CULPRIT

"Huh?", Andrew looks at Olivia as if this was the most ludicrous thing he could ever have heard in his life. "Ohh", Olivia looks at him weirdly and in pity. "Did getting injured damage your hearing senses? What a poor little kid", she says while trying to rub the hair of Andrew. Andrew dodges her hand though and just looks at her incredulously.

"Well, since you couldn't hear it the first time, I guess I should say it once again. Just try to block off any other words and focus on my lips. Sighs", she says with eyes full of pity and gentleness. She pauses as if waiting for Andrew to fully focus on her mouth before continuing, "Yooouuuu woouuuullllllddd bbbeeeee cooommmiiinnggg hhhoooommmeee wwwiiittthhh me. Hope you got it this time around?". Andrew wanted her to repeat what she has previously said. Although he had heard it the first time, he thought his ears were playing tricks on him and thus his reactions, cause there was no way he could believe that she would make such a decision as to let him into her house forgetting about all his derisions.

"Is there something wrong with your head? Why would I go with you to your house? That's impossible", he says disgruntled. "Well, it's simple. It's because I asked you nicely", Olivia says with her smile still on, not annoyed by the words of Andrew. At this moment, Andrew does not understand if Olivia was pulling a fast one on him or if she was being serious, but either way, he didn't intend to play along with her any longer and intended to sidestep her while continuing on his way. Being around this woman always puts a strain on his nerves.

"Hold on for a minute then", Olivia says immediately, and although Andrew does not intend to wait, he still wanted to know what else she has to say to him. Inquisitiveness does indeed kills the cat. Olivia's motions with her hands seem like she was calling on someone. And sure enough, at the next moment, footsteps could be heard from the hallway. Andrew wanted to look but the words of Olivia stops him in his track, "Since you don't want to go ahead nicely, how about with a little push from someone you know".

Andrew didn't quite understand the words being said by her, as he was not sure there was someone who could make him change his mind apart from Marian. And currently, she was by his side, so it didn't seem to be her. He just sneers in derision at this little tactic of Olivia, she seems to be thinking too highly of herself. He always loved removing that smile from the face of her and seeing her expression turning ugly and seems like this time around, he would be victorious again.

The footsteps got nearer at which there were many times Andrew wanted to crane his neck to see who it was, but decided against it cause he wanted to focus on the face of Olivia and captures the moment her smile is wiped off. That moment would be beyond priceless.

Finally, the person was in view of Andrew, but on seeing the face of the person, all colours drains from the face of Andrew and his body grew stiff. The girls behind on seeing his expression wanted to know what would make him behave this way and they crane their necks to look at the newcomer and it wasn't someone whom they knew as the face doesn't look familiar.

It seems to be a personnel of the hospital, actually a janitor due to the clothes he wore, it was a man. His appearance was just average, the kind of appearance one could forget easily. But it was due to this person Andrew went stiff. It got the girls thinking wildly about what kind of relationship Andrew and the man had.

Eve thought so far and what went through her mind was that Andrew has some romantic interest in this man. Maybe he had such a hobby, as although he was touchy with those bandits' women, he didn't allow them to touch him. When linking all the dots, it made sense to her. She was dismayed at this little conclusion of hers. After all, she has heard that they were some men with those kinds of likings, although she hasn't seen one for herself. This was the first time she was seeing such a situation and it was with the boy she liked. Even if he had such interests, at least he could have found a more handsome man. And it seems like Olivia had gotten this man to stay with her, so Andrew has no other choice than to come with her. If Andrew had known what she was thinking, he wouldn't have known whether to laugh or to cry.

"What happened to you? Are you not fully recovered?", Olivia asks as if concerned but there was undisguised mockery in the tone in which she asked, she finally hits it off with a smile of absolute scorn as she said, "Or has the cat caught your tongue?".

'Shit, I have fucked up. I shouldn't have allowed my expression to change, everybody caught on to it. But how did she find out though?', Andrew thought while getting his facial reaction in order.

After some series of deep breaths, he eventually got back to his previous self. "Is this the person that you said could get me to stay with you?", he asks while a smile was plastered on his face. If not for his former behaviour, perhaps he could have fooled everyone with his new expression, but he was damned to be wrong.

"Ohh, this little friend of mine?", Olivia just keeps on dragging things bit by bit, "We just had a little chat and he confessed all that has happened".

At this revelation, Eve was hundred per cent convinced that her previous theory was correct and couldn't help feeling dismayed. No wonder Andrew didn't make any advances towards her and always chatted with her casually, although they were a bit close now. Everything now clicks perfectly, she wanted to run out of the room to cry her eyes out. She has just lost someone she loved and it wasn't even to another girl but it was to a man older than him by afar. But she held back and wanted to watch in which direction everything would unfold and see if Andrew would indeed confess to everything he had done.

"Ohh, that's nice then. So what does this your friend have to do with me?", Andrew just keeps on asking with a straight face, no sign of being flustered could be seen on his face but his heart was beating loudly. 'I am finished, kaput. Would I have to go with her? But I don't want to. It seems that she wants to blackmail me. I just have to hold out and not show any emotion on my face. Perhaps I would get through with this', he cried inwardly.

Olivia was impressed by the way he was carrying himself and not giving up. But she doesn't have the time to play any longer as she says, "He was the one who was smuggling wines to you while in the hospital. You do know that based on this and the rules guiding the hospital, he would have to be arrested". "Huh", the two girls were shocked by this new revelation, and Eve heaved out a breath of relief that all that she has been thinking was greatly far from the truth.

So this was the man who has been bringing in the alcohol for Andrew. On looking at him more closely, there was nothing really special about him. His eyes were even a bit sulked, there was even a bit of wonder about how he was capable of getting the job at this hospital. Apart from those few points, nothing could be said about him that seemed off.

"Ohh, he was doing all that. I don't think I have met someone like him before", Andrew says and starts walking away. After walking past the entrance, as if remembering something he forgot, he turns towards the girls before saying, "Are you not coming along? Or do any of you know him?".

These questions levelled at the girls made them remember that Andrew was actually on his way out of the hospital. They had a lot of things to do after all, so delaying would make it harder to get them done. They both ran towards him, on which he continues his stroll.

Olivia's face starts getting ugly on seeing the situation playing out like this, but she smiles all of a sudden before saying, "If you don't come with me, I have the power to order his death". "Oh yeah. You can go ahead then. I don't give a damn about someone I don't know. Do whatever you wish, take care of yourself", replies Andrew while waving his hands without turning behind.

He seems like he didn't care about what would to the man who was present. The man, on the other hand, was scared and speechless on which he cries out towards Andrew, "Please sir, just help me out. I have a wife and kids who are behind. I am the one who provides for them all". But Andrew doesn't seem bothered by his pleas and just continues walking away slowly. No matter how much the man cried and pled with Andrew, Andrew didn't for once turn towards his direction.

With every step Andrew took away, the harder the man cried for him not to leave. Even Olivia was unnerved by what she was seeing, although she hasn't been with Andrew for long, she was sure that Andrew wouldn't leave the man behind, and her judgment about people has rarely been long. But seems like this boy who seems cold to others broke her predictive abilities.

Although she seem serious about what she has said, she wasn't going to do it. She just wanted it to try to get Andrew under his rope but seems it would be harder than she thought. But she has made up her mind though, if Andrew went away without turning back, although he had great potential, just saving his skin wouldn't be worth it serving in the army cause he could betray his comrade in arms at any moment and having such a traitor in their midst wouldn't help matters one bit and would instead make them feel insecure at all times. But if he happens to turn back by some luck, then she would do anything in her power to get him into the army whether he likes it or not.

"Are you going to forsake him?", Olivia was now getting angry. Seeming as if she would cut down Andrew at any moment's notice. The air was cold but Andrew doesn't seem to care, even Marian didn't try to persuade him. Whatever decision he made, she would stick by his side. Even Eve followed behind faithfully, love has blinded her eyes and sense of reasoning fully. At this moment, he seems to be like a hero who was flanked on both sides by beautiful girls. One who was just budding and the other who has already been in that stage for a while now.

When he was about to go down the staircase leading towards the entrance, he hesitated a bit. Although he had wanted to abandon this man, in the end, he just couldn't do it. It was all against his conscience, hence he just couldn't take that step. The man has already given up on the fact that Andrew would come back and his heart has almost escaped from his body. He felt totally weak at this moment. While Olivia was staring fully at Andrew and notices the hesitation while wanting to go out of the hospital, this sign shows there is still hope and her heart lit up, she has almost given up on Andrew just like the man after all. The girls looked at Andrew while Marian was smiling.

He starts with a sigh, 'Why am I so good?', he said inwardly. He turns towards the direction of Olivia before saying, "Alright then, I would let you win this time around. Although I know you are trying to scare me and won't do anything you just said. So you can now put your smile on your face".

Without even waiting for Andrew to complete his statement, Olivia's face was already full of smiles. She was glad she was able to pull a fast one on this kid who has always made her feel terrible and she was also glad that her judgment of him hasn't been wrong after all. The man on hearing those words stops crying and looks towards Andrew and a smile of having just got out of a snake's nest with his life intact crept up his face. But such an expression on his face which was filled with snort and tears seemed ugly and made him seem like a run-down neighbour who has given up on life and sunk into insanity.