7 House no. 119

Picking up the last fallen apple, Morpheous walked towards that old man.

"Here!"

"Thank you so much, young man! God knows what would have happened if you hadn't helped me."

"It was nothing!" Morpheous said and put the apples in a polythene bag a samaritan had offered.

"Should I call you a cab?" he asked.

"No… No… I feel perfectly fine. My house is just four blocks away," the old man replied, pointing his fingers towards the second cross.

"Then I will walk you home. This bag is heavy!" he said with a smile, the corners of his eyes crinkling.

"Won't that be a hassle for you, young man?"

"It's Morpheous, and no, I insist," he said. His voice shivered a bit due to the cold and piercing breeze that swept through the street.

"Morpheous! As in God's favorite son?"

"I doubt that!"

"Quite a name you have, Morpheous! I am Benjamin. I bet you haven't read the folklores and Bible." Said the old man as he led the way towards his house. They took a couple of steps in silence before Benjamin spoke.

"Why are you wearing patient scrubs? Are you sick or anything?"

"Well just had a minor accident this morning. Nothing to worry about."

He saw Benjamin giving him a look of pity, and the very next thing he decided to do was to get some normal clothes. 

"Where are you from, Morpheous?" Benjamin asked, continuing the small talk.

"Well, quite far from here!"

"Up? From the north?"

"Sort of!" Morpheous replied and shrugged.

"I see. So you stay here in Seattle, or you are visiting anyone here?"

"Well… this place was not part of my visiting plan. But because of an accident…" and his voice trailed away as his eyes drifted up to look at the sky, which had turned dark. 

"Look, if you need any medical consultation, then you can check with my granddaughter. She is one of the finest doctors of Seattle."

Morpheous smiled and nodded. How could he tell Benjamin was what he needed now was his wings and that the scarred burning was not something medical science could heal?

"We have arrived!" pointed the old man towards house number - 119, interrupting Morpheous's thoughts mid-way.

"Can't thank you enough, son!"

"Please! Anyone would have done the same. Let me help you to keep this inside. It's quite heavy!"

"Only on one condition! You have to have my apple pie!"

"Thanks for the generous offer! But it's totally fine!" he said and followed him, placing the apples on the kitchen countertop.

"Carol!"

"Caroline!" Benjamin called for his granddaughter.

"Caroline?" Morpheous was taken aback, hearing that name. That familiar name.

"Wait! Your granddaughter's name is Caroline?"

"Yes, I told you, right. She is a doctor at Seattle high. You can tell her about your issues. She is a good kid."

"Well, that she is!" Morpheous muttered under his breath and quickly walked towards the door, wanting to escape.

'How could fate be so twisted!'

"You are leaving? At least have some water and go!"

"Erm… I have some engagements!" And with an apologetic smile, he turned. But before he could step outside the house, he heard glass breaking into pieces.

'Crash'

And he couldn't help but rush towards her room.

"Gramps!" Caroline muttered faintly and then swallowed.  "I just… wanted to have water, and the glass slipped."

"That's fine, my dear!"

Bending down, she was about to pick up the broken shards when Morpheous entered inside.

"Careful!"

And his raspy voice echoed in her room.

He saw her staring at him without even blinking. The shock was quite evident on her face.

"You!"

And before she could absent-mindedly drop her palm over the broken pieces of glass, he bent down and gripped her wrist. 

"I told you to be careful. Don't you know how important hands are for a doctor?"

"You know him, Caroline?" Benjamin asked in surprise.

"She was the one who treated me this morning," Morpheous replied, his hand still holding her wrist, looking into the calm of her blue eyes.

"Well, technically, I didn't," she corrected and narrowed her eyes. He could see they were filled with questions that he didn't want to answer, but he could perfectly read the spite in her tone.

"You are burning!" He said, still holding her hand, and he wondered - how even though she was burning, a sense of calm was prevailing inside his body. Or was it a sign of an impending storm?

"She was running a mild fever half an hour back. Is it high now?" A worried Benjamin steers himself in, placing the back of his palm over her forehead.

"I am perfectly fine, Gramps!" she said and got up, flicking her hand away from his grip. But her insides belched till her throat, and she slumped on the bed, covering her lips with her palm.

He swallowed his spit and tried hard to maintain a composed face as he was somehow unable to see her in discomfort. Something seared inside her, seeing her like this. Back at the hospital, she was nothing but confident, sure, sauntering her way through his mind. But right now, curled up on the bed, she looked so fragile and vulnerable.

He could have healed her in seconds, but he didn't want to sprout any doubts in her head more than she already had. Even though his fingers itched to give her his healing touch, he fisted them next to his knees.

"She needs to eat something, like some clear soup but with rosemary!" he said, looking at Benjamin. 

But his voice makes her turn again. She looked at him contemptuously and blurted, "Why are you here? How do you know my grandfather? What do you want from me? You asked me to stay away yet... Yet you are ... "

"Caroline, behave!" Benjamin reprimanded her. "He saved me, Carol. I had a sudden pain in my arm and chest. I was about to faint and hit the pavement, but he saved me before I could fall."

"What?" she exclaimed.

"Everything is fine with me. You worry about yourself now. You have a conference, and you look like you are going to be very sick, pumpkin."

"I thought we agreed that you won't be calling me pumpkin in front of people."

"Caroline!"

"Don't worry, Gramps. I will take some medicine now, and by morning I will recover. Please ask your friend not to worry about me either."

He heard her curt words, and his mind wanted him to leave, not wanting to increase his sins any further, but being a healer, he could never leave someone in need of help.

"I will get you some soup with ... " Benjamin looked at him.

"Reosemary."

"Yes, rosemary. Quickly eat the medicine afterward," and saying that Benjamin rushed towards the kitchen, but Morpheous stood there silently next to her bed. 

"Aren't you leaving?"

"Aren't you going to ask me anything, Caroline?" he asked, perfectly reading her mind, as he lowered himself on her bed.

"Why are you on my bed now?" her voice stern this time.

He lifted his hand to place it on her chest, but seeing the way how her oversized t-shirt hung low on one side of her shoulder; he realized that it would be inappropriate.

"If you are not going to tell me how you jumped out of that window, then there is no need for you to stay! I do not like to have strangers in my bedroom."

And just then, Benjamin entered the room, "Carol! Drink this!"

"Did you put rosemary in it?" Morpheous asked.

"I did!" Benjamin replied and placed the bowl on her side table, and helped her to sit straight. When he turned to pick up the bowl for her, Morpheous nudged his head towards the door silently, indicating his intentions to leave.

Benjamin nods in silence.

"Why were you so rude to him Carol?"

"He ran away from the hospital gramps. I mean I couldn't even run the tests on him. He didn't even listen."

Benjamin paused for a moment and then looking at Caroline he said, "Maybe because he is not fortunate enough to afford the bills Carol! Not everyone is lucky to have an insurance."

He doesn't hear anything next. Just silence. Not knowing why, he stood outside her house for hours, waiting for her to fall asleep.