Who is he?

Aiden’s P.O.V

The elevator door's part welcoming the white and light pink uniformed young girl pushing the wheelchair, my cheeks lift up below my eyes when I smile back at the old woman seated on the wheelchair with whom I’ve chat for some days when I stayed over at the hospital numerous times, leaving them way to enter I stroll out to the room my heart beginning to pound already before I lay my eyes on her. It’s been quite a while to come back to check on her state as I’ve been caught up in other things, standing by the door I take a deep breath in and let it out, the hold on the shopping bag tightens when my mind recalls negativity, closing my eyes I plaster a smile on my face gripping onto the door knob I push it open the fake smile on my face turns real when I see mom sitting on the bed looking at me, her eyes glistening with happiness.

“Good evening,” my voice cheers her up, light wrinkles appear at the corners of her eyes, sitting straight moving forward away from the bed head board she examines me while I look at her eyes moving up and down.

“You’ve gone thin,” her comment makes my heart feel at ease in some way, it’s really been a long time to hear her nag. 

“Have I?” I ask curling my eyebrows disagreeing with her statement as she always says that when I visit her even if it’s the following day. Walking in I place the plastic bags on the cupboard, taking the seat on the stool beside the bed “How have you been?” I ask taking her hand burying into my palms “I missed you,” my words come out of its own softly.

“Are you off? You are not in your uniform,”

“Yes,” I nod not ready to tell her that I lost my job and boyfriend as well.

“I missed you too,” lifting her weak hands she places her palms on my cheek cupping my face “I know how exhausted you are,” her voice sounds low her tone shows nothing but sympathy “I know that you want to give your dad justice,” her small eyes looks into mine “and I know how hard you are trying for it but Aiden,” my name rolls down her tongue affectionately “You can give up, there is nothing wrong in doing so,” she continues, her words make me feel better “Everything is going to be alright.”

“Everything is going to be alright,” biting my lip I nod even though that some part of me disagree to the statement as I know what happens when I continue to investigate on this, the words of my senior officer repeats in my head 'you are no equal to stand against them, know your place.’ My gaze never wishes to move away from her which is brightened with her beautiful smile “It surely will,” I add passing her a smile of assurance as I know that even though she is consoling me right now inside she is not in a state of doing so, she has really gone through a lot since the day dad was arrested, all our relatives and neighbours believed what was in the news the most heart-breaking moment is when our family members turned away well. The ringtone of my phone takes me out of my thoughts, walking out of the room I pull out the phone from my pocket my fingers swipe up the green icon hesitantly when I read the caller id.

It's Blake.

“Where are you?” he questions instantly after I attended.

“Hospital,” running my hand through my messy short hair I look down playing with my feet while leaning against the wall.

“Be right there I’ll….?.,”

“You don’t have to come,” I interrupt before he could even complete his sentence but still, I know what are   the following words “Didn’t Eric tell you not to meet me?” I chuckle softly when our argument replays in my mind, he is surely on the top post because of his filthy deeds.

“I don’t care about him, Aiden wait….,”

“Blake,” I interrupt again before he completes his sentence, this stubborn brat is going seeking for problems “You are on duty now. And it’s not like we are not going to meet up again, it’s just for a few days, stay out of his sight he is surely mad at you because of me and,” a spontaneous smile plays on my lips “Do your job well and don’t get into trouble, I’m not there to save you anymore.”

“Aiden,”

“Yeah,”

“Are you alright?”

“Yes, of course I am,” I answer after a few moments of silence.

“It's good that you are,” he cheers his laughter breaking my ear drums “You were so cool when you slapped Eric,”

“isn’t he your superior still and you are working?” I remind him.

“That’s okay, I’m talking to someone to whom he is no longer superior so no respect given. He was throwing things around in his room in rage yelling at everyone. You just missed the scene.”

“Yes, I did. My hand automatically made the move before it hit my head,” I laugh at myself.

“Ohh, alright Aiden see yah. Speaking of the devil,” he hangs up, pushing the phone into my pocket I look up staring at the white painted ceiling, a weary sigh leaves my lips thinking about how I’m going to find another job as soon as possible.

“Ms. Aiden,” pushing the thoughts to the back of my mind I stand straight away from the wall when Dr.Jason called me “Are you okay?” he asks when I step forward.

“Yes,” 

“I just want to inform you that your mother needs to go under the treatment by the end of this month so I hope the payment can be settled,” 

“Sure,” taking the paper he hands over I walk into the room pushing the folded paper in my pocket.

It’s been a while eating dinner with mom as I was working overtime the pass few days, her smile never left her face while we chatted for the whole night, pulling the duvet over her chest I sit in the stool taking her fragile hand in mine I lace my head on the bed, caressing her hand by forming circles with thumb until my heavy eyelids shut down. 

Inserting my hands into my blue jacket’s pockets I lean over bus halt pole my feet getting anxious to leave as I’m already late because I went back to change my clothes and to take the files, great I’m just late for the interview to show punctuality. Pulling the visor of the cap down to cover my face from the sun ray which makes its way straight at my direction, pulling the buzzing phone I swipe up the green call icon knowing the dialler, it has to be Lisa.

“You didn’t even look for me when you came back,” she wails dramatically.

“I hurried because I have an interview,” I reply boringly not interested of the topic but hearing her voice made me cheer up.

“A new job?” her voice comes out loud making my ears vibrate for a second “It's been only two days that you lost your job, don’t you think that you should have relaxed,” her statement sounds serious in a way that she is not joking.

“Relax?” I repeat rolling my eyes “I don’t have the time for it.”

“I knew that you would say that. Anyway, what’s about the job?”

“As a personal bodyguard to the poster’s son,” 

“Personal? Bodyguard? And son?”

“Stop over thinking and put away your wild imagination,” I chuckle knowing what’s going in her head in the playful sarcastic tone. Being ready to take any job as long as I’m paid right now, I just applied for all the job spots even as a waiter to a cafeteria but the reply I received from this person named Mr. Mintz, to be accurate only this job matched my qualification and experience.

“Hey, I got to go it’s my scene next, let’s hangout at night,” she hangs up.

A frustrated sigh laves my lips when I look at my phone screen checking the time, the interview will be on ten and it’s nine thirty now, my mind and heart continues to debate whether to hail a taxi or not but I just chose to go with my heart as I don’t want to spend the small lump of money in my hand in case of emergency, even though that my heart took me over my mind sounds so reasonable that I should definitely hail the taxi so I can attend the interview without missing and earn more than what I have in hand now. Agreeing with my mind finally I walk ahead further from the bus halt to the main road waiting for the cab my eyes following the small car icon on the phone screen. 

“Hey,” my eyeballs scroll up to see a guy, his smile spreading from ear to ear, removing his sun glasses he steps forward the leather coat of his waving for the wind “You remember me?” he asks pointing at himself the set of teeth never disappearing.

“You?” I look straight facing him furrowing my brows “No,” I snap.

“Think carefully! In the restaurant?” 

“Ohhhh,” my brain never takes a second to think “I don’t,” I reply dryly checking the location of the driver again.

“Alright, look at me,” standing straight he waves his hand in the air close to his face, furrowing my eyebrows I move my head backwards with a crooked smile, from where is this person and all his behaviour is just like my annoying literature teacher in high school “I was on the floor and you were kicking the bad guys,” he keeps another step forward away from the parked car which seemed to be his “Damn, you were so cool,” his compliment comes with thumbs up and raised brows.

“I see,” my brain finally loads the image of which he described “You were the one……,” moving forward I hold his arm and pull him towards me immediately when I spot the car passing by recklessly leaving him alive in a just a second. Stepping back, I rub the back of my neck feeling awkward of my actions as his body crashed over mine.

“The one who was beaten,” completing my sentence I stroll to the opposite direction where the taxi has stopped.