Bab 31: Focus on future
Ali opened his eyes slowly and the view of a white ceiling came to his eyes. The scent of medicine wafted to his nostrils reminding him of where he was.
He found himself lying on a hospital bed once more, bandages snugly wrapped around his chest, shoulder, and back, concealing the sutured wound near his heart.
Looking at his hands where a bottle of glucose was injected, pumping medicine in his veins. The small dripping sound seems to echo in the silent surroundings, along with the ticking of the wall clock.
His thoughts broke as a gentle voice sounded in his ears and a warm touch came from his hand.
"Ali… … Ali, you okay?" Natasha asked as she placed her hand on his moving wrists, lest he moves the syringe attached there.
"Yeah, fine. Just a little headache." Ali said while lying his head back on the pillow again, as he massaged his forehead from the other hand. "Caused a commotion, didn't I?" He said with a smile, trying to make light of the tension he could see on her face.
"That doesn't matter. Tell me, why did you schedule a meeting when you're injured like this? You should just rest at home." Not taking his joke seriously, Natasha replied in a stern tone, looking at the files of his medical reports placed on the table nearby, which she was just going through.
After reading how the large injury he had was just a few centimeters away from his heart, she nearly gasped out loud, but as doctors reassured her that he was fine, and just needed proper rest for a few days and no strain on his stitches again, she calmed down a little.
"I'm fine. It looks worse than it actually is." Ali said the same excuse with a reassuring nod. "Talking about the meeting, did Isha leave?" he asked, trying to change the topic.
"Yeah. I talked to her manager, she was at the company for a few hours, but then when she didn't receive any update, she just left." Natasha replied. "What was so important anyway, that couldn't wait a few days of your rest." She inquired, "You could've told me and I would've handled it, you know?"
Hearing the complaining tone in her voice again, he chuckled and joked."Well, somebody told me I don't give you enough rest. So I wanted to take some work off your shoulders."
"Did Sia tell you that?" Natasha asked, thinking it was her daughter who had a habit of saying whatever came to her mind.
Seeing him just shaking his head Natasha was even more sure it had to be her daughter.
'I need to fix up some manners in that girl.' she thought, making a mental note about punishing her a little.
<<Far away from the hospital, in one of the villas at the residential area for the rich and privileged, a silly chubby girl who was playing games on her sofa with a mouthful of chips suddenly felt a shiver in her back and missed her attack, ending up dead.
GAME OVER
'Why do I feel something's wrong?' She thought and looked around, but seeing the door was still locked and she couldn't see her mom's car outside the window, she just shook her head and started playing again. Though she arranged a few notebooks near her hands just in case. >>
"You're a big man, yet you're taking the words of a child at heart." Natasha said as she looked at Ali with some amusement and seriousness. "And besides with all that you did for me and Sia, it's my job now so the least I can do is do it well." She added, still quite grateful to this man who trusted her and gave a helping hand when she was at her lowest in life.
When her husband left her and went missing, when her family refused to accept her daughter as a legitimate child, and when anyone close to her was just either making fun of her or taunting her for her foolishness, he helped them. Not just by giving her this wonderful job even when she lacked qualifications, or getting her a safe apartment to escape her old neighborhood, or just making Sia smile again - he did so much for them so she wanted him to be well and happy too.
"But it's not your job. It's mine." Ali corrected her last words and comtinued. "And I'm thinking I should just, you know, start taking it seriously now."
"You're serious?" Natasha raised her eyebrows as she heard him.
"Yeah, I'm done wasting my time. I should just focus on my career and life now." Ali said with a smile, which broke into a chuckle as he saw her smiling at his words too.
"Not joking again, right?" she asked one more time in confirmation.
"Nope, I actually wanted to start from today, but you know_ this happened."
"No wonder, you looked different today." Natasha said in realization of their previous conversation.
"But I don't allow it." she said sternly.
"Allow what?" Ali asked, perplexed over her sudden change in tone.
"You coming back?" She clarified and before he could say 'but it's my company' she continued "You're not allowed to come to work until you're completely healed. And no slacking off on rest or playing around outside too." Just like an over worried friend she kept giving all her advice to him, going from what doctors told her to all that she knew too.
Like what to eat and what's not allowed, what he could and couldn't do, when to rest or when call for help from others etc etc. - she explained everything just like how a wise mother would do, when talking with her idiot kid.
Obviously with all her great wisdom and worry, also came stupid stuff like what she read on google, which Ali just chose to ignore.
"The worry on your face suits you." Ali suddenly said, causing her speech to fall short from surprise.
"Hmmm??" Natasha looked at him with some surprise, but Ali just shook his head and stopped his next words.
"Nothing," He said. "I was asking when can I get discharged?"
"The doctors said you're free to leave if you want. Your secretary, Emily, is probably handling the formalities outside. So if you're feeling up to it, she can take you home."
"Perfect. Can you_.." Ali nodded his head eager to leave, he hated the smell of hospitals.
"I'll call her." Natasha said as she stood up and left the room.
'System, how many points to heal this cut of mine completely?' Ali asked silently as his expression turned serious.
At first he wanted to leave this injury for a few days before healing it, so no one would doubt anything, but after all this, he didn't like having a stinging pain in his chest every second.
[250 villain points.]
'Take it.' Ali said, but just then he remembered something and added 'Leave the scar as it is. I should at least the remember the fucker and what it cost me to take him lightly.' He said.
[200 villain points deducted. Remaining VP = 500]
As the system confirmed his demand, he felt a calm soothing feeling wash over his body. Like a rush of a wave gathered over his chest and spread that cool sensation of relief everywhere. The cool touch lasted for a few seconds before it disappeared along with the little pain and itch he felt over his injury.
"Just like magic, huh." Ali said after spending his points like this for the first time.
He looked at his phone, where he could see a new message.
[- Boss, the girl agreed, quite cheaply too. Just tell us when you want her to act.]
Reading the message, a smile came to his lips as he sent a reply. [Tomorrow morning. I want all the rumors and reports out.]
"Let's see what you wish this time." Ali said with a cold glint in his eyes.
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