Chapter 5

The smell of metallic blood filled the air. It was heavy and pungent, clinging to my nostrils like a rotten smell. A smell I was used to by now. My nose wrinkled at the strong odor as I stepped out of my room.

I rubbed my eyes tiredly but still squinted against the light. A dull headache pounded through my skull, reminding me that my last dose of pills didn't quite work on it. I had to take pills for the last four years to be able to sleep.

"Wake up! We still have to clean up before going to the hospital!" I banged outside Niko's room door.

We were so tired last night, that we were not able to wipe off the blood spilled on the table after last night's encounter.

Getting used to blood made my job as a nurse easier.

"I can't possibly clean at this moment dear! I don't want morning sickness!" Niko said with his eyes still shut before marching to the bathroom.

Shaking my head in dismay, I started cleaning. It didn't take long before we headed to the hospital.

Niko looked so stressed out.

"I'll go check for Nick, go ahead!" I said to Niko before running to the corridors to Nick's room after punching my ID for time-in.

But he was not there!

"Ms. Heureu Navine Favero?" a deep and authoritative voice called from behind.

I immediately turned my gaze to the doorway and saw the guy I helped last night.

His hair was untied and neatly brushed. He had no piercings, and he was looking a lot better than last night.

My heart skipped for an unusual reason. I unknowingly wanted him to be the man I met at the medical union event.

"You?" I exclaimed while pointing at the guy, wearing a hospital gown and his arms crossed over his chest, with a satisfyingly evil look at me.

"Yes, me! Did you expect that I would die last night? "His eyes narrowed, his eyebrows raised with that taunting look.

What was he up to when all I did was help him?

"Ha? What are you talking about? And what are you doing with policemen?" I asked, confused. I tightened my grip on the ballpoint pen I was holding inside my front pockets, stitched below my uniform.

I am trained to be prepared at all times.

"Well, I asked them to fetch you up!" he snorted and signaled for the two policemen to enter.

Both the policemen entered and handcuffed me.

"Wait, stop that!" I shouted as I tried to struggle with their grip.

"Ma'am, it's safe for you to remain silent and come with us peacefully to the station and explain yourself there," the police officer gently pleaded.

"And why should I explain? Wait!" I struggled and protested as they began to carry me out of the room.

"Let's see how arrogant you are! Medical malpractice is a big crime!" The annoying guy I saved last night mumbled while walking behind me and the police officers.

I never wanted to make things complicated, but if I had to be treated this way after what I did for him, then it would be my pleasure to make him taste my slight disappointment.

"Oh, Officers!" I suddenly cried. "I didn't think I would be repaid like this for the good I did to him. Even if you ask my fellow nurse and my resident doctor, I didn't do anything wrong last night! He is the one who did something wrong against my fragile intentions!"

The police officers stopped walking and turned to the guy behind us.

I grinned and pointed at him, then immediately changed my emotions to total sarcastic devastation. "Oh, I can't imagine saving his life. Then I'd be dragged to the police station just because I did my job."

I raised my voice and wailed like I had my arms cut by a chainsaw. I intended an exaggerated show.

We were in the middle of the corridor, and everyone was looking at us. Other patients and nurses gathered to see what would happen.

"Me? And why me?" the guy panicked as all eyes were already judging him.

I dropped to the floor, acting like my knees went weak with all the happenings. I grasped my chest and heaved badly, getting more attention. "I'm so scared, Sir! He tried to kill me last night even though I just wanted to help him. He pointed a knife at me and threatened me!"

"Ha! You're crazy!" the guy said in disbelief.

"Officer! You can ask my fellow nurse who saw everything that happened last night when we saw him bleeding. I knew that helping some wounded stranger was life-threatening, but I had to do what I had to," I said while sobbing lightly and pointed at Niko, who had just come to the scene.

Niko gasped in shock. His eyes widened, and he regretted getting into the commotion.

"Sir, is it true?" the police asked Niko.

"Yeah! Yes!" Niko stuttered as I shot him a scary stare.

The police officers then released me from the handcuffs and proceeded to handcuff the guy.

"Wait!" he protested in disbelief after the tables had been turned.

We were trained to survive in all situations. All my hard work has been paying off.

"Let him go!" William suddenly cut in.

My shoulders dropped in despair as William walked past me, handing out a card to the policeman.

After seeing the card, the policemen hurriedly took the handcuffs from the guy and William gestured to some nurses to take him back to his room.

"The president would want to offer you this as compensation for the inconvenience!" William tapped on the officers' shoulders.

The two policemen then walked away, and William picked me up from the cold floor of the hospital.

"I just told you to never cross paths again with Nick!" William murmured while he pulled me away.

I smirked and shook my head in dismay. The guy was Nick, after all. The genuinely nice guy I met at the medical union event was the man I felt I had the urge to protect last night.

"How easy for wealthy people to get out of their mess!" I mumbled back, and an uncomfortable tingle traveled through my insides in frustration.

William stopped walking and faced me, saying, "Stay away from Nick."

I stared for a moment and held his gaze. He meant what he said. He was too concerned that his gestures were just making me want to know more about Nick.

He then opened the door of his office and was surprised to see an old man sitting on his chair.

I let go of William's grip, as I too was too stunned to move. My stomach churned with too much tension building inside me.

"You…" I murmured.

"Mr. President, do you need anything from me?" William interjected, which caused me to pause before what I was about to say.

"Sit down, Heureu," the head nurse said from the other corner which caught our attention.

William helped me sit on the chair in front of his desk and sat across from me. He looked so tense with this man in front of us.

"What's the problem?" I asked, not taking my eyes off the old man.

"Because of what happened yesterday, we have with us today, Mr. Ben Montes, Nick's father. Nick, the man you saved last night, who happened to be the same man you made a scene with, this recent event we had," the head nurse began.

"What's with Nick?" I almost choked as I tried to hold back my emotions.

"Besides what happened at the medical union event, I learned about how you saved my son's life. So, I wanted to hire you as my son's nurse! Forget about your suspension!" Mr. Ben said, looking as strongly as he did four years ago, back at the emergency room at the very same hospital where my father was taken after the accident.

I clasped my uniform pants to calm my nerves.

I had worked hard to be a nurse and intended to make my way into this hospital not just as an infiltrator but with the hope that I would meet this man again.

How coincidences worked gravely!

He was the owner, after all!

The accident might have caused them damage to their reputation if they hadn't silenced me with money.

"I'm sorry! But I cannot accept your offer!" I barely said.

I badly wanted to go out. I wanted to take my rage out, or I would explode here. But I can't just do it now. I wanted them to feel how it felt to die slowly.

"If you don't want to be his nurse, can I pay you to be my son's friend?" begged the old man. "Tell me, what do you want in return?"

Oh gosh! How pathetic they had turned out!

I paused for a moment while looking at the old man and said, "I'm looking for someone; if you can help me find him, I'll accept it!"

He might not recognize me, as he never really cared to look at me that night. He just handed over the money and left me.

"Who are you looking for?" Mr. Ben asked as he leaned back in the swivel chair.

"Four years ago, my father and I got into an accident," I said, my heart pounding so hard that I just wanted to stick the pen from my pocket in his eyes.

Mr. Ben scoffed, grabbed a folder, and handed it over to me.

I immediately opened the folder and almost froze.

"Is this true?" I trembled as I read what was written on the pages of the paper.

"My son's car accidentally hit you and your dad four years ago!" Mr. Ben said casually.

"Accidentally? And you act as if it was not worse! That it's ok that you ruined lives?!" I stood up and slammed both of my palms on the desk, looking so enraged at this old man.

Mr. Ben returned the look to me and motioned for William and the head nurse to go out.

I didn't bother looking at William, as too much fury was consuming me.

He then stood up and leaned toward me.

"We paid for your expenses! Come on, kid! It wasn't just us who made a mistake. We all knew how you tried to take your own life that night!"

My jaw dropped in shock!

They knew!

"Why me?" I gritted my teeth.

Mr. Ben grinned, "Because you are the reason why Nick had to suffer and be in rehab for four years!"