It had been some weeks already after that first and last time Mr. Grey dropped me off at home. When he gave me that piece of advice, I responded with just a smile. I couldn't pour out all my heartaches to him because I didn't want him to think that he was better than Eric because he was richer. And besides, we were still strangers who just got to know a little about each other. We were neither friends. Eric's shame was also mine because it also meant I was too stupid to allow him to trample my worth and pride.
My mind was all set up. I would be leaving him. I was just waiting for the right time, and I would be breaking it to him gently. I was then slowly taking my distance. Oblivious to him, I was able to purchase my townhouse. After duty, I no longer went home. I just went there sometimes, but I wouldn't take long. I just told him I was accepting another job as a company doctor and slept at the doctor's lounge. It didn't seem to be a problem because he didn't argue with me about it. He didn't even ask the name of the company I was working for.
One morning, I was admitting a case of 30 years old male with complaints of chest pain radiating to the back. He was having a cold sweat and breathing difficulty, so my team and I moved like a flash of lightning. The nurse-on-duty immediately hooked him to an oxygen inhalation, inserting an intravenous line afterward. I then gave them my medication orders to start while scribbling them down on the patient's chart. Only after he was ready for transfer to a regular room, I could go out to have my breakfast.
"Dr. Red," I heard someone calling out my name as I hurried toward the hospital's coffee shop. I looked over my shoulder, and I almost stumbled when I saw who was coming towards me.
"Mr. Grey," I stuttered a little since I never expected I would see him this morning.
He caught me up even before I was able to blink. "Breakfast?"
"Yes." Dear heavens, my heart went wild again as I looked up to him.
Mr. Grey grabbed a menu list at the counter before leading me towards a table beside a glass wall. He asked me to choose a meal, and I picked up a breakfast set for both of us. After the waiter collected our order, he stated right away his purpose in visiting me.
"Dr. Red, I need a company doctor for Laminae, Inc., and of course, the first person that came into my mind is you."
I stared at him, gaping at what he said, and before I could answer, he added. "I know you are applying for the said position at a certain company, but I want you to be in Laminae."
I was surprised at how he happened to know about my application for a company doctor. I never told anyone about this, not even my closest staff in the current hospital where I was working.
"How do you know about it?" I asked seriously, and his chuckle came as his answer.
"It's not important anymore. What I need is your answer to my proposal, Dr. Red. Please, think about it."
I smiled and got lost in my thought as we began eating. I was thinking hard if I should accept his offer or not. Since I was already looking for one so that I wouldn't live forever in a lie, I considered taking it. I was about to tell him I was accepting his offer when he cut me off and told me to give myself more time to consider it.
We talked more about trivial things, and we both ended up laughing hard. He started to make jokes, not realizing that in the process, our personal reservations thinned out. If not for the urgent call from the ER again, we wouldn't have separated earlier.
"I'm sorry to cut you off, Mr. Grey," I apologized. We were still in the middle of an interesting topic when I had to dismiss him off.
"I understand, but can we call each other by our first names?" Mr. Grey looked at me straight in the eyes, and like a magnet, his gaze pulled my eyes into his.
"Sure," I grinned.
Mr. Grey walked with me back to the ER, and just as I stepped inside, a post-graduate intern sprinted towards me. "Doc Red, it's a couple in the middle of their coitus when suddenly, the woman had vaginismus."
I frowned the moment he finished speaking, and I started to feel empathy towards the woman. What could have happened that triggered this punishment on them?
"How are they able to get here?"
"The male partner called up to ask for help, and so our responders went to the hotel where they were staying. The responders scared the woman further, making it impossible to pull out."
"I see," I answered softly as my mind started picturing them out in a heated sexual activity, only to be disrupted when the woman's vaginal walls suddenly clamped the thing inserted between her thighs.
"Give the woman one ampule of..." I gave out a verbal order, picked the patient's chart simultaneously, and began writing stat orders.
Vaginismus is a condition wherein the woman's vaginal muscles squeeze anything inserted in it, such as a tampon or a penis. Most of the time, the reason is unknown, but in most cases, it's related to a woman's stress or anxiety over pre-marital sex or a forbidden relationship.
After scribbling down my orders, I walked towards the cubicle and pulled the curtain aside. As soon as it made way for my entry, I saw a man and woman facing each other closely, a blanket covering their naked bodies. My eyes then fell on the man's face, and my heart began to hammer in painful thuds.
I rushed out of the ER, using the same passage Sean and I passed through a while ago. Just as I began to wail, I got surprised when I saw that Sean was still there. Seeing that I was on the verge of breaking down, he pulled me close to him, providing a shoulder to cry on.
"What is it?" Sean asked as he rubbed my back to comfort me. I sobbed louder when I felt sympathy for my emotional heartbreak, mumbling Eric and my friend's name.
I did not know how long I was crying on Sean's chest. He did not say a word but did not stop stroking my hair and my back. Knowing somebody cared and understood your heartache was such a nice feeling that my crying spell took longer. After what seemed like an eternity, I pulled myself up and looked at him with a faint smile. "Thank you, Mr. Grey." "Sean. We already agreed on this." "Ah, yes," I chuckled, feeling awkward. "I need to go back. They are already looking for me," I said as I looked around, ignoring his complaint. I sighed in relief when I realized we're standing on a corridor that only ER staff were using. I pulled my phone out and saw unread messages. I then opened the one from my fellow physician-on-duty. "Doc, Red,don't worry. I'm taking over. Mr. Martela asked if you are on duty, but I told him you are accompanying a patient who transferred to another institution." I smiled at Dr. Mimi's thoughtfulness, but I grumb
Eric rolled up his window and threw me a confused stare. Suddenly, I lost my courage to say it personally to him that I was already leaving. Not because I had hesitations, but because I did not want to hurt myself anymore. I knew he would start insulting me again and remind me how ungrateful I was."Eric," I greeted him as soon as I was done placing some of my things in the passenger's seat. It was not much anyway because I already pulled some of it every time I dropped by."What happens to your car?" I was right. He didn't notice the absence of my things, even in our bedroom. Either he was too busy with my best friend, or he just didn't care about it. I was used to it, anyway."It's safe from scratches here. Long hours in the hospital's parking lot is too risky.""I won't mind. You can have it fixed anytime."Oh, really. What makes him so gentle today?"Thank you," I said, giving him a pursed smile. "Eric, I have to g
"I'm used to this. I can still sleep," I smiled awkwardly. "No. Drink milk, instead. I also bought a little." "What-" "Wait." He cut me off, only to make me wait. Yet, when he came back, he already had two bags in his hands. My eyes got wide when he pulled out a big can of milk. Standing to take it from him, I giggled. "Thanks, Sean, but I'm not a baby anymore." "The babies are not the only ones who need a good rest. Adults, also. And milk contains melatonin, a hormone that induces sleep. You're the doctor here, so I don't have to give further explanation." I raised both my hands, still giggling. "Okay, okay, I'll drink the milk. I don't need another lecture. What else do you have there?" I stood up next to him as I opened the two bags and looked at what he got. I shook my head in amusement when I saw that those foods were even enough to feed me for three months: nuts, chocolates, cookies, noodles, dri
Sean slowed down as we were about to enter the basement entrance of a tall building in one of the famous parks of the city. He did not tell me where we were going; he just diverted our conversation into some trivial topics. I put my head forward so that I could take a look at the whole facade-- from top to bottom. Built of tinted glass and silver steel framework in a contemporary design, its mirrored glass panes reflected the lights of the lamp posts and the night view of the surroundings. It wouldn't take more than just a glance to tell that the building was a work of elegance. What caught my attention next was the bold, silver signage enclosing the beautiful landscape that glittered against the evening lights.LAMINAE, INC."So, this is your building?" I asked, looking at him with awe.Sean chuckled and threw me a glance. We were already descending towards the basement parking lot that required his focus. "Not only mine, but I also have business partn
Sean and I went out of the clinic. I thought he was going to show me his office, but to my surprise, we turned right to a corridor next to the clinic. I noticed that along the length of that corridor, there were only two doors, and there were no signages attached. We stopped in front of the first door, and Sean opened it. He held it open for me, and I gasped in aweas I stepped in. Expensive furniture and appliances graced the mini living room, enhanced by the modern ceiling and lighting design.Behind it was a partition wall, separating the kitchen and the dining room. On the other side was another door, and I could tell without asking that it must be the bedroom. Though the room was not painted with pink or red, and that its shade suggested a general preference, I could still say it was more of a feminine design. I then began to question Sean's personality. Ever since I knew him, I never heard him mention a woman. He even didn'tinvite someone to be his partner du
There were a few seconds of silence before he spoke again. "Come on, Red. What do you mean by that?"It took me a while before I replied. I didn't want to hear him ranting at me anymore. I then heardsounds of opening and closing of doors, and pulling and pushing of drawers."Red, what do you mean by these empty closets and drawers? I don't see white coats here anymore.""Just when did you learn to check my things, Eric? Just when did you take your eyes off other women for you to see my missing things?""Red, you're exaggerating things-""Am I? When you seduce every beautiful woman, including my best friend?""Comehome! Let's talk about this.""My home is somewhere else already, Eric. And I am not sorry. Whatever was there between us, it's over. I have a list of all my expenses, including my tuition, and all those fancy things you give me. Just give me time, and I will return every penny you spent for me-- with intere
"I'm sorry, Red," he said in between his sobs, "I'm really sorry."I chose to keep silent because I already made up my mind. If I would reply, he would onlytry harder to convince me. Tears were always my weakness, and I was afraid I would give in if he continued his drama. I couldn't define what I was feeling for him because his unrestrained tongue wouldalways ruin every sprout of affection that I had for him.Those five years I chose to endure were more of my way of paying him because I owe him my profession and my existence. It was never difficult to love him--he's sweet if he was in a good mood. He's generous to my wants and needs, and he always wanted the best for me. He bought me an expensive car, surprised me with signature stuff, and gave me access to his bank accounts. He never questioned, nor complained whenever I went out of the line and spend on something irrational.Yet, his weakness was his shorttemper and his endless nagging. Ever
My eyes flew wide when my eyes fell on the driver. I realized how lost I was in my heartbreak that I didn't even look at the plate number of the car that picked me up. I then got worried about being unable to cancel my booking, thinking about the driver's wasted time and fuel. However, the wide grin that broke in his face eased my guilt."Don't worry, dear. I was already there when the Grab car arrived, and I took care of him."I sighed in relief before I answered. "Sean, how come you're here?""I just presumed that you might flee from Eric."Sean laid his tender gaze at me while reaching out for my hand. I just smiled back at him, although the corners of my mouth curled forward, tempting me into another episode of crying moments."Let it go, Red," he said, giving my hand another squeeze. And I did as he told me.To give me a bit of privacy, Sean turned the engine on and sped off to somewhere I couldn't care less at the moment. I