03. PAIN.

" Will you keep calm and stop fidgeting like the coward you are? " The man's cold voice pierced through her eardrums and she raised her head only to meet with his beautiful eyes.

Even though he looked cold, to her ears, his voice sounded bewitching. How could a man have such a deep yet mesmerizing voice? It was Jane's first time of admiring a man this much. She gulped nervously and looked away.

' Did he just refer to me as a coward? ' She thought and the sudden boldness came on her as she turned towards the man whose attention was now back to what he was doing.

" Excuse me mister, did you just call me a coward? " Jane asked and Allen raised his head from the file that he was reading. He turned his head to look at the girl who once had her wings dipped into cold water speak back to him. He looked quite amazed within.

" Are you going to beat me? " He asked.

" What makes you think that I won't be able to? " Jane retorted.

" The episode of where a young man was pulling a young woman with him and the young woman seemed helpless. " Allen answered with a cold face and Jane frowned.

She looked perplexed about what this man had said and she kept quiet for the whole ride. After driving for a little while, they arrived at the City's hospital and Allen's eyes darkened. What was she doing at a hospital?

" Miss Jane, I believe this is your stop? " Bert asked politely.

" Yes, thank you. " Jane replied quickly and unlocked the car but before she could step out, Allen grabbed her hand and she flinched at the sudden contact, his hand was so cold and she wondered if it was due to the turned on air conditioner or If it was something else.

Jane looked at the man who wasn't willing to let go despite her little struggle. Allen looked at the lady who was now looking scared and he released her hand. He didn't know why he did that at the first impulse but if there was something he knew, it was that a hospital wasn't a good place to be. He had faint memories of it that only jolted back whenever he passed through a hospital.

" I am sorry. " He said casually.

" It's fine. " She replied and got out of the car, she bowed her head slightly.

" Thank you for the ride. " She appreciated but the man didn't reply as the car's window wounded up and sped up, leaving the sudden air initiated from the burst of the engine blowing against Jane's skin.

She walked into the hospital and then into a room where rag-like clothes were hung on the wall and some were neatly folded. She changed into one of the clothes, carried a bucket and a mop before heading to one of the wards in the hospital.

She opened the door and met a nurse administering treatment to the patient on the bed.

" Good evening, Jane. " The nurse smiled at her.

" Good evening, Joy. " She replied as she puts down the bucket on the ground before making her way towards the nurse.

" How was work today? " Jane asked.

" As you can see, I am still in the middle of it but I will soon be off at any moment from now. " Joy said as she kept the syringe on the tray beside her.

Jane knew Joy for the past six weeks she had been coming to work here, she was the only nurse that was nice to her and had secured this job for her just to pay her sick brother's medical bills that seemed to be increasing every moment. Joy carried the tray and was about to walk out when she suddenly stopped.

" Jane. " She called out to her.

" Yes? "

" I know that I am not supposed to say this according to the doctor's instruction but I can not help it. I need to tell you this, your brother 's time is almost up and he can't last a week before you…you know what I mean so please find this money as soon as you can because this little treatment he is receiving is nothing as soon as you can before it is too late. " Joy said and left without waiting for her response.

Jane felt lifeless after hearing that and rested on the walk with a sad look. She had never been so helpless before until when it all started. She didn't want to borrow money from Joy and even if she wanted to, it wasn't up to the required amount for the surgery, a million dollars. She felt weak suddenly and stared at the patient who was on the bed, snoring.

" Life's struggles and problems end only when you close your eyes in peace. " She mumbled.