Chapter 21 THE TIGER'S TAIL

Chapter 21 THE TIGER'S TAIL
“Are you going to stay there staring out the window like you didn't just save an entire bank crew from a gunfight?” Someone said at the door, as Xavier, who had been looking out of the window in the lounge room, turned to see Nathaniel standing by the door. 

He chuckled, “It's nice to see that you are alive and you didn't do anything silly, or am I reaching too high?”

Nathaniel shook his head. “No, you're not reaching too high. You're right. I almost did something silly, but I didn't, because I put you first.”

“Well that was… thoughtful of you.”

“If I had gone out there and did what I wanted to do, by now you should be hearing from the board, but I didn't, because I know how important this entire thing is.”

“So what did you do?” Xavier shrugged, folding his arms across his chest and leaning against the wall. He was curious. “You said you were going to meet up with someone. I'm sure you went to meet up with a high staff of the hospital. So did you report what Mr. Thorne did?”

Nathaniel nodded. “I did, to someone who would help.”

Xavier narrowed his eyes. “Someone who would help? Like who? I'm a new person to the medical world. It’s normal to be bullied as the newbie. I should receive the kind of treatment that I'm receiving. I don't need your help. I can handle things myself. Whatever you do for me could come back to bite me and I’m not ready to get more enemies before I can even begin my career.”

Nathaniel stared at Xavier in shock, then walked into the room, closing the door slightly behind him, as he shook his head. “Wow, you really are cold, man. And just when I thought that you and I could be friends.”

Xavier shrugged. “We are rivals.”

“No,” Nathaniel shook his head. “We can never be rivals because you are far better than me. Your scores of a hundred percent in that exam has people in the whole hospital shook. You’re the first to achieve the impossible. On top of that, you being able to react under pressure and with so much blood and gore around you is something that I haven't even imagined myself doing. It's something that I would only dream of doing. And that's where it ends. Dreams. I'm not the kind of surgeon who would jump into a rescue. Only the pros and the old doctors do that. I can't do that. You saw how most doctors there froze up when the opportunity came for us to show what we were capable of. You were the only one who moved before anything could be said.”

Xavier gave a small smile. “I understand where you're coming from, but at the same time, I really, really would appreciate if you do not come to my rescue on this. I will handle Mr. Thorne myself.”

Nathaniel started feeling stupid that he had gone to Craig to report what Dr. Aris Thorne had done, but he felt like he needed to protect the newbie. 

“All right, Alex, I hear you, and you're right. I overstepped my boundaries and I'm sorry for reporting the man. But I am not sorry that I decided to report an injustice that I saw there. Blaine came after you for no reason at all. He's done that to me before. He's done that to so many other people, and we've lost good doctors because of that family’s ego. You were the last straw. I just needed an excuse to report Blaine and his father. That's all I needed. And I got the excuse from you. So before you say anything, I used you to get what I wanted. We happy now?”

Xavier narrowed his eyes. It wasn't the best explanation that anybody could come up with, but it was something. And he didn't want to be in anybody's debt. He came into this hospital to get what he wanted, do his research, cure Isabella's mother, and then move on with life onto the next stage of his revenge plans. But now that he was stuck in Alexander Rodriguez's body, he had no choice but to behave like Alexander. Sympathy was something he needed to show a bit more.

He gave a slight nod. “Thank you for standing up for me. It means a lot.”

He then noticed that this was the first time since he got into this world that anyone was standing up for him. He had been bribing his way through people just to get what he wanted and it had somehow made him detached from the reality of things. 

“Not many people would do what you did for me. And I really appreciate your help,” he said as Nathaniel gave him a slight nod. 

“It's fine. Anyway, instead of staying here and feeling sad and depressed, there's a new restaurant that opened down the block. It's been there for, I think, a month, and I haven't been there because of my work schedule being crazy. I think now would be a great time to celebrate.”

Xavier pointed to the door. “We have patients coming in every single second. We can't just leave the hospital.”

“But we can,” Nathaniel nodded, opening the door and smiling. “Let's change into our clothes and go over there.”

“Orrrrrr we can just go as doctors just in case an emergency happens and we need to rush back to work. Who knows, we might even get a free meal at the place for just being doctors.”

That sounded like a wonderful idea to Nathaniel, who shrugged, then they walked out of the room and out of the hospital. 

While they walked, Xavier couldn't help but feel like someone was watching them. He didn't know who, but he knew that he was being watched. 

Soon they got into the restaurant with Nathaniel spreading his arms around and taking in a huge whiff of the air that smelled like food. 

“Mm, this is wonderful. I can't wait to see what's on their menu,” Nathaniel said, going to a booth to sit in while Xavier sat across from him, looking around. 

The restaurant was cozy. This was his new favorite spot and he had just gotten here.

The slow soothing music in the background, the nice waiters and waitresses going around to attend to the customers and the almost empty space around them that gave an ambience of peace when compared to places that would be packed to the roof with noisy patrons.

He then looked out of the large floor-to-ceiling windows that covered an entire wall of the restaurant. 

“They have one of the best views I've ever seen for a restaurant. This is not bad.”

“I knew you’d like it,” Nathaniel smiled, looking on the table for anything to keep busy with.

“Hey boys, what can I get you?” A young lady of twenty five joined them. She had red short hair that bobbed around her neck, and her hazel eyes gave her an exotic look. 

Nathaniel looked from her head to her toes, licking his lips and rubbing his hands like he was a smooth player. 

“I like how you're wearing your work clothes, and it doesn't even get to the knee. Do you think I can have your number?”

Xavier shook his head, then placed a hand over his eyes to close the shame he was feeling for Nathaniel. 

“That… was your pickup line?”

“Dude, she's standing right here.”

“I don't care if she's an alien with ten heads. You don't try to attract a woman like that.”

The waitress chuckled. “Boys, I'm right here. I just need your order, and no, I'm not going to date you,” she said that last one to Nathaniel. “I already have a boyfriend.” 

Nathaniel sighed with his shoulders slumping. “Oh, for fuck's sake.”

Xavier smiled, then looked at her. “Your menu, please.”

She got out the menu and gave it to him as he glossed through it, then pointed to a few of the items on the menu before giving the menu to Nathaniel. 

He looked at the menu, then smiled. “I'll just have the rice with chicken. I hear the sauce is really good, so I'll just have that.”

While he was giving his order, he kept on looking at Xavier like he wanted Xavier to be in support, but the man shrugged. 

“It's your order, not mine. You're the one eating it.”

The waitress chuckled. “I think I like you two. You guys are the funniest duo I've seen from that hospital in a long time, and we just opened.”

“What do you mean?” Nathaniel asked.

She opened her mouth to explain, but then the door jangled open as everyone looked there to see Dr. Blaine Thorne walking in with two other doctors behind him like he owned the place.

He stood there scanning the place like he was there to collect rent. In that moment, the atmosphere changed and got thick. Xavier could smell trouble in the air.

“I'll have to get back to serving,” the waitress said, hurrying out of the way as Blaine looked around. 

His eyes locked on Nathaniel and Xavier as he gave a sly smile, then walked straight to them. 

Nathaniel turned away, trying to hide his face, as Blaine came and slapped a firm hand on Nathaniel's shoulders. 

“Well, if it isn't the funkiest duo on the planet,” Blaine said. “What are you guys doing here?”

“Nothing man,” Nathaniel’s voice wavered as Blaine scoffed.

“Shut it Rusco,” Blaine growled before looking at Xavier. “You're in my seat.”

Xavier looked up with a calm expression on his face, “We're just here to eat, Blaine, and when we are done, you can have the seats, but for now, there are multiple empty seats. You can pick anyone.”

“Yeah, but I like a window spot. I like to look out and I like someone to look upon all of this handsomeness.”

“Right,” Xavier rolled his eyes. “Anyway, I'm not leaving here. So I suggest you go find another window spot.”

Blaine chuckled, then removed his hand from Nathaniel's shoulders as he leaned close to Xavier. 

“Listen here, Alexander,” he said that name like it was a curse on his lips. “Do you know what will happen if you keep on stepping on the tiger's tail?”

\[SOCIAL DOMINANCE CHALLENGE DETECTED\]

\[PUBLIC HUMILIATION RISK: HIGH\]

\[RESPONSE ADVISED\]

In that moment, the tension rose as Xavier felt the hum of the system whirring within him.