บท 12: 12. Shattered.
"She's must be asleep already" She murmured to herself as she walked into the house. Obviously, Rose must have gone to bed.
She went up the stairs to her mom's room and there she was lying quietly on the bed asleep with her phone by her, was she checking on the time? Rissa tucked her in. "Good night" She gave her a forehead kiss and walked out of her room to hers.
Walking into her room, she threw her shoes to a corner and fell on her face on the bed, just then she remembered, the combination box.
She got up immediately and rushed to her closet, took out the black colored custom made box which was the size of her medium-sized make-up kit. What was in this thing? She thought.
She walked over to her dresser and placed it on it's table, scrolling in the code for it, the box popped open and a very shiny and beautiful silver coated ring with a heart-shaped tiny diamond attached to it, this size for the ring? She flushed with smiles as she fitted the ring into her left hand's middle finger. It looked just perfect and gorgeous, she admired it. Luke was such a sweetheart!!.
She sighted another black material, it was an envelope. She took out the envelope. "Luke is so sneaky" She scoffed with smiles as she unsealed it and took out the letter in it.
Dear Marissa,
I don't know if you would call this childish or not but this was the only way that came to my head. You are a very beautiful, elegant and wonderful woman. You haven't had your own fair share of love because all the people you love tends to leave you or break your heart, well, you deserve the best and that's why I want to better myself as a man, so I don't become that type of man. The ring is a promise ring to you that I'll always love you,if you are reading this then I should be in Italy already or about to, I got an offer there through the gallery, it's an art firm. They want me to be signed with them but I have to be in Italy for six months at least for professional training, I had no idea on how else to tell you without sounding like I was leaving but I am not, wait for me. My love. Pls..I love you and will always will. ∆
The letter slipped off Rissa's fingers, she looked shocked and nervous at the same time, her heart was racing fast than normal. She rushed to get her phone from the bed, she dialled his number and he picked at once.
"Marissa?" He sounded nervous too.
"Tell me- it's a prank" She managed to speak.
He was quiet and a sigh followed suit.
"It's not?" Tears were rolling down now.
"Marissa-its just six months"
"Just? Anything can happen in six months" She wiped her already tears wet face.
"Like what?"
"You fell in love with me under five months" She stated.
"They aren't you, pls, trust me" He pleaded.
"What happens to me?"
"You are my girlfriend"
"You had to trap me with that before leaving" She smiled sarcastically with red-blood shot eyes.
"You have my promise ring" He said again.
She looked down at the ring. "You are a coward, you should have told me to my face at that dinner"
"I don't care, call me what you want but I love you"
"Who else knows about this?"
"Preacher"
"Six months and--a-and I'm taking off the ring" Her voice shook.
"Thank you"
Rissa didn't say anything to him before cutting the call, she sat on the floor, brought her knees to her jaw and broke down in tears, so this was what the damn dream had meant? Separation.
"Why is she taking all the time in the world today?" Rose said to herself as she glanced at the wall clock, it was forty minutes past seven and she had to be at work by eight. "She must have overslept" She decided to go check up on her, knocking lightly and she got no reply, just then the door creaked open. Apparently, it was not locked.
"Rissa!!!" Rose screamed as she saw her lying on the floor looking lifeless, she called the emergency line immediately.
The doctor looked from Rissa to Rose then at Steve who held Rose closely by him. "Dr. Oteo mixed sleeping pills in coffee" She was still his superior even though she had done such a careless act which was the talk of the hospital, everyone seemed shocked to see the cardiologist with the emergency units. Dr. Shamble was the one that handled her treatment before handing over to the junior to continue when he found out it was trivial.
Rose had seen the letter too and she immediately understood why her daughter felt down cast but she was not the kind of person to do this. "What do we do now? Doc" Steve asked.
He shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing much, just let her rest." He replied. "I'll leave now" He said with a professional smile and walked out.
Lola almost knocked off the doctor on his way out as she barged into the ward. "Mom?" She looked at her. "I heard, everyone is talking about it here" She went over to Rissa's bed.
"The doctor said she needs rest" Rose spoke.
"What happened?" She asked looking at them for answers.
Steve walked to Lola and took her hand. "Come" He led her out since Rose was too shocked to say a word.
"Read this" He handed the letter to her.
Lola snatched the letter. "What!" She was dumbstruck.
"That was my reaction too" He took the letter from her and folded it then shoved it into his hip pocket. "I don't know what to think" He sighed.
"Luke? I mean-he didn't have to leave this way" She was still taken aback, Rissa must have felt shattered.
"I'm trying to understand the young man though" He said. "He couldn't drop the offer" He added.
"No one is asking him to do that" She said back immediately. "There are better ways for this" She was so pissed.
He placed his hand on her shoulder. "We need to relax, at least for Marissa's sake" He felt bad for his daughter, she must think that life is against her happiness.
She took a deep sigh. "You are right, sir" She said calmly now. "Excuse me, I'll be back" She walked away.
He knew how important Rissa was to Lola, he had no idea what she must have in mind right now but whatever it was, she wasn't thinking it through. He went back in.
The way she was struggling so hard to open her eyelids, one would think she was trying to open a tight pickle jar because she had squeezed her face so hard, her head wasn't even helping matters with the way it was banging, it was a total feast in it, she felt so pale and weak even her throat felt painful and dry. Why did she feel this way? She thought. The eyelids finally gave in and opened but her sight was kind of blurry though she could recognize the environment she was in, she felt a warm touch on her hand, she looked by her and her mom was in tears with her dad who was struggling to hold in himself but they were both staring at her like she had woken up from the dead or something.
"She's finally awake" She heard a familiar voice, Lola was at her feet sitting by her.
Rissa's sight all came clear now and she finally realized that she was in the hospital, not as a doctor but as a patient.
"Why am I here?" She was struggling to get up but she felt really weak then suddenly, it all came back. Why she was here? Why her dad, mom and Lola was here, why she felt all the pain in the world from her head to her body to her heart. Everything came back and she stopped struggling the moment she remembered it all.
The tears clouded her eyes immediately, she had never felt this heartbroken. Which was actually worse, Ryan or Luke? Her head was about to explode.
"Rissa" Rose felt all the sympathy for her daughter as she held her. "Pls, do not cry" She pleaded.
"You are going to be alright" Steve told her gently.
"I can't believe you still have all the strength to cry" Lola chipped in with a nonchalant face. "It's not like someone died" She said again getting up.
Rose and Steve stared at her unbelievable.
"Were you going to kill yourself because of a man?" She suddenly asked.
She remembered mixing the sleeping pills with coffee, she couldn't sleep that night after reading the letter, she had cried her eyes out. She went to get a cup of coffee then went ahead to get the sleeping pills, without even thinking. She had threw the pills which was about three or four and drank the whole coffee, minutes after she had taken it, her stomach had start to hurt so bad, her head was spinning, she was seeing zillion until everything turned blank. What was she even thinking!!!
"It wasn't intentional" She replied Lola wiping her tears.
Rose took her hands off her face. "Are you hungry?" She asked smiling hopefully.
She nodded gently.
"I'll go get you something at Springles" She said immediately.
"I'll come with you" Steve said.
"I know you have to work but can you please give us a minute, we will be back" Rose muttered to Lola.
"Mom, you know Rissa is more important" She assured her and they both left.
Lola went closer to her. "Should I help you up a bit?".
"Yes-please" She said.
Lola helped her sit up, she also sat by her.
"Don't ever scare anyone like that" She said sternly to her. "If you had lost your life, what would you have said to future you?" She sounded disappointed.
Rissa couldn't bear Lola scold her. "I wasn't thinking" She only said rubbing her head and just then she felt something poke her head, it was the ring. She stared at it, not knowing whether to pull it off or not.
"I called Luke" She stated. "I was really mad, cursing at him but--he explained things to me and he's been worried but I told him not to call you for now" She said looking at Rissa who seemed to have lost some pounds in a night.
"Are you trying to defend him?" She was getting agitated. "Don't start me up, please" She shook her head.
"There's actually nothing to defend, he should not have told you this way, it was more miserable than saying it to you" She said back.
"So, what then? " She asked back. "Does he think I won't let him leave? Why won't I? It would be not wanting him to attain greater things" She wouldn't have stopped Luke from leaving, that would have been selfish of her.
"You would have, Rissa" She replied boldly. "You would not let him leave, you would have cried and threatened him that if he did, it was over" She added without blinking.
Rissa looked at her, maybe she would have done that. "He should have told me properly" She tore her gaze from hers.
"It's not being selfish" She took her hand. "You would have had every right to be that way, it's alright" She smiled.
Everything really hurts so much now, why was love against her? This is what happens when you keep your guard down, she thought to herself. "What do you have to say to me now?" She didn't know how to continue now without Luke.
"Don't count it, six months is gonna pass us by quicker than expected. We know he went to improve himself, you don't want to look like a possessive girlfriend. Once he's back, you can scold him all you want" She assured her patting her hand.
"Did he bribe you?"
She laughed. "I don't think he has all the money in the world to give me for now" She said smiling.
"Six months " She sighed. "I'll try" She stared at the promise ring, it was beautiful.
"That's better" She smiled getting up. "Everyone is talking about you" She suddenly said with a teasing face.
"What?" She wasn't too surprised though, imagine a doctor brought in as a patient even as an emergency. "What are they saying?"
"They aren't sure why you are here as a patient, Mr. Shamble, Dr. Lein, his personal assistant and I were the ones who attended to you, so no one knows exactly why and Dr.Shamble doesn't want us saying anything either" She explained.
"I owe him one" She was relieved. "I could imagine if they found out that I took coffee mixed with pills" The thought of it and it made her so annoyed at herself right now.
"Creepy" She smiled. "They would be like, is she depressed? Did she try to commit suicide?"
"Or did her boyfriend breakup with her?" She smiled painfully, it still hurts.
Rissa Oteo looked better, bright and beautiful after she had that one week leave from the hospital. A doctor needs to take care of herself before the patient, Dr. Shamble kept saying as he told her how much she needed to rest and tried to warn her off the idea of nurturing irrelevant thoughts, she had been very thankful but the truth was she was never that kind of person, I mean, take a look at her situation with Ryan. She didn't try that stunt even though they had been together for longer and she had loved him so much.
"His heart race is faster" The nurse was trying really hard to keep up with Rissa as she walked briskly. "Pale skin color, insomnia and white clear eyes" He stated as they stopped in front of the covered cubicle.
She glanced at the male nurse who held a straight face. "Stress" She smiled. "You can go" She told him and he left.
Rissa walked into the cubicle.
"Hi, doctor" Lawrence smile was calm.
"Hey big guy" She smiled as she moved closer. She pulled out her stethoscope from the coat pocket, she had his heart beats checked. Raising his jaw, she glared into his truly white eyes, they were just too white, his skin wasn't bright and all dull and white.
"Why are you looking so concerned?" He smiled as he pulled his sleeves down. "One would think I have been diagnosed of a horrible sickness " He watched her.
"I'm a doctor, it's only normal I'm concerned for my patient " She stated. "And it's a horrible sickness" She frowned.
"No professionalism there?" He asked.
"Do you think we are robots with our patients?" She asked back.
"If you stare at them all like that then they must be so in love with you" He smiled. "So tell me, how are you?" He became serious now. He had learnt that she had been hospitalized and had come to see her and even visited her thrice while she was on her leave at home.
"I'm good, Lawrence but you are the patient here " She began writing something on a file with her.
He stared at the ring which she wore everyday now and when he had curiously asked, she said it was a special ring given to her by someone special and he definitely guessed it was Luke immediately. He also found out that Luke wasn't in the country anymore, at least for now. The preacher had announced that in the church, the whole congregation felt dejected since they were so used to Luke especially the mothers and young ladies and women.
"Why aren't you getting enough sleep or at all?" She suddenly asked looking up from the file as she was finally done. "Do you work at night too?"
He tilted his head both sides. "I'm on two huge project with my team, been busy and during the night is my perfect time to come up with bright designs that my clients actually want" He explained.
"I see" She nodded. "Does your dad knows you are here?" She raised her eyebrows.
"No" He replied sharply. "Why?" He asked.
"Nothing" She shrugged. "You will pick up your card which has your check-up dates in it and the drugs you should get at the pharmacy, please use them as prescribed " She instructed.
"I'll try" He replied drily.
"I'm your doctor and I don't condone uncommitted and stubborn patients" She said immediately sounding stern. "Ask around, if you are difficult then I'll have you transferred to another doctor " She added.
Lawrence stood up in amusement to how stern she could also be with her patients, he admired this lady. "What if I'm good?" He searched her eyes.
She knew what he wanted, she had only told him that friendship was the only ship available for them. She was trying so hard not to be the bad guy in the claimed relationship she was with Luke.
"I might see you when I don't even want to" She gave a brisk smile. "Okay?"
"Perfect!" He punched his fist into the air "I'm going to be good" He smiled hard.
"Great" She patted his arm. "I have other patients to attend to" She walked away.
No one enjoyed the breaks more than the nurses at LUTHERS HOSPITAL, they were about six of them at the reception area at the fifth floor where the cafeteria was at. Lola, three other female nurses and two male nurses all held their mugs of coffee taking sips after sip.
Rissa was walking over to the cafeteria when she saw Lola with them, the six of them all smiled at her. Rissa was one doctor they were comfortable with still having their gist and gossip around with unlike the other doctors with their too serious nature and maybe because she was friends with Lola.
"Hello-Dr.Oteo" They all chorused.
She glanced over at Lola who gave her a known wink. "Hi nurses " She smiled at them. "Aren't you guys going to the cafeteria?" She asked.
"Ugh" A nurse who was a bit chubby grumbled. "You all know that cafeteria have got no pleasant food, I'll sip my coffee" She sipped her coffee and they all laughed.
"Oh" Rissa could agree with that. "We could use Springles" She said again.
"We're cool today" This time the skinny male nurse spoke. "Unless it's your treat?" He asked expectant.
"Don't put me in that spot!" She waved them off and they smiled.
"Just have some coffee with us" Lola handed her a mug. "Good brewed coffee is the only thing we have got well" She smiled with assurance as she watched Rissa sip.
"Ok-I'll probably join you guys" She placed her mug on the counter.
They all seemed happy about that. "We were talking about long distance relationships" The youngest nurse among them spoke.
"The damn shit never works!" The other male snapped. "It just doesn't"
"You can't say that for sure-Max" Another female nurse spoke.
"He's right" The chubby one spoke again. She was the oldest and the only one married among them. "The man I was dating before meeting my husband taught me that" She started sipping her coffee.
"How?" Rissa asked because she was very interested in this topic.
"So-before I started working at Luthers, I was working at my grandma's hometown and she was the only family I had. I was in a relationship with this guy who had even proposed to me, he owned a restaurant which he ran smoothly then I got transferred to town. It was about 3hrs journey if I wanted to go visit or if he wanted to come, I always went home to see my grannie and see my fiance but he never for once came to even see me or see where I worked at for a year"She stopped.
"Why?" Lola asked really into the story.
"Bet he had another woman " The youngest spoke immediately.
She shook her head. "Nope " She countered.
"Then why?" The skinny male nurse asked surprised.
"He said he was too busy running his restaurant which I didn't believe but when I asked around, it was actually true. They said he never left his restaurant and leaves for his house late since the business was doing well. I was the one sacrificing for the relationship and I couldn't do it anymore, I told him to set priorities and at least make time but he wouldn't. So I broke up, I brought my grannie to town to stay with me, you wouldn't believe that one day I collided with him at an exquisite hotel, his team handled the meals at the hotel. He was very successful but still unmarried." She took a long sip as she waited for them to think over it.
"He finally came to town!" Max exclaimed. "For his business, my men are so unbelievable" He laughed.
"At least, he didn't cheat" The other female said. " I would not leave such a man" She said confidently.
"True" Lola supported as they both did the high-five.
"My happiness comes first, girl. The long distance didn't work anymore, I couldn't deal" She told them.
"But no man would go without even seeing their woman for at least six months without feeling the sexual pressure " Max said firmly. "I'm a man" He touched his chest.
"You are a man whore" The skinny guy laughed at him.
Lola glanced at Rissa who seemed quiet, unfortunately, the whole conversation had her probably thinking about her relationship with Luke which was understandable, how did she not know this?
"I don't think it's all men though" Lola said trying to make the situation better for Rissa. "Some long distances do last" She added cheerfully.
"I'm not saying it doesn't but do they end up finally together " The story teller spoke.
"I think that's a personal thing " The youngest spoke. "It's self control at this point, I mean not all women are even faithful in theirs " She shrugged.
"You are so smart for your age" Lola cheered her and she bubbled with smiles.
"Uhm-er-excuse me guys--errr- thanks though" She walked away through the hallway.
"Bye, Dr. Oteo" They all waved.
"Excuse me too, guys" Lola went after her.
She caught up with her as she was hitting her heels on those tiled floors in such a rush.
"Why are you in such a damn hurry? " She caught hold of her hand.
She slipped her hand away.
"Hey" Lola stood at her front, holding her shoulders. "Can you relax? " She was breathing so fast already.
"I wanna be in my office " She tried to let herself go. "I'm fine " She said looking away from her.
"I never said you weren't" She frowned. "You know that was mere gossip, right?" She held her tightly.
"I don't know what you are talking about" She feigned expression.
"I've definitely passed that stage, Rissa. I know you too well" She loosened her grip. "Luke isn't like them" She said.
"What makes him different, please? I'm pretty sure he has the same genitals just like them" She countered.
"Self control!" She replied immediately. "And he loves you on top of that, don't listen to Max. You know he's literally a man whore" She said trying to make her understand or see reasons.
She didn't speak for split seconds. "I've seen him backslide with me" She finally spoke.
"Exactly!" She smiled. "Only you, with you" She added.
"Cheating aside, his work now, what if it becomes a problem?" She suddenly asked as the thought of it crossed her mind.
"To be honest, I don't know, girl. I don't see why you are hoping for the worse here" She tried to sound reassuring, Luke definitely owed her one.
"I don't know,. Lola" She sighed. "I've never done this before and I get very anxious" she admitted.
"I understand" she hugged her. "It's going to be okay" She said into her ears.
"Thanks" She smiled. "You do the most for me in this friendship" she said with a smile as they broke free.
"Nah-you helped me with Laure" She took her hand. "Things are improving" She was suddenly excited.
"I did nothing" They began walking. "I said what needed to be said" She shrugged.
"But it worked, I should give you the whole gist" She said as they walked on.
"Okay?"
How was this chapter so far?
A quick question, do you all know I have a favourite character but don't worry it doesn't influence the way the story goes : )
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