Day Sixty-Five…
~~*****~~
Nathan was still in a trance when the door of his office was pushed open. Stephen barged in. "What happened to Jane?" he questioned Nathan.
Stephen's voice snapped him out of his stupor. He glanced at the doctor meaningfully, motioning him to pick up the document and leave. Sensing the heavy tension surrounding the two men, the doctor immediately grabbed the document on the floor and stepped out of Nathan's office.
"You may sit first," Nathan simply said, maintaining his composure. He was contemplating whether to tell Stephen about Jane's illness or just hide it from him. But one thing was for sure, he didn't want Ethan to know about this.
"Nate, just answer me. I'm worried about her. What is her condition?" Stephen asked him again in his desperate tone.
Nathan heaved a deep sigh. He was still shaken by Jane's illness. He didn't want to believe the result. He would like to get a second opinion from other doctors.
"She collapsed two days ago. And she hadn't regained consciousness yet. I transferred her so that I could monitor her condition. The doctor said she went back into a coma," Nathan explained.
"Do you plan to hide this from everyone, including me? But why?" Stephen was upset.
"Because I know Jane wouldn't want to worry everyone," Nathan responded. "So many things happened lately. Mr. Hiroshi was attacked. Dave was in critical condition. I can't put more stress and emotional burden on Abigail and her family," he justified his action.
"Let my father examine her," Stephen suggested.
Nathan didn't mention Jane's brain tumor. "Okay. I agree." He didn't refuse Stephen's suggestion because he also needed to get another opinion from other doctors.
It did not take long when a small figure joined them. "Uncle Stephen, please don't tell anyone about Miss Jane's condition," Ethan made a request. Among them, he was the only one who knew that Jane would wake up after seven days. He didn't want to make a fuss about this.
Cherry was standing behind Ethan. The two met inside Jane's ward a while ago.
"But her family should know," Stephen contradicted Ethan's words.
"Please, Uncle. Listen to me. If you are in Miss Jane's shoes, I know you will understand her. She doesn't want her family to worry about her. Just treat her for now. If she becomes better, we can inform Gramps and Miss Abi." Ethan also glanced at Cherry, asking for her support.
Cherry couldn't say no to this charming little boy. Besides, he had a point. She knew Jane. Ethan's words were true. Her sister Jane didn't want to burden her family.
There was a moment of silence. They were waiting for Stephen's decision. After a while, Stephen heaved a sigh of defeat. "Alright. We will keep this from them in the meantime."
"Thanks, Uncle." Ethan ran in his direction. Upon reaching his spot, the little boy hugged his legs. Stephen could only stroke his hair.
"You can bring her to your father's hospital and examine her. But you have to bring her back here afterward." Nathan gave Stephen his permission to take Jane.
Meanwhile, Ethan misunderstood his father's intent. He thought his father listened to him when he told her that it was best for Jane to let Stephen take care of her if Nathan didn't care about her at all.
Ethan felt utterly disappointed, thinking that his father was giving Jane away. "Uncle! I'm coming with you. Let's bring Miss Jane to Grand Uncle's hospital." He glared at his father after saying those words.
Nathan, on the other hand, just ignored Ethan's deathly glare. He just stood up and left his office. He didn't feel well. He needed to catch some fresh air.
But instead of going out, he just found himself standing outside Jane's ward. He stood there, hesitant to enter her room. He wanted to see her but he couldn't understand why he didn't have the courage to turn the knob and slid the door open.
When he heard the footsteps coming, Nathan decided to vacate his spot and hide. He just watched Stephen, Cherry, and Ethan enter the ward.
'Jane is very important to them. I wonder how they will react once they learn about her illness…' Nathan subconsciously clenched his fists before he turned around to leave.
Outside, he bumped into Aiden who was patiently waiting for Stephen and Cherry. Aiden could sense that Cherry felt uncomfortable with his presence so he chose to stay outside.
"Are you free?" Nathan greeted Aiden first, asking him if he was available.
Aiden didn't expect Nathan to approach him first. There was something strange about Nathan today. Did he feel lonely? Aiden seemed to recognize his expression. Nathan looked like this when Monica died.
"Nate, what's wrong?" Aiden asked him worriedly. He was low-spirited today. "Did you fight with Stephen again because of Phantomflake?"
Nathan shook his head. "If you are free, do you wanna come with me and grab some drinks?"
Though he swore to himself not to get drunk again after what happened between Jane and him Nathan felt the need to drink some beer or any alcoholic drinks today.
Aiden looked at Nathan skeptically. But in the end, he just bobbed his head and followed Nathan. He left his car keys inside the car so that Stephen could use it. He joined Nathan in his car.
Aiden didn't know where Nathan planned to go. He just quietly sat there as Nathan focused on driving. He wanted to ask Nathan but knowing him, Aiden tried his best to shut his mouth.
Half an hour later, Nathan and Aiden found themselves sitting in a bar. He rented the whole place so that no customer would disrupt them. Nathan needed a quiet place where he could drink all he wanted.
Aiden could only watch him in amusement. It was only past noon. This was not the right time to drink and get drunk. What had gotten into Nathan?
"Nate, tell me. What's troubling you?" Aiden could no longer hold his curiosity. He wanted to know why Nathan was behaving like this. He was not in his usual self.
The two already settled down in their respective chairs. Aiden poured him a drink. It was an imported whisky.
Nathan chugs the whisky in one gulp. Aiden's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Nate, slow down. It's whisky, not water." Aiden reminded him, patting his back.
"C'mon. Tell me what's going on." Aiden urged him to speak up.
Nathan tightened his grip on his glass and took another deep sigh. "I can't describe what I'm really feeling today." He smiled bitterly.
Aiden wasn't used to seeing Nathan like this. Surprisingly, Nathan was opening up with him.
"Is it about Abigail?"
Nathan chuckled but there was no hint of humor in his eyes. He shook his head and poured another whiskey into his glass.
"If not her, then what's troubling you? Just tell me. I'm willing to listen." Aiden put on a serious face.
"What would you feel if your mortal enemy is going to die soon due to illness?" Instead of answering Aiden, Nathan threw him a hypothetical question.
"Eh? Of course, I would rejoice. But I will pity him somehow." Aiden promptly responded.
Nathan fell silent. He couldn't feel any joy at all when he heard the doctor's words a while ago.
"How about… if the person who is going to die is your former friend? What would you feel?" Nathan asked Aiden again.
Aiden frowned when he heard that. "Former friend?"
"Yes. A former friend… because you are no longer friends with that person."
Aiden rubbed his chin before answering him. "I will feel a little bit sad. He was once my friend. Though we are no longer friends, I don't wish him to die."
Nathan analyzed his feelings again. Sadness was not the emotion he felt a while ago. It was something more beyond sadness. He couldn't name it. But one thing was for sure, even he, himself, didn't wish her to die. Before, he always thought of the best way to kill Jane, also known as Phantomflake. But now, he realized that he no longer wanted to kill her.
He didn't want to admit it but something crushed his heart when he heard from the doctor that Jane had a brain tumor and she didn't have much time left to live.
He couldn't accept it and he refused to believe it.
"What would you do if you know that someone you care about is going to die soon?" Nathan continued asking Aiden these hypothetical questions.
Aiden was still clueless as to why Nathan kept asking him such questions.
"Gosh. If that would happen, then I would spend more time with that person, letting him know how much I care about him. Wait, Nate! Don't tell me…" Aiden gasped and turned to look at him. He grabbed Nathan's shoulders and continued his sentence, "Are you sick? Are you going to die?"
Nathan had the urge to facepalm when Aiden assumed that he was sick and was going to die. If this was Stephen, he already figured out that Nathan was talking about a person related to him.
'Sigh. It's a good thing the person sitting beside me is the most clueless person that I know.' Nathan shook his head helplessly.
"I'm not," Nathan said, removing Aiden's hands that were holding his shoulders.
"Don't lie to me. You don't look well!" Aiden responded exasperatedly. "Tell me the truth, Nate? What is your illness? Stage four cancer?"
Nathan just squinted his eyes on Aiden. "Shut up! Just drink!"
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