8 THE CATALYST
"You should turn off at the next exit, dodge all the vehicles and avoid all upcoming traffic lights," Ally said with a calm but authoritative voice.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Toby asked her and proceeded onto the freeway passing the exit. Lexi looked back waiting for her explanation and Ethan continued to lean on the headrest with his eyes shut.
Ally sighed and said, "We are being tailed. Three black vans have been pursuing us since we left the nightclub."
Toby smiled and said, "It's fine. Those are our people. There is a VIP in our car so it's expected to have protection."
Silence shrouded the car once more. After a few short minutes, Toby said, "Those cars are hiding behind other vehicles. Ally, you have sharp eyes, perhaps Ethan needs to fire those people for being easily discovered."
Ally didn't say anymore and gazed out of the windows, admiring the blinking lights of skyscrapers. 'Why is he so observant? I can see his brain on overdrive trying to fish for information. Not going to happen, mister," she mused.
The four of them walked into the Hospital. Lexi clutched Toby's hand tightly upon entering and Ally walked hesitantly behind them with her face ashen.
"I need a smoke," said Ethan in a gruff voice and excused himself to the smoking area outside. He saw the sorrow in her eyes and fear on her face when she entered the building. He had the sudden urge to drag her out of there and treat her wounds himself, if not for the severity of her injury.
It was after Midnight, Lexi was a bit tired from the day's activities. She leaned her head on Toby's shoulder and whispered, "Hon, I'm hungry and sleepy."
Toby glanced at her beautiful face and held her closer to him. She was a brilliant, charming, fun-loving, and kind-hearted woman. She was like the cool sea breeze on a summer night, bringing the tidal waves of fear, anger, and sadness but the backwash leaves remnants of love, happiness, and contentment.
"What do you want to eat?" He asked gently.
She looks at his face, and she glowed. "You," she joked.
"As you wish. Don't regret it later," he said in a magnetic voice that sent a shiver down Lexi's back.
Toby knew she was kidding, but he wanted to tease her and he succeeded. He felt her tremble, and he laughed.
Lexi renewed her position and rested her eyes. Toby could tell she was exhausted and asked, "Do you want to rest in the car and we will wait for Ally at the entrance?"
"Okay, I hate the smell," she reminded him.
"I know, sweetheart," he said and kissed her hair. "Wait for me here."
Toby got up and knocked on the door of the room Ally was receiving treatment.
"Ally, Lexi's is a bit tired so we will wait at the entrance for you," he said to her as he eyed the young doctor.
They both looked a bit startled like he had interrupted a private conversation. Toby was a bit wary of them.
"Oh, okay." Ally said when she pinched herself.
Toby left with Lexi and reclined the passenger seat as she lay there and closed her eyes. He adjusted the temperature in the car, covered her with his coat, and kissed her forehead before he left the car in search of Ethan.
Toby leaned against the wall with his eyes fixated on the man standing quietly with smoke clouds around him. It must trouble him to be smoking like a chimney. The only things that can make Ethan tense are money, love, or family.
From what he knows, Phoenix International isn't going through any difficulties and their family doesn't have such potent power to stress him. So, it must be love. Is it Isabella or Ally? He needed a nudge in the right direction to make the best decision, and that is Ally. He needed to move on from Isabella.
"Ethan," he interrupted his thoughts.
"Hm…," Ethan responded with his all too familiar line.
Toby exhaled and added, "Is it so difficult to follow your heart? You're obviously thinking deeply about this."
Ethan got more silent and ignored the question. Toby didn't mind, he expected this response. He knew his friend was just still sorting his feelings and fighting his own inner battles.
He continued to give his opinion, like always, "Isabella has been gone for years and you've never forgotten her. She left for whatever reason without looking back or giving it a second thought, and you put your heart on hold to wait for her. What happened to her was not your fault. It was an unfortunate matter, they are evil people in this world and we have no control over them. Just like we have no control of time. Time waits for no man."
Ethan sighed heavily and said with a thick voice, "Does it not make me one of the evil people if I move on? If I seek happiness wouldn't it make me a hypocrite?"
"No, it makes you human," Toby replied. He felt heartbroken for this man. He has been torturing himself for years.
"It makes me human," Ethan repeated sarcastically.
"I might seem biased, but you have to admit that Ally has caught your attention. From what Lexi has spoken about her, I can say she's a decent person but it's up to you to decide. Is it going to be Isabella or Ally? I can tell you have feelings for Ally, but you're feeling obligated to Isabella."
There was a long silence and Ethan didn't utter a single word. He felt like he was placed on a fork road with reoccurring patterns at the ending of each path.
******
Ally waited on the bed. She was already sitting when the door to the room opened and a young, energetic doctor walked in. She looked at his face questioningly. 'He looks familiar,' she mused.
"Hello, I'm Dr. Artem Tan, I will be your attending Physician," the young doctor said.
"Aren't you a little too young to be a doctor?" Ally asked.
The young doctor smiled, and his smile reached his eyes. He had hazel eyes with hints of green-yellow. A very handsome boyish face. Too handsome, almost like a girl with his neat eyebrows and a fair complexion. He had thick medium brown hair and looked like a little rebel with his pixie bangs.
"What makes you think I'm young?" He asked mischievously.
Ally bit her bottom lips in and squinted her eyes, but she was still not ready to let her guard down. "Well, How old are you doctor?"
"Same as you," he said with a sweet smile and flushed red. He was too conniving, playing mind games with her.
"How do you know my age?" She persisted.
The doctor laughed and raised the chart in his hands. He wanted to see if she would continue the interrogation.
She blushed more and did not give in, "And how will I know if you are lying or not?"
"Do you need to see my birth certificate?" He teased.
"Mm... No, I just…"
The knock on the door interrupted their conversation and Toby's face peeked in and informed her they would wait at the entrance. She agreed.
The doctor grabbed the stool and sat in front of her with the equipment tray beside him. He disinfected the wounds in her hands and removed the embedded flints and debris.
"Boyfriend?" He asked.
"No!" She spitted.
She watched him work diligently on her hands. "Honestly, How old are you?"
"I told you the same as you," he said but didn't look up.
"But you look like an eighteen-year-old filmstar," she giggled.
"Haha, thank you," he said as he applied the sterile bandages.
He repeated the same process and quickly finished. He instructed, "Don't get your right hand wet for the next 7 days. That one has the two wounds with stitches. The other will be good in the next 2 to 3 days."
"Okay," she replied.
"I'll prescribe some pain medication and antibiotics. You can pick those up at the pharmacy on the opposite side of this building. Just follow the glass corridor and it's on your immediate left," he informed.
"Thank you, Doc," she said and stood at the door which he opened.
Ally looked around to find the direction to the pharmacy. "I hate this place," she murmured. She walked for 5 mins and still didn't find the place. She ended up at the smoking zone and overheard Toby and Ethan's voices. She didn't mean to eavesdrop on their conversation, she intended to ask If they knew where the pharmacy was located. She heard her name, and she froze.
"I can tell that you have feelings for Ally, but you're feeling obligated to Isabella," Toby said.
The other man was silent, and she felt a little discomfort in her stomach. She didn't know why. Did she expect him to say something, they didn't even know each other before tonight and technically still don't know each other. She didn't wait to hear anymore because the indifferent man obviously would not confirm what her cousin's fiance said and she didn't care.
Ally walked back to the receptionist's desk and saw the young doctor flirting with the receptionist. He was gorgeous looking, and he knew it.
"Ms. Chen, why are you back here?" Dr. Tan asked, still smiling gently like he was when talking to the girl behind the desk.
"Um... I can't find the Pharmacy," Ally said hesitantly.
"Okay, I will take you there."
"I'm sorry to disturb you," Ally said as they walked.
"You are not. As you can see, it's the wee hours of the morning and there isn't much to do. Not that I'm complaining," Dr. Tan said.
They walked in the opposite route to what she took earlier, and he saw the glass corridor he mentioned. It was a little above the ground. Underneath her feet, she could see little fishes swimming around as they walked. On their right, she could see the spectacular garden filled with many flowers. It was bright from the lamp lights. And on their left was the parking lot, where she saw Toby's car still waiting.
She hurriedly walked in the pharmacy's direction with the handsome young doctor by her side. Her mind was filled with the thoughts of the conversation she overheard and didn't notice the doctor's scrutinizing gaze on her. They collected the drugs and walked back.
"Miss Chen, are you not from around this area?" The doctor asked.
Ally snapped back to the present and answered, "Uh..No, I recently moved here."
"Tsk tsk...no wonder you lost your way earlier," he teased.
Ally felt a sense of calm talking to him, for she couldn't fathom the reason. "You like to tease me, huh pretty boy?"
"Who are you calling pretty boy?" He asked with wide eyes, looking bewildered.
Ally broke out into a fit of laughter. The young doctor was happy to see her mood lightened. Since he walked into the room earlier, she had her guard up and asked him a lot of trivial questions. Not that he minded it, but he just didn't want her to be that way to him.
Ethan and Toby witnessed this scene. The smoking area was outside the building to the far left of the glass corridor. It was the first time they both saw the aloof girl this happy. She had a drop-dead smile.
"It looks like the doctor broke through the barrier," Toby muttered.
If this was chemistry, they would consider Toby the chemist. He needed a reaction out of Ethan, so he used the young doctor as the catalyst.
"What do you mean?" Ethan wasn't dumb, contrary, he was a genius. He just wanted confirmation.
Toby explained what he saw earlier in the room and analyzed what they both just witnessed. "This mastermind is working overtime," he thought to himself.
Ethan's body tensed and his eyes narrowed to slits as the pair approached them at the entrance. She was still smiling. 'What could they be talking about for her to relax so fast? Haven't she learned her lesson tonight?' He mused.
