Prologue
That day, out of the blue, the night fell. The rain attempted to imitate the water-shoot pressure of a good tap. It seemed that it wasn't going to calm down, knocking drops on the bended backs of the intrepid people who were blindfoldedly going through, as the roaring thunder was looking for victims. Another normal day.
The northwest wing of the Alyand Lorh Hospital was almost silenced by the heavy rain. Suddenly, she burst through the glazed doors, screaming "emergency". She was holding a pale looking little boy in her arms and a little girl the same age was clinging to her back.
-Asthma, triggered by cold and dust, occasionally chemicals. He collapsed 7 seconds ago.
They immediately took the boy to a room and called a doctor. The little girl was afraid for her brother and didn't want to be alone, so she didn't give in to the demands of the nurses. The woman was trying to focus on the whereabouts of the little boy but she shifted her attention to the girl who was strangling her. She reassured her and accompanied her through the treatment. As soon as she fell asleep, her whole body tensed up again.
She went back in the main hall and started to quietly pace, her eyes closing and opening from time to time, scrutinizing the place. She didn't care about the blood flooding on her black trouser. She had another wound on her belly, staining the light gray shirt she had on. Despite all their efforts, the nurses couldn't make eye contact and they were too scared to even touch her.
One of the nurses had the great idea to request the chief pediatrician's help. He had an admirable capacity to deal with complicated people.
He was in the middle of a conversation with the mother of one of his patients. He was hoping for a case to arrive and save him, but he could hardly hear any noise, thanks to the rain, his visitor had to he louder to be understood. He had a file full of important documents about the staff to analyze since the manager was on sick leave and the noise coming from the human being in front of him didn't help his concentration. He only wanted to sleep two more hours and now, he could kiss them goodbye. He was just about to call for someone to come escort his visitor out when the nurse came in.
- Doctor Camden, I'm sorry to interrupt you miss Griffiths; she quickly told the visitor. We need you; she said with a twitching distressing voice.
- What's happening ? he asked, standing up.
- An injured woman is pacing in the hall and doesn't want to get treated until she gets news on the her child's condition. He lost consciousness due to his asthma attack and is now being taken care of; she said quickly on the way.
- Is she causing any trouble ?
- Well, apart from the fact that fountains of blood are pouring out of her wounds, she is quietly pacing, opening her eyes from time to time, scaring everybody.
They promptly arrived in the main hall. The blood stains on the woman's shirt were now in a more vivid hue and widely spread on the drenched t-shirt, as for the floor. She was seated, her gaze wandering from one place to another, scanning the place, hardly breathing. Then her eyes stopped and stared in one direction. They were looking from afar at a man with a long white robe : Here comes the reinforcement, she thought. The eye contact lasted two seconds.
Her attitude was more intriguing than her pain threshold to the doctor. He approached promptly and stood in front of her. The woman didn't bother to take a look. Her eyes were focused on the corridor through which the little boy was taken.
- Why didn't you come to me ?
- You're not in charge of him; she answered after a moment of silence.
- You should get treated, you're staining the place.
- Get me the mop.
The audacity... He understood that she wouldn't be taken down without a fight. But they had to be clever and quick with the sedatives. Yet, in the blink of an eye, his attention was carried so far away in wonderments about the mysterious human being that his body moved on its own.
That's when their eyes finally met.
He leaned toward her, intending to grab her face, when she seized his wrist at the speed of lighting. The doctor was startled and finally woke up from his daydream. Slowly, very slowly, she directed her gaze towards him. The irritating suspense suddenly changed into amazement. Her gaze was piercing. The doctor was bewitched by her eyes. Their deepeness was absorbing him, reading his deepest thoughts, making him lose his means and shiver at the idea of being at her mercy.
A sudden noise on the reception counter put an end to the daydream. The doctor got a hold of himself and gently put his left hand on the one who was holding his right wrist firmly and squeezed it.
- I am Lionel Camden, chief pediatrician. I can assure you that the boy is in good hands. I will personally watch over him; he said in one breath. You have to trust me or die unnecessarily; he added after a silence.
The woman looked at the doctor with a deeper gaze. Out of fatigue he kneeled. He straightened his back without breaking the hypnotic eye contact with her. Blinking was such a waste of time to begin with. He wanted to capture every inch of it, concentrating so much he thought time had stopped and had already forgotten what he had just said and why he was there.
What had lasted less than thirty seconds came to an end when she closed her eyes, surrendering to her wounds and abandoning her body to the doctor in a sudden fall. He caught her but was surprised by her heaviness, leading him to lose control and fall on his back. The nurses quickly brought a stretcher and took her to an empty room nearby. The doctor had sprained his ankle but didn't want any help. He went back to his office, escorted his visitor out before taking a quick shower and changing.
That was the strangest patient he has ever had. She didn't even give any number to contact and used her last words to say something so incomprehensible. He sighed. The work was far from done, he only hoped for less disturbance.
The rain lightened, he chuckled. It was soothing to take a warm shower under the rainy melody, to hear again the cars racing on the watered roadway, people walking, the sky clearing up a little, the birds singing, the smell of coffee.
He had a last shiver at the thought of that last gaze. He shook his head and got back to his work.
Author's note :
It was about time I jumped. I'll be delighted in your Feedbacks
