Chapter 9: Concerning your hair...

Ariel's eagerness and positive energy to leave the hospital, boasted her recovery. She ate her meals well, exercised and cooperated well with the doctor. And just like that, two weeks went by like a flash.

"Ah, I'm hurt that you want to leave the hospital so fast." Steve said as he removed the plaster from Ariel's back. "You're really cruel."

"I have to get well soon in order to be useful to my master." Ariel said and Steve paused.

"Now I'm even more curious about what you two talked about that day." He muttered to himself.

"Doctor, you two seem to have a close relationship." Ariel said and he nodded.

"Yeah, we go way back when things were still red." He said. "Raymond is, should I say, an existence out of the ordinary."

"What does that mean?"

"He's a being that's really too good to be true. Like a fictional character that was made perfect to please the readers, he is like that fictional character. He has it all. Uncommon anger issues, striking appearance, a genius with raw talent for business and indifferent personality. Also, he never loses in a fight be it bickering or fist throwing…" he suddenly remembered something. "... Unless the other party uses foul means." He suddenly tightened his grip.

Ariel listened to this and felt his words were true. Seeing Raymond up close, he was so stunning that her heart leaped.

"But unlike all those perfect fictional characters, Raymond was born with flaws. He wasn't perfect." Steve added.

"You mean like imperfections?"

"Yes. You know no one's born perfect. He passed through so much that he..." He paused and sighed, smiling awkwardly. "Sorry, I was warned that I have such a big mouth and I guess it's true."

That seemed to be the end of their discussion about Raymond because Steve did not say anymore on that. Ariel did not press for more either. It wasn't that she wasn't curious but rather because she respected a person's privacy. If he did not want to disclose this about himself then she was fine with it.

Then, Steve moved on to a different topic.

"Concerning your hair, what shampoo did you use before it all came off?"

"Um, I don't really know." Ariel answered. "I got the shampoo from my mother when I was fifteen years old." She said, "I started noticing my hair growth to be a bit abnormal and it was very disturbing having to go to the saloon every now and then." She explained and lowered her head. "They wouldn't even give me a proper meal so asking for money to go to the saloon..." She sighed. "Anyway, my mother bought me a shampoo and said it would reduce the speed of my hair growth. But after a week of using it, all my hair came off."

"Just a week?"

"Yes."

"My mother said it must've been a side effect and took the shampoo away but after more weeks passed, my hair did not grow back."

"Then, what did your mother say about it? Did she take you to the doctor?"

Ariel shook her head and clenched her fists.

"She laughed. She laughed, along with my siblings. They all laughed at me and called me a disgusting bald freak." Her hand trembled. "I cried so much and pleaded with them to stop and help me find a cure but they looked down on me with their disgusted expressions, locked me in the basement and..."

Tears fell down from her eyes. The memory of it was just so painful that it felt like she was reliving that moment all over again.

"...Now that I think about it, she probably gave me that shampoo on purpose." She cleaned her tears with her arm. "She's such a witch. How am I just realizing that? Haha."

Her hurt expression could not be hidden no matter how much she tried to fake a smile.

"But it doesn't matter anymore." She said, "I'm already used to it. I can just wear wigs for the rest of my life."

"What if I said there was a way to make your hair grow back?" Steve suddenly said and she turned to look at him, stunned.

"Really?"

"I'm not a hair doctor but," he adjusted his glasses. "If my guess is correct, she gave you a shampoo that was filled with excess sulfate and sodium chloride. Those cause hair loss and since the chemicals were put on your scalp without being processed, it damaged your scalp and hair growth process."

"And?"

"I can make a few compositions. I'm not certain they will work out so don't put your hopes up too much. I'll just be making a scalp rejuvenating shampoo as well as adding some compounds that cancel out sulfate. Is that okay with you?"

Ariel looked at him without a vivid expression of excitement or whatsoever. She was neutral to the idea. Maybe it was because she had tried a bunch of remedies but none worked.

"I... I don't know what to say." She scratched her arm and looked at him. "But well, yeah. Sure. Go right ahead. I'm looking forward to it but I won't keep my hopes high like you said." She plainly said.

He was glad that she didn't look too excited because he didn't want to end up disappointing her but at the same time, he felt disappointed that she didn't have high expectations from him even when he was the one who told her not to keep her hopes high.

'I must be an idiot.' he thought and sighed, adjusting his glasses. "Well, I guess I'd better get to it." He said and got up.

"Alright then." She watched him head towards the door and walk out.

Once he was gone, Ariel rested on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.

After he left the day she woke up and had that discussion, not once had Raymond come to see her. Or so she thought.