URGENT NEED (ONE)

Rafe leaned back against the headboard of the gurney, staring blankly at the dull scene in front of him. He had been in the hospital for three days, and he was bored. So far he has never experienced a serious illness that requires him to lie down like an invalid man in a hospital, so his experience this time really made him bored and wanted to get back to his activities immediately with all his tiring activities.

The first time he woke up three days ago, it was more shocking than anything. The first time he felt so weak and so helpless. There was no one by his side. He was completely alone in a large hospital room that smelled of carbolic acid. The things he was able to see were white everywhere. He almost even thought he might be in heaven if the pungent smell of carbolic acid hadn't bothered his imagination. But even though he woke up in the hospital alive after being shot in the chest, it was as if he had died. There was no one waiting for him to wake up. The people on his payroll weren't noble enough to be by his side when he was sick. And because of that he began to realize that his life never meant anything to anyone other than being a boss who gave them their salary on time.

Now what he thought three days ago came back into his mind. He felt he needed to think more seriously what his current concern was and start thinking about something to get a solution to his problem.

“When will I can get out of this damn place?”

Wren entered into his very spacious treatment room. Perhaps if this place was used as a regular care facility, it could accommodate four to five patients at a time with small curtains placed on the right and left of their gurney to provide privacy. But now this place belonged to Rafe Wilder, the rich tycoon who had just been shot in the chest almost to death. During his life Rafe always got the best. And this place is no exception. Rafe got the best of what this hospital could give him.

“It's a miracle you survived that incident. That bullet is only five millimeters from your heart, dude. Aren't you grateful about that condition and there shouldn't be a rush to leave the hospital."

Rafe pouted. He knew Wren was mocking him because he had managed to escape the death that nearly took him.

“I'm grateful for it, but I have a lot of work to handle. When will I be allowed to go home? Isn't my wound okay? No permanent damage whatsoever right?”

“You can go home when your condition is really good. Besides, why don't you just enjoy your holiday here. Haven't you been taking a couples of day off lately?" Wren said casually as he folded his arms in front of his chest. The doctor's coat that draped over him couldn’t barely hide the bulging muscles in his arms as he crossed his arms.

"Damn you! You think I like taking vacations stuck in a place like this. I'd rather spend my time tackling dozens of projects than to be here like an invalid. I'm bored. There's nothing I can do but stare at the white walls and windows that show nothing but the sky."

“That's what people who are not as lucky as you do, Rafe. People with diseases from birth in their bodies even have to think of the hospital as their home. You should be more grateful for what you have right now.”

“I told you I was grateful. After all, everyone has a different way of life. Their life is none of my business. Now I have my own life to take care of.”

“You have thousands of workers that you pay every month. They should be able to do the tasks that are currently bothering you without needing to intervene from you.”

"You don't understand anything, Wren. They are nothing without me.”

"You're also nothing without them."

Wren looked at him scornfully. He moved his feet to stand closer beside Rafe's gurney.

"How are you feeling right now?"

"I've felt better before. When can I go home?”

It turned out that his friend was very persistent and would never give up until he let him go home.

“Relax Rafe, you really are such a PMS woman. By the way how about the thugs who attacked you at the bar, have they been caught?” Wren asked changing the topic.

While chatting he opened Rafe's medical record book. He looked at the progress Rafe had made during these three days and the prognosis. All in good condition and healthy. He even wondered why Rafe could look this fit even though a bullet had just pierced his chest. He was only in a coma for one week, then he woke up feeling fit and grumpy.

After writing down some things in Rafe's medical record book, he decided to sit on a wooden chair near the gurney. He thought they needed to talk more seriously about the shooting incident at the bar.

“Those bastards, of course they are already rotting in prison. My men had cleaned them up right then and there after I got shot. They are just a collection of poor people who want to dredge up a little of my wealth. Not a professional robber at all. One of them fired a reckless shot that ended up costing themselves as they failed to squeeze my money out. Instead of getting money from me, they ended up in jail because I had hired the best lawyers to make sure they rot in prison for life.”

“Is this the first?”

"Actually no. I've had it a few times. But yesterday was the worst incident, because it wasn't anticipated at all. I think those guys have been working with insiders. An intruder."

“You have a traitor on your team?”

"That could have happened," Rafe replied grimly.

The memory of when he first woke up in this room three days ago strengthened his determination to improve his life for the better. All this time he was probably too confident in his abilities and also in his men who might now have become his secret enemies.

"I heard from your men who were guarding your front door when the incident happened, you were having a meeting."

“Just a meeting with a damn rotten man. That incident let me know what Gideon Frost's true face looks like. He's not only greedy, he's also an asshole. I saved him from the shooting incident, and he just left me just as I was dying. To get back at him, I've spread the news of his rottenness to every businessman in New York. I bet with your damn clever brain that Gideonn Frost will never be used by any businessman in this town. His career will be over."

Wren looked at his best friend with a feeling of horror that suddenly welled up from his body. It is undeniable that Rafe was a very influential businessman in New York and in several other countries abroad. Dare to mess with Rafe Wilder, it's like digging your own grave. He even wondered why he had such a long friendship with Rafe. They had been friends for over ten years, maybe almost fifteen since they had known each other on campus. And because of their very long friendship, Wren got to know Rafe very well. The man was a vengeful evil man. Once you mess with Rafe, then that man can give you worse vengeance than you can imagine.

"Hey, you hear me?"

"What?"

Wren exclaimed in confusion as he stared blankly at Rafe. He showed an embarrassed expression because he had just been caught daydreaming.

"Tsk, you made me have to start over from scratch."

“Sorry, there are things that are bothering me. So what?"

Rafe snorted, but he kept repeating his words to Wren.

“Something has been bothering me since I woke up three days ago. I feel, I can not live with this pattern for the rest of my life. Even though I'm actually really enjoying my life right now and don't want the orderly life I created to turn into chaos, my life is actually empty. There is no one who really stands by my side. They're all just people I hire, but they're not sincere.”

“What are you talking about, Rafe? Being in the hospital for three days is driving you crazy, huh?”

"No, I found what I really don't have right now and really want."

"What? I think you have everything. Your money can buy everything, dude."

“I used to think money could solve anything, but I was wrong. Money can't buy love."

"Huh? I think you're really getting mental damage here. Do I need to schedule an appointment with a psychiatrist for you?”

"Be serious, Wren. I really didn't notice this all along because I'd never been in this state. Then when I was at the weakest point in my life, I found no one by my side. I don't have someone who really cares about me."

"So what do you want now? You can choose any woman you like to give you love and care for you.”

"No, Wren. I need a child. An heir who will inherit all my wealth and someone who will look after me as I wither and age.”

There was silence for a few seconds before Wren could digest Rafe's words and then he shouted loudly.

“What?!”

“I need a baby.”

-00-

Pragg!

Lexie yelped in surprise when one of the glasses above the sink fell to the floor at her feet. Lexie quickly crouched down to pick up the broken glass. But before she finished cleaning up all the mess she had made, a middle-aged woman came with a loud voice like the roar of a mountain erupting and a very scary face.

“What else are you doing! You stupid girl. You want to destroy all my stuff? You and your invalid father are both damn and useless. You two are just making my life hard and making me have to work really hard so you can live comfortably in this house.”

Carla Harlow shouted loudly while putting her hands on her hips in front of Lexie. Meanwhile, Lexie was only able to cry while cleaning the broken glass one by one. Her father who was in the doorway could not do anything because he was an invalid. It has been a year and a half since her father became invalid due to a stroke, so that her father could’n walk or work. And because of that, Carla Harlow every day has to work hard to support her family by becoming a singer in a bar.

"I-I'm sorry mom, I didn't mean to. This is the last one, I promise. No more broken plates or glasses.”

"Huh bullshit! Almost every day you always break my kitchen stuff. If you break my stuff one more time, I will kick you out of this house. You know, I don't mind at all if you get out of this house because I'm sick of living with you guys!”

"Mom, don't say that. I want to work to help you, really. But I could find very few job vacancy because they require workers who have graduated from school.”

"Bullshit! You're just lazy. That's why I forced you to drop out of that expensive school because it makes no difference whether you go to school or not. You're a lazy stupid girl."

After hurling hurtful words at her daughter, Carla Harlow rushed out of her house, slamming the living room door so loudly that the walls in the house shook with brutality.

Things like that actually happen often. But Lexie still feels sad whenever her mother scolds her while shouting harshly. Her mother was never like that. Her mother had always been a good woman and at least always tried to be good. But since her father was sick and their economy was shaken, her mother turned into a grumpy woman who was always dissatisfied with life. She blames everyone in her life as the main cause of her current misfortune.

Carla Harlow felt that her husband and daughter had made her poor. Her husband's stroke at a young age left him unable to work and often had to be hospitalized due to complications. Meanwhile, the only daughter she has is also considered troublesome because Lexie used to attend an expensive private school. Most of the money she earned was used to pay for Lexie's school fees, which had been in arrears for a year since Issac Harlow was sick. And after there was no more money left, Carla then forced Lexie to drop out of school and stay at home to care for her sick father. Lexie has tried to offer a number of options, such as looking for a scholarship or borrowing money from a friend so she can study in school, but Carla refuses all of these options and still wants Lexie to stay at home all day so that she no longer has to spend money for her daughter other than for food necessities.

"I'm fine, dad. No need to worry."

A gentle stroke on her shoulder made Lexie look up, looking at the face of her father who was older than his age due to the effects of the drugs he had been taking since two years ago and also the disease that was gnawing at his body non-stop. Her father had lost fifteen pounds of body weight in the past year. And it made her father's face very thin, his eye sockets sunken and his skin wrinkled.

"Your mother was exhausted because she came home almost midnight last night, and today had to leave early for the bar because a rich man had a birthday party at the bar where he works."

"Don't worry about me, dad. I'm just sad about our current condition. But don't worry, the convenience store near the crossroads has openings for cashiers. Yesterday the convenience store owner called me and said that I got a job at his store. I'll be working from next week."

"That's great news. You are a great and smart girl. There will be many people who are happy to hire you.”

"Thank you dad. Now I'm going to throw this broken glass in the trash. You can read a book on the terrace or watch tv.”

"Okay, I'll watch the morning news."

Lexie stood, carrying a plastic bag filled with broken glass while looking at her father who had just been pedaling a wheelchair with his thin hands into their narrow living room. She hopes to change her family's condition after she works and gets a salary. She would save from her salary to take her father to a great doctor so he could walk again. And slowly she will restore her family's condition to how it used to be, when her family was a happy and ideal family.