Chapter 9: Health and Death
Once, a man lost his wife in an accident. After losing his wife, the man journeyed worldwide in search of peace. During the journey, the man treated those who were sick and injured. After wandering for two years, the man settled in a small city named Apollo, a place that suited him perfectly.
The place was peaceful, and many living there perfectly harmonised with each other.
Once there, the doctor started to work in the local hospital, he met a nurse that looked like his wife, and he watched closely as the nurse sang a to an old patient with such lullaby After the nurse finished.
In a hallway, a nurse and doctor meet in a hallway with a sudden meeting that causes them to start falling on one another.
"So this is a romance novel?" as read through of copied manuscript given by Lena.
It is a surprise that Lula has a twin sister, compere to her appearance, Lena wears an outfit of a newspaper boy, except she wore a skirt instead of pants.
Fashionable indeed. I whisper as I put down the manuscript on the table.
"Give me why you're asking me to be your illustrator?"
"I know that you painted that--"
She opens her mouth and says a name I will never forget for years, a name that I always use.
"How do you know that?"
"So, are you going to accept my favor?"
She ignores me and proceeds to return to the main topic of getting me to make her illustrations.
"Of all people who have great artistic skill than me, and yet, in the end, you choose me?"
"Yes, I believe that with your skill, I'll catch an audience of readers. s-so, could you please work with me."
"I'll pay upfront!"
"Urk…"
After being stunned by this offer, I had no idea how to reply. When I looked back, she bowed to me. In addition, the people in the bakery were now looking at me like I had done something wrong. I took a deep breath and sighed.
"Alright, I'll try…."
"Wait, you will? Illustrate my work?"
"I said I will try."
"You were easy to persuade, so I guess I won't have to blackmail you after all. Good to know. As it turns out, your sister was right about you being easily convinced."
(Just what did she say? I'll ignore that last part) Lena cheered as she successfully made a deal with me to partner with her. As time passed, I decided to leave her because I had a task to finish. Before leaving Lena.
I was hoping you could leave me a copy of her manuscript so I have some guidelines to do my part. As I climb up the final staircase, I finally return to the clock tower,
"Where have you been? We've been waiting for a long time now!" Fiona said as she saw me finally at the top, with a paper bag on my left arm.
"Well, if only the elevator were working, I would have been here for less than a minute, plus I took a little detour."
"Whatever, where are our snacks?"
the trio waiting at the tea table are now looking at me with hunger in their eyes. I then approached them and gave them their desired snacks and cakes; I put my hand inside the paperback, grabbed something, pulled out a small box, and noticed some stares from Alicia beside me.
I turned and presented the box; Alicia's face brightened as she saw me holding her favorite cake. I put it back on the bag, and thus Alicia face's went back to normal.
I tried it again, and it seemed that Alicia's expression was like a switch every time I hid and pulled out the box and finally gave it to her.
"I-Is this for me?"
"Yeah, I have my cake,"
"Hah, I see."
Alicia then quickly grabs the box from my hand and turns herself around. Alicia opened the small box come in it was her favorite cheesecake,
"Humph, my thanks, I guess."
When Alicia received her cheesecake, she grabbed a fork and slowly pressed it through, she took a piece and brought it into her mouth, and her expression widened as she enjoyed her cake. My snack also looks up and sees Clean and Hugo looking at me with smirks on their faces.
I ignore them as they whisper to each other and eat my cake. The four of us had a small discussion while we had our brewed teas and cakes
.
After that, we went on our separate ways. After returning to the art room, I held the empty white canvas on a frame, sat in a chair facing the canvas, and tried to think of an idea to paint. I sighed, stood up from my chair, and threw myself back to bed.
My eyes stared back at the ceiling. What to do, what to do?
"Ugh, seriously, what am I supposed to do?" I covered my whole face and hands, complicating my entire decision to participate in the contest. Why did I even try? I looked down at the pile of sketches on the ground beside my bed.
I picked it up and crumbled them all, and threw them aside. (he is getting me nowhere, what kind of painting catches someone's attention)
I think hand and wide enough to the point I have completely had given up on painting. I look around to see anything that could inspire me. I then stopped at my stacks as I saw a pile of papers on my study desk.
It was a manuscript given by Lena; I decided to stand up and sit at my desk and then look at the page of the manuscript and read it.
Unfortunately, the patient to whom the nurse sang her lullaby had passed away the following day.
The two started hanging out, to the point where the doctor began seeing his dead wife in her. Thus, he started avoiding her, even neglecting his responsibilities as a doctor. The nurse noticed this and invited the doctor out.
During exploring the big city of Apollo, they came across locals dancing in the streets as a part of their culture, and the doctor and the nurse decided to join them. So, the doctor realised he had fallen after they danced.
The doctor suggested visiting one final place to take a visit; once there, the two had set foot on someone's gravestone. It was his wife; the nurse gave the doctor sometime between them and began to talk with his wife.
The doctor began to tell the stories he had gone through before coming here; in response, his wife had taken ghostly mist form in front of him. She tells him her wishes and her final farewell to the doctor; before she disappears into the air, she whispers, "I'll always love you no matter what."
As she says her final; line, she is now nowhere to be found. The doctor has finally made peace. Himself, After leaving, they walk down the brick-stoned path in a park; as the nurse is ahead of the doctor, she turns around and tells the doctor what she truly is.
The nurse was a grim reaper, and her job was to guide the dead lost soul to the afterlife; she told the doctor why he could say his final words with his wife because of her power. With that in mind, it also knows that a grim reaper's existence comes with an exchange.
Connor began to faint and lose consciousness. Before he was able to fall to the ground, the nurse caught him and whispered, "Goodbye, Connor."
When the doctor opens his eyes, he finds himself in his bed back at his home; his life as a doctor goes on without leaving a single regret.
"What kind of ending is this?" After reading the final few pages of the manuscript, I turned the page to see more content, read the header, and said 'epilogue.'
-- Gift
received