Oh!" The doctor screamed after she slumped and two nurses were attracted.
They rushed to his office and saw Valerie on the floor.
"Oh, my God!" They screamed in unison and one of them ran back while the other attended to her.
Soon, the first nurse returned with a stretcher and the doctor instructed them, "Take her to the Intensive Care Unit at once."
"It is all right, Dr. Summer," they responded simultaneously and placed her gently on the stretcher.
Likewise, one of them picked up her purse and they moved. Nevertheless, the doctor had been on night duty and was exhausted but he had to brace up. He could not afford to lose a mother and her child on the same day. Therefore, he walked briskly after them. After ensuring that she was out of danger, he resolved to contact any member of her family.
At The Miller Family House
Jane woke up that morning with displeasure when she realized that Valerie was not back yet and was ready to vent her anger on anyone. Apart from the thought that Brian could have genuine love for her and that she would displace her, the lack of food in the house was another source of annoyance to her.
"Is he not through with the interview yet? Does he want to keep her forever?" She grumbled and got up from her bed.
Meanwhile, apart from the breakfast she had the previous day she had not had any other meal. Now, her stomach rumbled to remind her that it needed food.
"Stupid girl. Won't she come and prepare food for her sick father?" She cursed and headed to the kitchen where she perceived the aroma of food.
In The Kitchen
To Sean, taking care of his father was less stressful after he got the tricks. He was happy to be close to him for the first time and be of help. That morning, with the help of the cookery book, he prepared their meal and served it.
Then, he realized that he did not take the spoons along. Without hesitation, he returned to the kitchen to get them.
Suddenly, Jane walked in and demanded, "Where is my breakfast, Sean?"
He looked at her with disgust and asked, "What breakfast are you talking about?"
"Are you asking me that? I have been observing you since yesterday. You are only interested in yourself and no one else. How can you prepare food for only yourself without thinking of your Big Sister?"
"Why can't you prepare your food if you are a Big Sister?" He blurted.
She scowled at him and asked, "Are you talking to me like that? Why can't you prepare for everyone since you are in the kitchen? Inconsiderate child?"
At Brian's House
After Valerie left, he began to wait enthusiastically for her return as she promised him. He was watching the television when he drifted off to sleep. In his dream, he saw a transformed Valerie holding two cute children - a boy and a girl of two years. He got up happily to meet them but it was impossible. At that point, Valerie slumped and the next picture he saw was three caskets.
He jolted up and screamed, "What! My Valerie?"
At The Miller's Family House
Sean was distraught and ignored her. He tried to walk out of the kitchen but she stopped him by pushing him back, "How dare you walk out on me? Where is my food?" she asked him.
"You can prepare food for yourself if you are famished," he advised her and inched forward.
To his chagrin, she struck him hard on both cheeks and he staggered backward. He held his cheek and gave her a hateful look.
"Did you just slap me?" He asked with killing intent and she was frightened.
Before he could charge at her, she fled. He swallowed hard, picked up his spoons, and returned to his father's room. Silently, he tapped him and he opened his eyes gradually. To his disturbance, he observed that he was troubled but could not explain why. His next words revealed that he felt the death of his wife the moment she died and was overwhelmed by grief.
"Valerie, I have been waiting for you to take me to your mother since last night. Take me to her quickly. She has left me behind," he requested.
However, Sean could not decipher his request but concentrated on feeding him and opened the dishes. Instantly, he was excited.
"Thank you, Valerie," he appreciated her and tried to get up. Sean helped him and when he was seated, he began to feed him.
Although he was cooperative, he requested, "Hurry up, or we will miss your mother."
When he was satisfied, he shook his head backward and rejected the food.
"Thank you, Valerie. I'm all right. Ask your mother to wait for me, please." He said and looked into his supposed daughter's sad face but could not comprehend anything.
Silently, Sean dropped the plate and picked up the box of drugs. After administering them, he lay him back on the bed. Likewise, Sean got up and went to the bathroom to get the towel and a pail of warm water. At that point, he was overwhelmed with anguish when he thought of the hopelessness of his life and dried his wet eyes.
"Has Valerie abandoned Father too?" He murmured and walked back to the room.
He met him staring at the plain ceiling in despair and began to clean him up. Not only that, he was tempted to say 'sorry' when he saw how he grimaced in pain but restrained himself to avoid annoying him.
"Let your mother know that I will be with her very soon," he requested.
Suddenly, Sean heard an unfamiliar ringtone and stopped in his tracks. His father's phone had never rung since the previous day and he could not trace it. Since he fell ill five months ago, he never picked up his calls. Therefore, his friends, relations, and business associates stopped calling him. Those who visited the house to check on him could not see him because Magdalene, his janitor slash mistress, and Jane and Sean's mother, informed them that she could not find him either and suspected that he eloped with a mistress. They believed her. After he got her pregnant as a maid, people doubted his credibility.
"That is irresponsible of him. Be strong," they sympathized with her,
"It had not been easy, but I will be strong," she sobbed, and afterward, they considered him an untrustworthy man.
Apart from that, they hated him for not picking up their calls and concluded that he was unreliable and distanced themselves from him.
Nevertheless, Sean traced the phone through the ringing tone to the hip of clothes in the wardrobe where Valerie kept it after she charged it and brought it out. Now, he attempted to pick up the call but it timed out. He put it in his pocket and went back to work. Before he was through, the phone rang again, and to ensure that his father, who was about to sleep off, was not disturbed, he walked to the kitchen. Meanwhile, he looked at the phone and could not see the name of the caller.
All the same, he received the call, greeted, "Hello," and waited.