Chapter Six

At the cafeteria Morris and Patricia sat, taking a snack. They both faced each other, some other people were also seated in the cafeteria having a snack-break.

“how is work today?” Morris said with a muffled gob, from the snack he had

“work is fine, a little hiccups, but then it’s part of the job I signed up for, so it’s all good” Patricia tucked some strands of her hair behind her ear.

“I’ve watched you closely with Doctor Dave, you two are always on each other’s nerves, not will to surrender to the other”

“hearing his name alone, makes me want to shove a pole up his ass” Patricia jerked her already tight fist up. Damn that Doc always looking for the most annoying bones to pick.

“why is it that way?” Morris asked, his voice laced with more curiosity.

“it’s what we all go through in the medical field, the doctors always feel they are superior to other professions, so they feel they can boss us around, and expect utter reverence from us all, even when they are clearly wrong, I don’t do all that, hence our little crises. I’m going to be a bone in his neck, as long as we both stay in this hospital, or at least be humble enough to seek advice from other professions” Patricia answered, ending it with a hiss.

Morris scoffed “I don’t know why they all have that notion; I personally think it’s an archaic notion, and should be discarded”

“he’s going to soon, once I’m done becoming a thorn in his flesh, he’ll have no choice” she added as she took a huge bite in her fish roll.

“is that so!” Morris giggled.

“enough about me, let’s talk about you, is Christopher really your son?”

“yes, he is”

“I asked because you two don’t act like father and son, you act more like strangers”

Morris’s face went black “you noticed”

“it’s hard not to, your paths never cross”

“he blames me for his mother’s death, so I think it’s some sort of punishment, erasing from his heart”

“wow! why does he blame you anyway, did you have anything to do with her death?”

“off course not, what kind of man will that make me”

Patricia shrugged, and mimed ‘I don’t know’ “so why does he blame you” she asked, even tho her insides are screaming it's none of her business.

“she told me for a couple of times that her car brakes were not functioning so well. I ignored her, and did nothing about it, I was busy with my work. But then one morning, as she drove out, she was on the highway when she tried to step on the brakes, and they failed, so she went off the road, and hit an electric pole. She died instantly”

“wow! That must have been too big to chew” Patricia sipped water from the glass on the table

“yes, it was, I used to blame myself for her death initially, but I don’t anymore, Christopher hasn’t been able to forgive me, I don’t blame him anyway”

“he must really miss her, it’s fathomable”

“tomorrow is his birthday anyway, since his mom passed, we haven’t done any form of celebration for his birthday, I planned to celebrate this one, since sixteen is an important number, but then I had to cancel since he is in the hospital “

“who says we can’t celebrate it here?” Patricia shrugged

“can we?” Morris raised his brows, inquisitively.

“off course we can, and I say we should, let’s make it memorable for him”

“I had lost hope on any form of celebration for him this year, but you are giving me hope”

“I’m assuring you, let’s make possible” Patricia smiled

“so how do we start making plans?”

“first of I need you to say yes to this plan, then I’ll take it from there”

“YES” Morris raised his voice

“then let me start making arrangements, see you later” Patricia hopped up from her chair, and scurried away, leaving Morris perplexed.

***

Rushing into the lobby, Patricia saw Priscila leaving the room, ‘perfect timing’ Patricia thought, as she increased her pace, even more toward Priscilla, who the opposite direction, she was heading for the hospital’s exit door.

“Priscilla” Patricia called out

Priscilla who was already in the waiting room, turned back as she heard her name

“please wait” Patricia said, as she closed in on Priscilla

The expression on Priscilla’s face was unreadable, with wet pupils, as she faced the ground

“what is wrong? You look sad” Patricia used her hand to elevate Priscilla’s head, so she could at least look into her eyes

Priscilla breaths in “he doesn’t look fine” she gestured with her hand, towards the room Christopher is, “he’s like a time bomb, waiting for another of his episodes” she said in a quavering voice.

“we are having all hands-on deck, to make sure he gets fine soon, I know how you feel”

“do you? Cause if you do…” Priscilla breaks into tears, and is not able to control it.

“come on!!! You don’t have to cry, come with me please” Patricia walks into an empty room.

Priscilla follows behind her, and closes the door behind her.

Patricia held Priscilla on the shoulder firmly, “you should calm down, I know your emotions are up, is something like that happened to my best friend, I don’t know what I’d do, I’ll probably react more than you have now, but you what else I’ll do?”

Priscilla wipes a tear from her cheek, with the dorsal side of her hand

“I’ll be there for him, through every step, make him know you care, that alone will spur his recovery process

“I want to, but um… seeing him in that situation, helpless, breaks my heart, I want to do more, that just being there for him, I wish I could”

“you could, in fact that is what I wanted to see you about, I spoke to Christopher’s father some moments ago, and he told me Christopher’s birthday is tomorrow”

“ok…and?”

Patricia is taken aback “what do you mean and? We should make it a memorable one for him, at least”

Priscilla looks around her “in the hospital! How possible?”

“the location doesn’t matter, it’s the people that actually do matter, so are you doing this or not?”

“off course I am” Priscilla’s voice became cadence

“the sort of answer I expected” Patricia grinned “I don’t know Christopher so well, at least not until he came here, so I’m going to run so many things by you, since you’ve known him for a longer time”

“alright. Anything you need, I’m open to any question”

“it gladdens my heart to hear that, can you remain here, let me inform my colleagues of the new development”

“I’ll be here, waiting”

“thank you” Patricia brings her hands together, as if praying, then she heads for the door, and walks out.