2:22 A.M.
“Are you familiar with osteomyelitis?” The Bossman was curious.
“Excuse me, what?” William was confused.
“Your father is an orthopaedist, and you don’t know what that means?” The Bossman questioned Willy.
“Not me, but my dad. I work as a makeup artist…..” The kidnapper cuts him off.
“I understand you work in a salon as a professional. But I am sure your new friend is mindful of this illness, don’t you, Ivy?” I nodded in agreement.
Osteomyelitis is an inflammation of the bones. If not treated promptly, it will weaken the bone to the point that you have no choice but to cut it, and in the worst-case situation, amputation is the only option.
“Since you have decided not to speak, I will explain. Osteomyelitis is an infection that spreads or contaminates the bone to the extent where it is as good as dead. There is no other way but to get rid of it.” The Bossman elaborated.
“How does that relate to us?” Willy inquired.
It doesn’t take a genius to figure out why we are here.
“You are Patterson and Anderson’s children.” The Bossman stated.
Patterson and Anderson. It’s not just a name but a brand. One just can’t go without another in the medical industry. These two are the best Orthopaedists that the world has ever seen, and there is no place in the world that they haven’t seen.
Best friends, partners; they are an inspiration to many, respected by all. People kiss the feet they walk on because of the successful surgeries that they have performed. They are remembered in the prayers of those to whom they have brought new meaning to life. They are everything to every patient and their relatives they have treated. Still, they are nothing more than a moneymaking scum bag in their own families.
I respect and love all doctors in the world, but the only feelings I have are sadness, frustration, disappointment, and anger when it comes to my own father. That’s not because he had to spend more time in the hospital to help others, which is one of the noblest things a human can do, nor is it because, instead of promoting my dreams, he was teaching others to dream. But he couldn’t even do the most fundamental of fatherly duties, which is to love and protect his own child.
I always hear tales from my customers’ children about how their father catches the beast at night so they can sleep comfortably. My dad, on the other hand, was a beast in his own right.
This is the irony of my life, and it’s likely that of Williams’ as well.
“So, what does that have to do with us?” William asked again.
“Everything has to do with you two. You are the offspring of Jim Patterson and Nathanial Anderson. Ivanka, Jimothy’s 26-year-old daughter, and you, Nathanial’s 25-year-old homosexual son. Patterson and Anderson; world-famous successful doctors whose hands are considered nothing short of magic, but you two just can't bear them near you, do you?” This caused us to look down.
In one way or another, both of us have been victims of our father. One might ask how I have never met Anderson's son if our fathers are best friends. Their bond is so strong that one name is incomplete without the others.
We may have known each other's fathers, but our fathers made sure that our families were never connected in any way. The explanation is simple to us yet cynical to the rest of the world. My family is in Washington, and William is in Australia, so we live in two separate parts of the world. Despite this, our fathers meet and work with each other more often than they do with us. Whereas our mothers are regarded, they are nothing more than trophy wives. They are mere puppets of their husbands.
“Are you Jim’s daughter? It’s no surprise you’ve agreed to remain silent. I have had a sneaky suspicion since day one that he’s a Frankenstein monster. As for you, Bossman, are we bait for you? An operation that went bad on somebody you care for, and you want an act of revenge? You’re out of luck, friend. Knowing Jimothy and Nathanial, they won’t spend a dime to save us.” William informed him of the facts.
“Oh, they’d pay any penny I demanded from them if I wanted. But that’s not what I’m looking for. What I want from your father is much more valuable. They are going to put their abilities to good use because I want them to treat my brother. The treatment that he needs and deserves. The treatment which your fathers are not providing.” The Bossman began softly, but his rage grew with each word that came out of his mouth.
“You should find some other doctor,” William told him. He knew that their father was no saint. They might have skills, but they have done their fair share of unfair deeds and can be as cruel as a demon.
“Don’t you think I tried? The surgery is too risky, and your fathers are the only ones who can save him. My brother deserves the best, and it was your father’s doing that his conditions worsened.” The Bossman told him harshly.
Then something happened that none of them nor anyone else expected.
“What exactly did he do? What exactly happened?”
I spoke.
2:34 A.M.I spoke at 2:34 A.M. sharp. This is the time that should be documented in history. I chose to remain silent. I can, however, talk. Although, rarely, and this was one of those times. Words flew out of my mouth before I knew what they were and before anybody could comprehend them.None of them expected me to talk, and yet here I am, asking the Bossman questions, the answers to which should not come as a surprise.“Did you just speak?” Willy was taken aback when I spoke. He wasn’t expecting her to talk to him. At least not this soon.“It seems she did. Cookie, if I knew this is what was going to make you talk, then I would have used those terms a lot sooner.” With a grin, the Bossman told her. Yeah, kidnappers do smile, and it isn’t necessarily a sick and malicious smile.“Don’t call me that,” I told him with a frown. “And yes, Willy, I just spoke. I need to know what my father did.”“You should speak more often. Your voice is very soothing. In the literal sense, music to my ea
3:10 A.M.In Hotel La' More Room No. 902.....Jim and Nathan were delving into Jonathan Stone’s case file with diligence. It’s been nearly two hours since the Captain called. But, as he said, he never broke his deal. They could see their children via the live stream to which they had been allowed access. Except for the fact that Ivanka and William’s hands and legs were tied, they seemed to be in decent shape. They could also hear what they were saying, but there was no way their kids knew that their fathers could listen to them.“We tried so hard that neither of them ever met and look at us. Here we are at this crossroads,” Jim said to Nathan.“What more could we have done? At the very least, our secrets are safe. Our kids know nothing about us.” Nathan told his friend.“How long, though? They may not be aware about us, but the kidnapper does. So, we will be good only till we comply with them. Perhaps we should not have called the police. Things would have gone even more smoothly.” Ji
3:10 A.M. Meanwhile, in lockup…..Willy and I were curled up in our sleeping bags, close to each other. It was reassuring to know that I wasn’t alone in this bed, cut off from the rest of the world. I had my eyes closed and was trying to sleep, but the fear was killing me. Not physically but psychologically.“Have you fallen asleep yet?” Willy inquired gently.“No, I just can’t sleep,” I explained.“Neither do I, and I doubt I’ll get any sleep before I get out of here. It’s creepy in here.” He shivered.“What did you expect? A VIP bed, a royal treatment?” It was a sarcastic statement rather than a question.“You know, for a mute, you are one hell of a sarcastic person.” He told me with a frown on his face.“I will take it as a compliment,” I told him with a blank look.“You’re weird, but so am I. I wish I had known you in different circumstances.”“Me too. That would have been fun.” I gave him a friendly smile.“Yes, it would have been. You know what? Once we are out of here, I am go
3:35 A.M.When Jim saw an unfamiliar number on his cell, he quickly told the officer-in-charge. Jim picked up the phone after a signal from the respective officer and kept it on speaker. The Captain interrupted him before he could say anything.“Hello Doc, I believe you have read the case file and are well prepared to do this surgery.” The Captain got right to the point.“It is not as simple as you think...” The Captain cut Jim off before he could stall.“It seems that you do not love you, kids, as you pretend to.”Nathan asked, “Excuse me?”“You heard me loud and clear, so don’t pretend as you didn’t. Anyway, it’s now 3:37 A.M. I want you, doctors, to get ready to operate from 5:30 A.M., giving you over a hundred minutes. You will receive your advance in ten minutes, and after Jonathan is recovered, you will receive the pending price. All the preparation and formalities in consideration to the patient have been done. He’s been taken to the hospital, which is about a block away from y
5:00 A.M.Sleeping with hands and legs tied is not easy. Even though the Bossman was kind enough to provide us with the sleeping bag, he ensured that our movement was still restricted. We would need to crawl if we wanted to go somewhere.The whole night, both of us were fidgeting and tossing. So, it is safe to say that none of us slept the entire night.“Urg, that’s it. I just cannot sleep like this.” Willy groaned in frustration.“Me neither,” I told him glumly.“Why the hell can’t they release our hand?” He asked, obvious to the answers.“So that we don’t untie our legs and try to leave from here.” I rolled my eyes.“I know that, smarty-pants.” Willy closed his eyes and opened them again. He inhaled heavily and screamed to summon the guards.I sarcastically asked, “Can you get any louder?”“As a matter of fact, I can.” He cocked his head and smirked.Willy asked the guard to help him out of his sleeping bag and demanded food from him as soon as the guard entered, earning him a stare
7:00 A.M.After 3 Months in New York…There is no comparison to sleep when you are held closely by someone like a protective shield, feeling their warmth like a soft, comfortable blanket and being cuddled with a giant teddy bear even though its structure might not be one.That’s what I like to call the best sleep.Even though it was 7 in the morning, the room was still dark due to the curtains concealing the daylight that encircled the entire city. I knew it was time for me to get up. I slowly unwrapped the arm that was encircling my stomach, but it only tightened around it.“Don’t move and get back to sleep.” He murmured sleepily in my ears.“I need to. I have got work to get too, and so do you.” I told him softly.“All right. But I am going to sleep for a few more minutes.” He said.“Okay,” I said as I kissed his cheeks and steadily rose from the bed to brush my teeth. When I was finished, I made my way towards the kitchen to fix us some breakfast. It was nothing fancy, just scrambl
7:00 P.M.Today has been a good day. Any normal day is a good day for me, and it becomes incredible when you have close friends visiting you after a long time. Delicious food, chatting at the table, and a peaceful and chirpy environment is what one needs in their life.“I had no idea you could speak so much. When I first saw you, you were so still on that floor that I assumed you were dead.” Willy stated on the table when our conversation turned to that fateful night of my and Willy’s kidnapping.“What was I supposed to do then?” I scowled at him.“I don’t know, maybe punch the guy.” He said it as if it was the most obvious thing on the planet.“Are you sure? What did you do when they kidnapped you?” Willy had always teased me about my actions that night, so I asked him.“Nothing much.” He muttered slowly.“Come again?” I asked him, even though I had just heard him for the first time.“Fine, I didn’t do much. But I didn’t make it easy for them to take me.” He defended himself.“Shouti
Present“Michael, what are you doing here?” To say Nathan was taken aback would be an understatement.“As in New York or here with Ivy?” Leave it to Mike; he won’t leave any chance to play verbal games with our parents.“You exactly know what I mean.” Nathan glared at his son.Yes, Mike is Nathan’s son and Willy’s brother. The one who was always there for his brother when he needed it the most. The one who was as close to a perfect son as one could hope for. The one who is smart, sensitive, logical, and amazing all at the same time. The one whom I have known for two years, as well as the one who has been my boyfriend for a year and with whom I have been living for the past two months.“I work in New York, and as to why I am here with Ivy? Well, I live here. How did you come across our address?” He asked them in return with a cynical smile on his face.“We have contacts, and Ivy, when were you going to tell me about Michael is staying here with you?” This time it was my Dad who was cur
Four Months Later.....“You like it?” Mike asked me. He was hugging me from behind. He rested his face on my shoulder, and I rested my hands on his, which was on my stomach.“I love it,” I said with a smile on my face.We finally purchased and moved into our own home. We found this flat seven months ago; it was the same one where Mike and I reconnected after two months of me being kidnapped. Fortunately for us, this property had been on the market for quite some time. It was a bit pricey, but it was definitely an excellent investment, especially since we want to start a family.He did, in fact, propose to me. We had not dated for a long time, but we were both certain that this was what we wanted for our future. He asked me to marry him last month. However, it was not romantic in the way that most people would expect, but it was special to me.Flashback to One Month Ago...I was sitting on the couch, waiting for Mike to return home. It was 2 a.m., but there was still no sign of him. I
Present“That’s about it? And you start dating while manoeuvring against us?” Jim, perplexed, asked.“Yes, we started dating right then and there. However, as Mike previously stated, he has abandoned the idea of conspiring against you two.” This time it was me who answered him.“Then he came up with the plan to kidnap you and William out of nowhere?” Nathan’s sarcasm was prominent. “And Michael, I can’t believe you told Ivanka and William the truth about your father. I specifically warned you not to reveal it to anyone.”“You really expected me to listen to you? You were against the idea of me finding my dad. Nathan, you don’t own me. The only thing we have in common is your wife and Willy. That’s all there is to it. Whereas the kidnapping ploy is considered, this happened when you used your cheap trick to blackmail John.” Mike locked his gaze on Nathan.“That doesn’t explain how you know Jonathan,” Nathan exclaimed.“Jake Martin is a member of my crew and also the brother of Paul Mar
Nathan muttered, “Unbelievable.”“Come on, Martin, join the party.” Mike invited him and others to join him. They sat comfortably on the floor because there wasn’t enough seating.“Well, dad, you are already familiar with Martin and Billy. This is Gabriel, my former boss who works alongside Martin’s team, and Billy, the tech guy who reports to Gabriel. His other team was unable to arrive. And the other people you see are Jonathan Broadway Club crew members.” Nathan cut Mike off as he was about to introduce others.“How do you know him?”“Really, Dad. You still couldn’t figure anything out.” Willy was annoyed. His dad and Jim were really stupid.“You were right, Mike. These two showed up here at the exact time you predicted.” Paul Martin, the cop on our case when we got abducted, stated.“Is anyone going to explain to us anything here?” Nathan asked us in frustration.“After you tell us, why did you show up here?” Mike asked them.“Because we discovered that the advance money which Cap
Present“Michael, what are you doing here?” To say Nathan was taken aback would be an understatement.“As in New York or here with Ivy?” Leave it to Mike; he won’t leave any chance to play verbal games with our parents.“You exactly know what I mean.” Nathan glared at his son.Yes, Mike is Nathan’s son and Willy’s brother. The one who was always there for his brother when he needed it the most. The one who was as close to a perfect son as one could hope for. The one who is smart, sensitive, logical, and amazing all at the same time. The one whom I have known for two years, as well as the one who has been my boyfriend for a year and with whom I have been living for the past two months.“I work in New York, and as to why I am here with Ivy? Well, I live here. How did you come across our address?” He asked them in return with a cynical smile on his face.“We have contacts, and Ivy, when were you going to tell me about Michael is staying here with you?” This time it was my Dad who was cur
7:00 P.M.Today has been a good day. Any normal day is a good day for me, and it becomes incredible when you have close friends visiting you after a long time. Delicious food, chatting at the table, and a peaceful and chirpy environment is what one needs in their life.“I had no idea you could speak so much. When I first saw you, you were so still on that floor that I assumed you were dead.” Willy stated on the table when our conversation turned to that fateful night of my and Willy’s kidnapping.“What was I supposed to do then?” I scowled at him.“I don’t know, maybe punch the guy.” He said it as if it was the most obvious thing on the planet.“Are you sure? What did you do when they kidnapped you?” Willy had always teased me about my actions that night, so I asked him.“Nothing much.” He muttered slowly.“Come again?” I asked him, even though I had just heard him for the first time.“Fine, I didn’t do much. But I didn’t make it easy for them to take me.” He defended himself.“Shouti
7:00 A.M.After 3 Months in New York…There is no comparison to sleep when you are held closely by someone like a protective shield, feeling their warmth like a soft, comfortable blanket and being cuddled with a giant teddy bear even though its structure might not be one.That’s what I like to call the best sleep.Even though it was 7 in the morning, the room was still dark due to the curtains concealing the daylight that encircled the entire city. I knew it was time for me to get up. I slowly unwrapped the arm that was encircling my stomach, but it only tightened around it.“Don’t move and get back to sleep.” He murmured sleepily in my ears.“I need to. I have got work to get too, and so do you.” I told him softly.“All right. But I am going to sleep for a few more minutes.” He said.“Okay,” I said as I kissed his cheeks and steadily rose from the bed to brush my teeth. When I was finished, I made my way towards the kitchen to fix us some breakfast. It was nothing fancy, just scrambl
5:00 A.M.Sleeping with hands and legs tied is not easy. Even though the Bossman was kind enough to provide us with the sleeping bag, he ensured that our movement was still restricted. We would need to crawl if we wanted to go somewhere.The whole night, both of us were fidgeting and tossing. So, it is safe to say that none of us slept the entire night.“Urg, that’s it. I just cannot sleep like this.” Willy groaned in frustration.“Me neither,” I told him glumly.“Why the hell can’t they release our hand?” He asked, obvious to the answers.“So that we don’t untie our legs and try to leave from here.” I rolled my eyes.“I know that, smarty-pants.” Willy closed his eyes and opened them again. He inhaled heavily and screamed to summon the guards.I sarcastically asked, “Can you get any louder?”“As a matter of fact, I can.” He cocked his head and smirked.Willy asked the guard to help him out of his sleeping bag and demanded food from him as soon as the guard entered, earning him a stare
3:35 A.M.When Jim saw an unfamiliar number on his cell, he quickly told the officer-in-charge. Jim picked up the phone after a signal from the respective officer and kept it on speaker. The Captain interrupted him before he could say anything.“Hello Doc, I believe you have read the case file and are well prepared to do this surgery.” The Captain got right to the point.“It is not as simple as you think...” The Captain cut Jim off before he could stall.“It seems that you do not love you, kids, as you pretend to.”Nathan asked, “Excuse me?”“You heard me loud and clear, so don’t pretend as you didn’t. Anyway, it’s now 3:37 A.M. I want you, doctors, to get ready to operate from 5:30 A.M., giving you over a hundred minutes. You will receive your advance in ten minutes, and after Jonathan is recovered, you will receive the pending price. All the preparation and formalities in consideration to the patient have been done. He’s been taken to the hospital, which is about a block away from y
3:10 A.M. Meanwhile, in lockup…..Willy and I were curled up in our sleeping bags, close to each other. It was reassuring to know that I wasn’t alone in this bed, cut off from the rest of the world. I had my eyes closed and was trying to sleep, but the fear was killing me. Not physically but psychologically.“Have you fallen asleep yet?” Willy inquired gently.“No, I just can’t sleep,” I explained.“Neither do I, and I doubt I’ll get any sleep before I get out of here. It’s creepy in here.” He shivered.“What did you expect? A VIP bed, a royal treatment?” It was a sarcastic statement rather than a question.“You know, for a mute, you are one hell of a sarcastic person.” He told me with a frown on his face.“I will take it as a compliment,” I told him with a blank look.“You’re weird, but so am I. I wish I had known you in different circumstances.”“Me too. That would have been fun.” I gave him a friendly smile.“Yes, it would have been. You know what? Once we are out of here, I am go