Chapter 2: Her Visit to the Hospital

"Miss, I think there's an accident ahead of us. Sorry, we'll be stuck here for a while!" the cab driver nudged me up with his words and when I opened my eyes, we were in the middle of huge traffic. Indeed an accident happened for I just saw an ambulance drive by followed by two 911 trucks.

That would add more time for my lingering mind. I just gave the driver a swift smile and took my sunglasses from my purse. As I put them on, I continued the journey to my past...That was eight years ago!

.

At the hospital...

"Nurse, my nephew here got hit by a jeep. Could you check his bruises?" Samuel politely asked the woman dressed in white. She was holding a clipboard and a bottle of pills.

"Wait in line! We have so many patients waiting in the emergency room!" the nurse rudely responded and walked past us.

"But nurse!" Samuel demanded as he glanced at Desmond who was sweating all over due to excruciating pain. "The boy needs to be treated now!" he couldn't help but raise his voice at the medical staff.

When the nurse turned around, her glares almost frightened me. I even accidentally squeezed Desmond's arm out of fear. "Sorry!" I whispered when he grimaced at my hold.

"Did you just yell at me? You insolent man!" the nurse pointed her index at Samuel making me gasp in anger. "How dare you?!"

"Nurse, I didn't mean~"

"It's okay, uncle. Let's just wait!" Desmond cut them off. He twitched his lips while trying to take a seat. That's when my inner tigress arose as I threw her a dagger stare. What I hate the most, inequality.

"He is my cousin. The nephew of Don Miguel de la Frontera. I am his daughter. Do you want me to call my father? Do you wanna speak to him?!" I had to lie, I hoped she would bite it.

When the nurse heard my dad's name, she stepped back. Even Samuel and Desmond couldn't believe I did that. But what we heard next was a mockery and a sarcastic reply.

"He?! Nephew of the richest man in the valley?! Gimme a break. He's too skinny and dark to be his nephew. Ow! Did your rich uncle forget to feed you? Poor boy!"

My mouth was hung open as my eyes went wide in disbelief. Okay! She's right. Desmond was thin that's why I thought he could be younger than me, 14 perhaps. Also, probably because he worked under the heat of the sun the whole day made his skin tan-burned. A tad bit of it. I felt awful. I thought I could help but I just made it worse. Now, no one outside the emergency room believed us.

That's when Samuel took his phone from his pocket and pretended to be calling my father. "Señor Miguel, they don't wanna treat Desmond!" he also made his voice louder good enough to reach the mean nurse's ear. She stopped in her track at once. "Yes, Señor. The nurse is flat-chested with messy short black hair and probably in her 50s!" I scoffed at how he described her, my palm clamped my mouth controlling myself to burst out. Even Desmond bowed while smiling even if he was in deep pain.

"Just hang in there!" I whispered to him and he just smiled at me. "Thanks!" and whispered back.

We were interrupted by a loud striding of flat shoes coming toward us. "I'm just kidding. Of course, we will treat him. Why shouldn't we?" the nurse suddenly became an angel, seriously I just wanted to punch her face. But I wasn't that tall and big enough yet. "You, two, hurry. This is Don de la Frontera's nephew. Prepare his room now!" she also ordered the two young nurses and they followed right away.

"What's the matter here? What happened to you, boy?" the doctor inside the emergency room asked, squinting his stare at the terrified nurse.

Who said that they had a queue of patients in the emergency room earlier? There's no one there except for the doctor and one nurse, his assistant. This slothy just didn't wanna work!

After about an hour of examination, Desmond was now half-lying on the stretcher while two nurses were beside him pushing the bed to his ward. His right leg was covered with a cast and he was on an IV drip. Samuel and I stood up immediately as we saw him and asked about his condition.

"How are you feeling?" with great concern in my eyes, I hoped he was okay now.

"I'm feeling much better now, Señorita!" he answered gently while his eyes were fixed on me. I had no idea what's that effect but I felt an intense heat in my ears.

"That's good to know. By the way, may I ask? How old~"

"Señorita, I have to bring you to the resort now. Don Miguel will be there in a couple of hours!" Samuel interrupted while bringing two plastics of fruit juices in tetra packs and some biscuits he bought a while ago. "Des, stay here alone for a while, all right? Your mom will be here in a minute!" Samuel told him as he put the plastic bags on the side table. "Señorita, c'mon!" he then glanced at me.

"Can I come back here tomorrow? I wanna visit Desmond!" I asked as I waved my hand at him. "Bye, Desmond!" and I saw him smile.

"Señorita, I don't want Don Miguel to get mad at you. Also, I feel like I'm digging my own grave when I allow you to do that!" Samuel advised but a hardheaded only child would always get what she wanted.

"Leave dad to me. He can't say no to his only princess!" with a raised chin, I smugly told him. He raised his hands in defeat followed by a deep sigh.

"Whatever!" and a mutter of disapproval.

.

So, the next day even if my father disagreed with it for the fifth time, he still conceded when I told him, I would never speak to him again. I hopped in the backseat of our white SUV while Samuel was shaking his head in the driver's seat.

"Samuel, let's buy some food for Desmond first!" I commanded, sounding like I was years older than my age.

As Samuel revved the engine, he glanced at me in the rearview mirror. "Why do you wanna visit Desmond, anyway? It's not like...you know!" he was implying that it's not even my job to take my dad's place for this one. As he was the one who accidentally hit Desmond, he should at least show some concern.

"I also have a conscience, Samuel. It's my fault why daddy drove back the jeep. If I just stayed beside him even if boredom was slowly killing me, that accident shouldn't have happened!" I breathed deeply as I shifted my stare at the beautiful scenery outside.

It was early autumn and some fiery shades of the trees by the road flashed spectacular views giving the cool hues of the season. I inhaled as the fresh earthly morning air entered my body cleansing my mind and my soul. I just loved Fall. I wouldn't get tired of staying outside or jogging in the park all day during this breathtaking season.

"Such stunning words coming from the only child of Don Miguel!" my strings of thoughts were cut by a deep gasp and shaking of head that I saw from the rearview mirror. Samuel was either praising me or mocking me, I couldn't decipher.

I was about to answer when he proceeded with his early homily. "I guess, you've gotten your mother's spirit. Kind and sweet!" he whispered, I could feel hurt and sadness in his voice.

"Thanks, Samuel. Maybe, she lives in me. We don't know. I look exactly like her, don't I?" I replied happily. Hearing our staff praise my mother even if she was no longer with us warmth my heart. I bit my lip controlling my tears to fall.

I saw Samuel nod at my question. "Yeah! You look exactly like the late Doña. Except for your eyes!" he chuckled. I shrugged my shoulders off while smiling at him.

People who saw and knew about us would always say I had gotten my father's eyes, hazel brown, for my mom had earthly green orbs. Sometimes, I wished I also got her eye color. I recalled when she was still alive, her eyes were mesmerizing. Even if her lips wouldn't put a smile, her eyes would always outshine them. I remembered my dad told me once, my mom's eyes caught his attention first when they first met.

Well! Those were the days. Those amazing days!

We first went to the bakery shop to buy a cake and drinks for Desmond before we went to the hospital. Upon arriving at the parking lot, I hastily grabbed the chocolate cake beside me and got off the car. I strode to the entrance while Samuel followed behind.

"Miss, we're here to visit Don Miguel's nephew!" Samuel told the nurse in the reception and the nurse just nodded while giving us two IDs with the words 'Visitor' written in permanent black marker.

As we put the straps around our necks, we headed to the lift and Samuel pushed the number 8. "I hope he likes chocolates!" I mumbled while staring at the number above the door that was ascending really fast.

"Desmond isn't picky with foods. I'm sure he'll love your gift!" Samuel smilingly uttered beside me. I glanced at him and smiled back. "By the way, how old is he? Is he younger than me?" I remembered I was about to ask about that yesterday. Good thing I thought of it now.

"No! He's already eighteen!" Samuel answered calmly.

"What?!" my sudden slight outburst almost made him jump to his feet. "How come...? But why he's...?"

I couldn't find the exact words to describe how skinny and a bit underweight he was without the notion that I sounded rude. He's taller than me but he's way too thin for his age!

"He was sickly when he was a kid. He's also an only child like you but they are poor Señorita. When he reached his teenage year, he began to work in the Hacienda while studying. He carries sacks of cherries and big baskets of apples and pears almost every day!"

I felt like a sharp object had just pricked my heart upon hearing about his life.