Wanda Hawkins/ Silas Deane

She smiled widely, “What are you doing here, doctor?”

“Um..” he was at a loss of words, what was he doing here?

“That reminds me, sir, I have some questions to ask,” her tone was fixed, but her eyes betrayed a longing desire.

All he could concentrate on was how the song of the woman reached its climax and was concluding. He quickly dismissed Nurse Cohort. “Sorry, you can go home on your own.” He said in a hurry and entered the ward.

Cohort fumed, her mouth slightly parted. She was just about to say she was a night shifter but he left her hanging.

The woman with gentle green eyes sat watching her son while rubbing his hair. Dr Deane stood there, not knowing what to say or why he came in.

She looked at him and her eyes widened in surprise. She immediately stood up, hanging her head low in the process.

“Dr. Deane, you're here”

He nodded.

She looked up. “Are you…here to check on Andy?” She asked, revealing the name of her son.

He nodded, retrieving his stethoscope from his coat's pocket. He had no choice but to examine the boy.

After a quick examination, he checked his wristwatch. “It's getting late, you should return tomorrow early in the morning.” He told her.

She averted her eyes from him. With a half smile, she replied, “Who would look after Andy then?”

“You could switch with your husband; if he stays at night, then you can watch over Andy in the mornings and afternoons. That way, neither of you gets overwhelmed,” he suggested.

She frowned slightly, “I have no husband.”

He stared at her. Something must have been wrong with him, being happy to hear that she was a single mother.

“In that case, I'll tell one of the nurses to stay here in your stead”

She shook her head. “Don't bother Doctor Deane; I want to do this myself. It won't overwhelm me so don't worry about it.”

He could've stayed to convince her but there's nothing stronger than a mother's love for her child. She looked tired and overwhelmed already, but her love seemed to be her motivation, so he left her at it.

Alighting his car, he found himself sighing. His girlfriend, the mayor's daughter, Fiona Hart decided on her own to live with him. He didn't particularly have anything against it in the beginning but now he regrets agreeing to it.

“Baby!” She exclaimed immediately after he opened the door. She hugged him tightly, pressing herself against his weight.

His nose wiggled, taking in the fragrance of her many skincare and hair products.

She showered kisses from his face down to his neck. “Why can't you just spare a day for me?” She whinged.

“Work has been plenty recently,” he lied. He was on personal leave. He strolled to the kitchen.

“You love me right?” She started her usual annoying questions.

“I do” he answered indifferently, lacking the emotion he claimed he had. He didn't love her, and probably never will.

Love was something he lacked, a notion he didn't believe in. Rationally, he was only dating Fiona for the future's sake when he would need children to take over his inheritance. Love had nothing to do with it. Fiona was just drowning in her own fantasies.

Unconvinced, she stood in front of him. “Do you love me, Silas?” She asked again

He knew just how to stop her questions. He leaned in to kiss her, but surprisingly, she stopped him. Fiona placed his hand on her chest.

He felt her heart pulsing, beating in a fine rhythm. Symptoms of a healthy heart.

“Do you feel it?” She asked, her brows knitted.

All he felt was her heartbeat.

“Do you feel my love for you?,” She asked again.

He felt nothing.

Staring into her eyes filled with love and a hint of lust, he answered with zero emotions “I do, Fiona. I feel your love for me”. He pulled her in, his lips crashing onto hers. She let his tongue explore her insides, sending shivers down her spine.

Perhaps it was because of his lack of love for her that the kiss they shared always tasted bitter. One thing led to another and they shared a passionate night.

He arrived in his office the next day. Collapsed on his chair, ready for another thirteen hours of doing absolutely nothing. Better than spending those hours with someone he only sees as a rational decision.

The door had been fixed and locked properly this time. He phoned one of his employees who specialized in cardiology.

[“Dr. Louis, I need you in charge of the patient in ward 21. He has a mild heart disease. Ensure regular check-ups and send feedback if any complicated comes up”]

[“Roger that boss”]. The call ended and he heard a knock on the door after.

“Come in,” he said audibly.

The doorknob clicked and clicked. Dr Deane stood up, he forgot he locked the door earlier.

He opened the door and was greeted by a pair of big green eyes. “You..” his heart acknowledged her presence by beating rapidly.

Her hands were locked behind her as if she was hiding something. She smiled when he invited her in.

He strolled back to his chair, occasionally reaching out to his chest to calm his troubled heart.

“Is something wrong?” He asked.

She shook her head. Yesterday after he left without saying anything, it made her assume he was still angry with her. She even broke his door so she spent time thinking of how to make it up to him.

She finally revealed what she was hiding. “This is for you,” she said quickly, unable to maintain eye contact with him.

Silas tilted his head at the well-packaged meal box and then at her. His heart was on the brink of exploding seeing how shy she got.

“Why would you-”

“I troubled you so much yesterday for Andy's sake. Please accept this as my apology.” She still couldn't look at him directly.

Surprised, Silas almost laughed. He wasn't angry at all anymore. “I can’t-”

“Please!” She cut in, “It'll make me feel..less bad if you accept it”

Silas nibbled on his lower lip and smiled. “Okay, if it'll make you feel better, I accept it”

She looked up, her face gleaming. Her smile caught him off guard and he found himself unable to look away.

She placed the packed meal on his desk and excused herself.

“Wait!” He said impulsively and instantly regretted it.

She looked back,

“W..what's your name?” He felt like slapping himself.

“Wanda,” she responded, still smiling.

He nodded and she left.

Silas cursed, what happened just then? He had never behaved in such a way before. He was feeling real embarrassment from asking her name and to make it all worse, he couldn't remove the syncing of her lips as she said her name from his mind.

“Wanda..” he muttered.

Wanda's exit was Fiona's entrance. “Silas, who was that woman? What was she doing here?”

Silas found his composure and answered “She's one of my patient's family members”

“What was she doing here?” She asked

“She came to know the stats of the patient's wellbeing” he lied through his teeth. Lying was one of the things he was good at. He knew how to make it believable.

“Okay,” Fiona drew close. She placed a kiss on his forehead “Let's have lunch together later okay”

He nodded and asked, “Are you going somewhere right now?”

“Yes, Daddy called me for a family reunion or something, but I'll be back before your lunch break, so wait for me, okay baby?”

“Sure.”

As she left, the emotions he felt before started coming back to him. He picked up his phone and called Dr Louis.

[“Remember when I said you should handle the patient in ward 21?”] he asked

[“Yeah, is something up?”]

[“Never mind, I'll handle that patient”]

[“Sure thing boss”]. The call ended.

Silas had to admit, that was uncalled for. Dr Louis could give Andy the same amount of treatment he would've given but some part of him needed a reason to see Wanda again.

Reaching noon, Ward 21 was thrown into jeopardy when Andy's heart acted up. His seizure was worse than it was the first time. He was rushed into the operating room.

Wanda paced back and forth at the front of the operating room where the waiting benches were. She was restless. She assured herself that Andy was in the hands of the miracle doctor; regardless, she couldn't stop worrying.

Being religious, she sat down and clamped her hands together, praying for the success of the surgery they were conducting.

Silas saw her through the tinted glass window although she wasn't able to see through it on that side.

Seeing her praying, he swore that Andy's surgery would turn out well.

Where Wanda sat, she underwent semi-voluntary movement in her legs. She subconsciously shook her leg without stopping indicating how anxious she was.

She stopped when she heard Silas’s phone ring. Earlier when Andy started acting up, Silas was immediately alerted. He wasn't wearing his usual white coat and simply tossed his phone to Wanda when performing first aid to Andy before taking him to the operating room.

She watched the phone ring twice without stopping. She didn't know what to do and no one else was there but her. She picked up the phone.

The caller's ID read ‘Fiona Hart’. She couldn't just let it ring like that; whoever the caller was would assume that Silas wasn't picking up on purpose, so she answered the call.