CHAPTER TWO: COLD SHIVERS
Riona's surgical success had earned her widespread admiration and praise. Colleagues and patients marveled at her skills and dedication.
Thanatos glided silently through the hospital's entrance. His icy touch left a shiver in the air, sending goosebumps crawling across the skin of everyone in the hospital at that time. His presence, though invisible to all, cast an unexplainable and unexpected chill upon the entire building.
They nurses in the counter murmured to each other,
" This is weird, isn't it a little too cold in here all of a sudden?"
And her colleague answered,
" Yes!! It's a little bit strange too, or maybe the air conditioner (A.C) was tampered with or something, I'll go check it out"
" Yeah!! Go check it out, I'll just grab my sweater, it's freezing damn!!"
Nurses rubbed their arms to fend off the sudden coldness, while patients huddled under their blankets, seeking solace from the chilling air.
Those that came into the hospital were all surprised by the cold temperature, because outside the hospital was warmer than the inside.
********
Thanatos moved unnoticed with his dark cloak and scythe, heading directly to the room of the driver, who was still unconscious.
At that moment, Jonathan stepped out of his office because he felt really cold and wanted to ask the nurses to turn off the A.C. Immediately his right foot stepped out and he raised his eyes, he froze and gently returned back, closing the door quickly, and he was breathing heavily.
He was scared, his eyes lighted up and while panting he muttered…
" What's he doing here?"
" What business does he have here?"
" The hospital hasn't recorded any death cases today…. So what is he doing here?"
Jonathan was confused and scared but he summoned the courage to secretly follow Thanatos to where he was heading.
Unknown to Thanatos, he never realized he had been seen and followed.
Thanatos entered the room, where the unconscious driver layed. His eyes burned with wrath and anger, For this mere mortal had somehow eluded death's invitation.
Thanatos did not know how and why this driver escaped death but he was hell-bent on figuring everything out.
He waved his scythe as if he was cutting through thin air and immediately, time and space stood still, as Thanatos invoked his power, to rewind the tapes of the past, unraveling the driver's time of death. With a flick of his wrist, visions of the past surged forth.
The surgical theater materialized like a ghostly haze, revealing the moments the driver had died and also showing the time Riona cried. He watched as she was so determined to save the driver's life but failed, how she felt bitter after his heart stopped beating.
His eyes lit up when he noticed how she was taken over by an overwhelming power. With an angry expression….
" What is this?. Are the gods messing with me?"
He watched closely, how every movement, every incision, had occurred and how accurate everything was. And finally when she succeeded.
He looked closely at the eyes of Riona with confusion and anger…
"Who is she to go against me?"
Thanatos turned back and left the hospital determined to find out what and who Riona was, and he will do it his own way.
Thanatos had left, everything began to return back to normal and the temperature in the hospital became normal again..
"Hmm!! That's strange"
A nurse said while rubbing her arms, and her colleague answered…
"Yup!! The temperature is back to normal surprisingly. It's almost as if death visited this building"
She laughed as she made her statement.
" Stop being weird with your beliefs" her colleague said
" Common I was only joking.. Hahaha"
If only she knew maybe, just maybe…
********
Few moments later…..
Jonathan finally got back to his senses. He was also caught when time paused, although he tailed to see what Thanatos was all about but got nothing from the stress. Jonathan was quite worried, but he couldn't help it other than to be calm about the whole thing he had witnessed.
After pondering on it for a while he warded it off like it was nothing..
" Well nothing really changed, maybe I'm worried for no reason". He thought.
*******
Brrriiinnngggg! Brrriiinnngggg! Brrring
"Hello, who is this?"
" Where the hell are you Riona"
Her eyes opened widely, she looked back at her screen after hearing the voice, to her greatest surprise it was the director. She looked and the time, it was 8:05 am, she immediately jumped up with her hair all messy she smiled and answered….
" Director! I'm so sorry I am already on my way just caught up in traffic"
" Better be here in 10 minutes"
"Thank you director"
She hurriedly got ready and headed to the hospital immediately.
On her arrival, Jonathan came to her…
" Hey! Riona, good morning"
She smiled and responded,
" good morning Jonathan "
" The director has asked for all of us to meet at the meeting hall in five"
"Okay! Roger"
She smiled and answered.
Few moments later they all went to the meeting room, a new elegantly dressed figure was also seated there waiting. They were all taken by his beauty, how tall and handsome he looked.
While they were all seated, the director stood up and said..
" This is Tryton, he is the new assistant director".
Tryton got up and greeted everyone with his deep voice cold stare....
" Good morning, I am Tryton"
" Omg!! He is so handsome. Wow"
Lydia whispered in Riona's ear, looking at him seductively..
"Well he is cute, but not that cute.." Riona responded
" Are you kidding me?You need to book an appointment to check your eyes, it looks like your sight is bad" Lydia responded.
"Oh!! Please. Haha"
"What's funny Dr. Riona?" the director asked.
All eyes turned to her expectantly, anticipating her reply….
" Nothing! director I and Lydia were just saying we are happy to work with Tryton"
Tryton looked at her with a straight face.
" oh! okay. You all should make him feel welcomed and loved"
All present in the meeting answered in a chorus..
"yes sir"
"Dr Riona, you'll be in charge of showing him around and guiding him to his office" the director said
"Okay sir I will do just that" she responded.
" you can all go back to work".
The meeting had ended and Riona led Tryton out and showed him around. She tried talking to him but he paid no attention to her or her questions. Riona felt really pissed at his attitude and decided to say nothing else to him until he got to his office finally.
When he got to his office,
"Thank you" he said
Riona was surprised because she could have sworn he was deaf and dumb, because he had ignored her all through the tour. Riona tried taking advantage of the moment to start a conversation,
"You are welcome" she said with a smile
" sooo…"
he interrupted her before she could complete her statement
"That will be all for now, you can see yourself out now"
Riona was pissed at his attitude and walked out angrily while murmuring to herself.
"Who does he think he is? Hmph".