Chapter 12: CHAPTER TWELVE

“I'm sorry about all of this,” he apologized and walked towards me. He tried to touch my hand but I moved backwards immediately, remembering how that happened the last time.

A look of pain crossed his features for a second

“What's going on?” I asked in confusion again, hoping maybe he'd answer as his buddy standing at the door was obviously clueless.

“I'm not sure but I had to bring you to my personal hospital instead of that dirty place they would have taken you to,”

“Well just in case you didn't know, that dirty place wouldn't pour a bottle of coke into my blood stream!” I snapped at him.

He laughed, a rich vibrating baritone that rose in layers.

I liked his laugh.

Aria, focus!

I shook my head, unable to process all of this at once.

He successfully placed his warm hand on mine and this time, I didn't fizzle out and fall on the ground.

Weird, because I could have sworn he was some evil wizard that took people's life force or something.

“I'm sorry about that, I shouldn't have laughed at you. You're right to be worried, I rarely use this place so it's not in top shape but trust me, considering the state we found you in, this was the best option for you,” he exclaimed and stood up towards the direction of said drugs. “Now tell me, where were you off to? You were supposed to be coming to work today you know,”

“Um, I'm sorry, I planned to send an email later. I needed to leave and couldn't work for you anymore,” I explained and for some odd reason, I allowed him to plunge the needle back into my skin and the strange substance was back in motion.

“Oh, that's too bad. We would have loved to work with you, you fit our requirements,”

“Oh, I don't want to travel anymore. I'll love to start as soon as possible. Can you give me another chance?” I begged, hoping I'd not throw away the only chance I'd gotten to survive.

Even if I got married off to Andrew Santiago, I'd have a job and he wouldn't be able to financially abuse me like he did his previous wife.

She didn't have a job and she sometimes came to our house to eat because her husband felt she has to starve to stay thin. I used to pity her and now I was well on my way to becoming her. So I definitely needed this job to ensure I had one thing going well for me.

“Well, you just focus on getting better first. Octavio please get her something to eat,” he commanded his friend or was he working for him? I couldn't tell, their relationship dynamic was a mix of both. “You won't be here for much longer anyway, this will get you back to perfect health in no time,”

“Okay, thank you,” he nodded and began to leave. “But what where you doing all the way out there?” I asked him, hoping he'd be able to provide some sort of clarity to this dilemma I was in.

“I was chasing after something and got off track,” he replied cryptically. “Thank you for saving me,” finished and disappeared down the corridor.

What was it with this man and strange occurrences?

I took a deep breath, one thing was sure; I wasn't in any immediate danger and I hadn't been apprehended by the Mafia or some weird cult.

But on the other hand, I just got dipped into a box of confusion.

With each drop of the strange substance, I felt stronger so I guess that meant he wasn't lying to me but then, why did he have to bring me somewhere so strange?

Also, why is this drug not popular? It should be in every hospital for crying out loud, my scars were gradually disappearing from my body the longer I took it in.

Was I going to become a superhero by the time it finished?

“Ugh! I'm going fucking crazy, that's what's happening,” I groaned in frustration and lay down on the small bed.

Few minutes later, Octavio walked back into the room with bags of Chinese and MacDonalds.

“I didn't know what to get you,” he said by the reason of an explanation and I reached for the Chinese.

I can always get myself some MD but these babies are so freaking expensive I don't even remember how they taste anymore.

“When can I go home?” I asked after my third bite.

He looked at his watch before responding to me

“Soon,”

“You don't have to babysit me. I already tried running away, didn't work,” I grumbled and went back to my food.

I felt the bed dip.

“Please don't do that again, he'll have my head if anything happens to you,”

“Why does he care so much though? I barely know him and I haven't even started working for him yet,” I asked with my noodles hanging off the chopsticks.

“Let's just say he had a few issues with his last PA so he's trying to make sure he doesn't fuck this one up,”

“Ookay,”

I didn't believe a word he just said but this is obviously not going anywhere so it was best to let it go.

I mean, if he treated me nicely and paid me as well, who was I to complain?

I finished my food and noticed the IV was down to a few drops.

I was so damn ready to leave this place.

As soon as it was, I didn't even wait for him, I quickly removed it and stood up from the bed.

“Can we go now?” I asked Octavio who was on his phone.

How come he has reception and I don't? Lots of weird stuff happening, that's for sure but I gave myself the same pep-talk; don't ask questions till you leave this place. Play as nice as you possibly can Aria, play nice.

He didn't reply me at first and I began walking up to him before he focused intently on me all of a sudden, his green eyes shining.

“Yea, sure,” he replied and carried my bag.

The moment I walked out of the room, I had to pause.

“Am I running mad?” I spoke out loud in confusion.

The sight before me had me in a tight spot.

I looked inside the room I'd just come out from, the same library and hospital room combination so how then has the outside changed from that lonely corridor into a normal hospital with nurses and patients running around the nearby stairs and lobbies?