Rachelโs POVThere was an unknown hesitation in me that didnโt allow me to acknowledge him. Why I felt the fear was beyond my understanding. Perhaps it was my subconscious preventing me from looking at him, although my racing heart was looking for him to sate its pace. Deeply buried, a memory from when I last saw him. It was then that I had slipped into the darkness. The vacuum of nothingness.Long after Henry and Emilia exited the room, I refused to turn my head toward the door. Waiting for his touch, I stared blankly at the wall clock. But it never came.Giving up, at last, I desperately let my eyes search for him. Looming over my figure by my side, he stared at me. There was a look of restored hope in his face, as though he was watching a miracle unfold before his eyes. Utterly heartbroken, his face spoke to me of his exhaustion and grief and that seemed to paralyze him momentarily.After his initial shock seemed to subside, he took a seat beside my bed. Carefully then, he reached
Alan's POV While I waited for the news of Rachelโs surgery, Emilia, Henry and Mark decided to accompany me. The four of us were in a similar mental state dominated by angst and fear, and the only person keeping us from sinking into waters of lost faith was Dylan. Though I hadnโt acknowledged his involvement then, I have grown to appreciate his support more than anything. From a distance, I could recognise Emilia and Dylan approaching me. Their faces showed evident exhaustion after a tiring day, supplemented by sleep deprivation. Soon enough, they reached me and propelled down beside me. Emilia took the spot beside my seat and Dylan, the one beside herโs. โIs she asleep yet?โ I asked as I peeked at the view of her tired face. โFinally,โ She nodded, โShe was exhausted. Sheโs not showing it but I could sense that she was in a lot of pain. Pain meds donโt ease everything.โ Dylan wrapped an arm around her and drew her closer to himself, โGood thing sheโs asleep then, yeah? She wonโt fe
Alan's POVโOh, my God,โ Rachelโs mother froze in her step at the sight of her daughter. Beside her, her husband mirrored her expression of absolute astonishment.โRachel...โ She frantically cried and rushed to her side, โOh, my God, look at you.โSeeing as her father wanted to have a closer look at his daughter for himself, I quietly stepped back to stand by my mother, "Rachel, are you alright? How are you feeling?โThe new found love and affection in her parents caught her completely off guard. Looking quizzically at me, her eyes sought answers regarding how to proceed with her situation at hand. It was perhaps the first time she was watching her mother cry for her and that essentially caused a wave of panic to rush through her.โMom,โ She hurried to say, โMom, Iโm okay. Iโm completely fine, please donโt panic.โโOh, my God, am I scaring you? Iโm sorry, Rachel, I just-โโMrs Windsor, itโs alright.โ Emilia spoke, โRachel is fine. Sheโll get better in the next few days. I assure you s
RachelMy eyes widened in disbelief when I looked at the screen. Three brand new emails had made their way into my mailbox last week and I had finally kept some time aside this weekend to respond to them. All of them had the same message - that they would be pleased to have me as their Cardio Fellow.To be honest, I wasnโt counting on Ingard and Boston Medical to even consider me for the job, let alone offer me one. Hence, I assumed that the only option available for me was to continue my service at Weston Hale Memorial hospital here in New York. I wasnโt sure what I was feeling about this.โWhatโs wrong?โ Alan asked as he walked toward me with two cups of coffee in his hands. After placing them by my side, he hovered over me to peek a glance at the screen.It had become his routine to make me breakfast and coffee every morning. Ever since I was discharged from the hospital two months ago, Alan had made sure he was doing everything he could to give me a smooth recovery period.Knowing
Alan's POV โWell, I canโt say sheโs the best choice for you, but I do know that sheโs better than most of our other options.โ Seated across my father, my mother gazed out of the glass that separated the street from the inside of the restaurant with evident disappointment etched on her face. For a couple who were always perceived as being like-minded, my parents surely weren't on the same page on several occasions. Today was no different. Realising that he was nowhere close to winning her approval on the matter, his shoulders slightly slumped down. He looked visually defeated but he was much prideful to give up so soon. I reckoned that was something I always had in common with him and I was yet to be sure if it were a good or a bad thing. โI don't have a good feeling about this, Kevin.โ She said, refusing to look at any of us. โHeโs in such a dangerous and tiring field already. Donโt you think he deserves to choose his own wife? Someone, heโll be spending the rest of his life with?โ
Rachel's POV Unlike an early growing abdominal cyst, the Volvo XC 60 that pulled up in front of my house was clearly standing out to my naked eye. My neighbourhood was vainly posh yet when I spotted the extravagance on wheels, I was strangely taken aback. The little chunk of hope lingering in my heart pumped itself out upon the sight. Dismayed, I turned away from the window and sighed to myself. As my chances of escaping this situation were slimmer than finding a cure for racism, this was bound to happen. I had clearly been a fool to have hoped for a miracle. Unsurprisingly, I heard my motherโs voice from below, โHurry up, Rachel, heโs here!โ โGive me a second!โ Stealing a last look at myself in the mirror, I acknowledged that there was no way Iโd have bothered to dress up so well if I werenโt forced into it. Iโve never appreciated fancy dinners, more so for first dates, as my inclination was more on the casual side. Naturally, picking out a red cocktail dress was a rare event in
Rachel's POV Convinced that he was perhaps not in the habit of sexualising women, I peeled my eyes away from him but he was much too swift. Locking his eyes with me, he frowned, โIs everything alright?โ He asked, โNo, itโs perfect,โ I shrugged, โMy dream first date.โ With a blank look, he heaved a sigh. I could notice that my sarcasm was beginning to frustrate him, but I enjoyed seeing him struggle. For all I cared, he completely deserved it. โDo you disapprove of the place?โ โI disapprove of you pursuing me.โ โYou sure about that decision even after seeing me?โ He asked. Although he was joking, I wasnโt sure if my sex drive would approve of turning him down. But his arrogance put me off, and it was so out of his character. โSeen better.โ That earned me a chuckle from him as he leaned forward to rest his elbows on the table.โWell, why are you here if youโre not interested? Wouldโve saved us both time and trouble.โ โIf it were that simple, I wouldnโt be here, trust me.โ He loo
Rachel's POV Dinner with Alan had been an enervating affair, more exhausting than open-heart surgery. In retrospect, surgeries have guided steps, protocols and superior mentors to aid us in time of crisis. Such was not the case with dating. I lacked the first-hand experience, knowledge and prowess in the field of dating. When thrown into a problematic situation, my brain was as young as a new bornโs. I was entirely powerless against his arguments, and there was nobody to turn to for help. Once closed, I rested my head against the door and let out a long sigh of exhaustion. Noises from the dining room were beckoning me to follow and thus I took the call. Upon entering, I caught sight of a long dinner table situated accurately at the centre of the room. There was not a hint of dust on the floor nor the dinner table, and the immaculate surrounding intimidated my posture, forcing my body to grow vividly conscious of my movements. My mother followed a strict unforgiving policy when it
RachelMy eyes widened in disbelief when I looked at the screen. Three brand new emails had made their way into my mailbox last week and I had finally kept some time aside this weekend to respond to them. All of them had the same message - that they would be pleased to have me as their Cardio Fellow.To be honest, I wasnโt counting on Ingard and Boston Medical to even consider me for the job, let alone offer me one. Hence, I assumed that the only option available for me was to continue my service at Weston Hale Memorial hospital here in New York. I wasnโt sure what I was feeling about this.โWhatโs wrong?โ Alan asked as he walked toward me with two cups of coffee in his hands. After placing them by my side, he hovered over me to peek a glance at the screen.It had become his routine to make me breakfast and coffee every morning. Ever since I was discharged from the hospital two months ago, Alan had made sure he was doing everything he could to give me a smooth recovery period.Knowing
Alan's POVโOh, my God,โ Rachelโs mother froze in her step at the sight of her daughter. Beside her, her husband mirrored her expression of absolute astonishment.โRachel...โ She frantically cried and rushed to her side, โOh, my God, look at you.โSeeing as her father wanted to have a closer look at his daughter for himself, I quietly stepped back to stand by my mother, "Rachel, are you alright? How are you feeling?โThe new found love and affection in her parents caught her completely off guard. Looking quizzically at me, her eyes sought answers regarding how to proceed with her situation at hand. It was perhaps the first time she was watching her mother cry for her and that essentially caused a wave of panic to rush through her.โMom,โ She hurried to say, โMom, Iโm okay. Iโm completely fine, please donโt panic.โโOh, my God, am I scaring you? Iโm sorry, Rachel, I just-โโMrs Windsor, itโs alright.โ Emilia spoke, โRachel is fine. Sheโll get better in the next few days. I assure you s
Alan's POV While I waited for the news of Rachelโs surgery, Emilia, Henry and Mark decided to accompany me. The four of us were in a similar mental state dominated by angst and fear, and the only person keeping us from sinking into waters of lost faith was Dylan. Though I hadnโt acknowledged his involvement then, I have grown to appreciate his support more than anything. From a distance, I could recognise Emilia and Dylan approaching me. Their faces showed evident exhaustion after a tiring day, supplemented by sleep deprivation. Soon enough, they reached me and propelled down beside me. Emilia took the spot beside my seat and Dylan, the one beside herโs. โIs she asleep yet?โ I asked as I peeked at the view of her tired face. โFinally,โ She nodded, โShe was exhausted. Sheโs not showing it but I could sense that she was in a lot of pain. Pain meds donโt ease everything.โ Dylan wrapped an arm around her and drew her closer to himself, โGood thing sheโs asleep then, yeah? She wonโt fe
Rachelโs POVThere was an unknown hesitation in me that didnโt allow me to acknowledge him. Why I felt the fear was beyond my understanding. Perhaps it was my subconscious preventing me from looking at him, although my racing heart was looking for him to sate its pace. Deeply buried, a memory from when I last saw him. It was then that I had slipped into the darkness. The vacuum of nothingness.Long after Henry and Emilia exited the room, I refused to turn my head toward the door. Waiting for his touch, I stared blankly at the wall clock. But it never came.Giving up, at last, I desperately let my eyes search for him. Looming over my figure by my side, he stared at me. There was a look of restored hope in his face, as though he was watching a miracle unfold before his eyes. Utterly heartbroken, his face spoke to me of his exhaustion and grief and that seemed to paralyze him momentarily.After his initial shock seemed to subside, he took a seat beside my bed. Carefully then, he reached
Rachel's POVWith heavy eyelids, I attempted to catch a whim of the world outside my brain. The white light that had previously blinded me, dispiriting me from trying again, had managed to dim in its intensity.I heard noises around me again, but their coherence remained a mystery. Blinking my eyes, I tried to focus on the clock on the wall opposite of me but it was a futile attempt. All that seemed to matter to me right then was to be able to comprehend the words.In desperation, I felt moisture pool in my eyes. Defeated, I closed my eyes. My persistent effort to keep myself conscious was deemed counterproductive as that very attempt was wearing me out. I was afraid of reliving the dream should I fall asleep again and I couldnโt afford it. But there was little in my body that was still in my control, and my mind sadly wasnโt one of them.โKeep your distance for the next ten secondsโ I typed.Immediately, I shut down the phone and ran my eyes over our surroundings for another quick in
Alan's POVโEmilia?โ I shrieked out, โWho are you talking about?โโDouglas,โ A chill went down my spine, โRachel told me that he was responsible for the attack last night and that I should tell you-โโDid he say where heโs taking her?โโHe just said his wife needed a doctor and asked if Rachel could come and see her.โโFucking hell,โ I groaned, โDid you give Rachel the phone I gave you?โโYes, she has it with her.โ She said, โAlan, is she going to be okay?โโYes, she will.โ I said, โIโll call you back.โโWhat the fuck?โ Bruce asked once I cut the call.โPage Cameron to send in more people,โ I said, โI know where Douglas is.โโIs it that black car?โ Bruce asked me.My eyes that were previously fixed on the GPS on the screen flew up to see what he was talking about. Answering his question, I nodded, โYes, that is it.โโHas Rachel texted back?โIn dismay, I shook my head, โNo. But it does say that sheโs seen the message.โโWhat did you tell her?โโThat weโre following closely behind, an
Rachelโs POVFreezing in my step, I looked at him with a frown. Noticing me, a hesitant smile latched onto his face, โHey.โโYouโre here early.โShrugging, he clumsily scratched his neck, โWell, yeah...โโYou didnโt give him a choice...โ Emilia muttered from behind him as she stirred some vegetables on the pan.Instant guilt cruised through me. He was there because he was worried about me. He was worried that I was upset with him.โAlan, I didnโt-โ I stopped myself and looked hesitantly at Emilia, silently gesturing her to leave us alone for a while.My dear best friend caught onto the message and decided to oblige. โIโll be in my room.โAfter I heard the room door close after her, I approached him with a guilty pout. Understanding my intention of straddling him, he welcomed me with open arms. Position my legs on each side of his, I felt his hands travel up waist to hold onto me.โIโm sorry about earlier,โ I mumbled. โI didnโt mean to upset you or get you worried. I should have been m
Rachelโs POVWhen I had woken up the next morning, my mind had paused in perplexity. Everlasting pain remained within my chest, making even the most fundamental movements difficult to perform. Enervated by the events of last night, my body yearned for some more rest. But the questions in my mind needed answers.Groaning, I peeled the warm duvet away from my body. It was only after I had stepped onto a familiar carpet along the bedside did I realise my current location. What was I doing in Emiliaโs Bedroom? More importantly, how did I get there?Ignoring the pain in my ribs, I rushed out of the bedroom. The hallway was calm except for the noise coming from the living room. When Iโd entered into it, the news was running on the Television. In front of it sat my dear best friend with a bowl of cereal in her hand.โWhat are you doing?โโHaving breakfast.โ She said and mouthed a spoonful of it. โWant some?โClutching my head, I walked to the couch and took a seat beside her. With my head in
Alanโs POV"Of course, we did." I smiled back and looked out the window. A feeling of overwhelming triumph took over me. Douglas was the first big project that I was assigned to. When I started working, like any agent, I was mostly assisting in cases of theft, murder, harassment and domestic violence.I had always craved for more, as any officer would, and having my dad as an idol didn't help at all. All through college, I had been in the loop with him as to what he was up to, the kind of work he was doing, the risks that he took and the saves that he made. I always wanted that. I wanted to be like him, if not better. But I wasn't sure if I would be trusted like his superiors trusted him.Not that I questioned my ability, but just that he was better than me in a lot of things that I could only dream of. Perhaps he had his experience to steal some credit in that regard.When I was assigned Douglas' project, I had very little knowledge about those kind of cases. But since I had already