Chapter 16: Please

Mia

I had been working on the launching of the new product for four days now as supervisor and head of the team. I had three more days to go and I hope all goes well.

'Put those over there, they'll be carried to the hotels' I said to Olivia and she sneered at me.

If eyes could kill, I'll be six feet buried under by now.

'Just because you are heading a small project doesn't give you the right to talk down on me' she said arrogantly but I simply ignored her.

I was still waiting for my chance of vengeance for joining Logan to humiliate me at the conference room last time.

She moved over and tried to touch me to get my attention but I fell down to the floor.

'Olivia!, why did you do that?' I yelled to gain everybody's attention

'Why are you on the floor?' Kevin rushed to my side

'Olivia pushed me to the floor sir Kevin' I lied and faked a sad face

'This is so unethical Olivia, report to my desk now' Kevin said to Olivia.

'I didn't do anything' Olivia tried to defend herself but I didn't give her a chance to speak, I just kept sobbing and talking over her voice.

She followed behind Kevin and I was all smiles.

'I saw what you did' Henry whispered into my ears

'Yeah, just let me gloat' I said and he shook his head.

My phone suddenly started ringing, startling me. I thought I had it on silence before I left the house this morning.

'Hello' I answered the call

'Is this Mia?' the unknown caller asked

'Speaking' I said

'Your mother' he said again

'What happened to my mom, who are you anyway?' I asked as I panicked at the mention of my mom

'Your mother had a fall and was rushed to the hospital' he said

'What!, when did this happen, what hospital was she rushed to?' I asked

'Saint Luke's Medical centre' he replied

'I will be right there' this time I sobbed for real

'What happened?' Henry asked me

'Its my mom, she's in the hospital' I told him

'Oh my God, what happened to her, I'll come with you' Henry said

'Its fine, just keep me posted please' I told him

'Ok, sure' I said and fled the scene

***

'I'm looking for a woman who was just rushed here a while ago' I told the nurse at the reception bench

'What's her name please?' she asked me

'Susan, Susan montoya' I answered

'Move just down the hall, third door by your left' she told me

'Thank you' I said

I rushed through the hospitals halls in search of mom's room.

'Mom' I said when I spotted her on the bed with a guy sitting next to her.

He moved aside when I approached them

'What happened to you?' I asked her

'Oh honey, I'll be fine, don't worry' she said to me

'No you're not fine. Only sick people come to the hospital and you can't tell me not to worry about you, you're my mother' I told her

'This is Connor' mom said pointing over to the guy that was fitted near her when I came in

'He's your new boyfriend' I stated

'Yes' she replied

'How come he gets to be the first person they call instead of me' I asked a little annoyed

'No that's not it, he was the one who found me' mom said

'I…uhm, I brought her some ice cream only to find her on the floor, I was the one who called you' he told me

'Thank you' I said and I meant it, I mean what could have happened to mum if he didn't show up.

I always leave for school, now it's work and I come back in the evenings, it must have been lonely and boring for her.

'What did the doctors say?' I asked them

'Your mum has to undergo a surgery, her hip bone is dislocated due to the fall' he said

'My God' I said and held my mom's hand.

'Are you in so much pain?' I asked my mom.

'I'm fine honey' she smiled causing a tear to roll down my cheek

Her condition must be serious if she needs to undergo a surgery but, she is still acting strong and telling me that she's fine.

'Don't cry, I will be fine' she stretched her hand and struggled to wipe my face.

There was a knock on the door

'Come in' I said

'Oh that's the doctor' Connor said and stood up when a man entered the room with a white lab coat

'I need to talk to one of you' the doctor said

'She is patient's daughter' Connor said

The doctor nodded and I followed him outside.The doctor took me to his office and asked me to sit.

'Your mom needs to undergo surgery before two weeks elapse. She fell and dislocated her hip bone, in fact it got broken. The medical procedure itself will cost five million dollars' he said

'Five million?' I asked and he nodded to confirm.

'You will need to budget for her medicines after treatment, maybe a wheel chair as well to get quicken her recovery, maybe even pay for exercises, it won't be easy but she will be okay, you need to be strong for her' the doctor said

'Thank you doctor, so when can we commence with the surgery?' I asked

'We can commence treatment and check ups if you deposit at least three million, she has already incurred some bills just by being here, the bed, the room, some pain killers and injections' he told me

'Ok doctor, I will get it and bring to you as soon as possible' I assured him

'Good' he said and smiled at me.

****

'Can I talk to you outside?' I asked Connor when I came back inside, mom was asleep.

'Did the doctor say anything to you already?' I asked him

'Nothing important' he said

'The doctor said the surgery will cost at least 5 million and maybe more' I told him

'Wow, that's a lot' he said

'I know. Look Connor, I don't know what's going on between you and my mother and I don't even care. I just thought to let you know and please you can't tell her the cost of the surgery, I don't want her to worry and add anything to her already bad condition' I told him

'I understand and I love your mother. I'll help in any way I can, just let me know' he told me

'Sure I will' I told him.

'If she asks about the cost of the surgery, tell her it's a milion and half' I told him

He laughed 'sure, I hear you'

I went back inside to check on mum.

'I'm heading out, I need to get my hands on some cash' I told Connor.

'Ok' he said.

***

Logan

'That's all Kevin, please tell Mia to report to my office immediately' I told Kevin

'Got it boss' he replied

Kevin later came back to tell me me she wasn't in the office.

'Where is Mia?' I asked the rest of the students

One of them raised up his hand, the same guy that was sitting so close to Mia the other day.

'Her mother was rushed to the hospital' he said

'Why didn't she say anything?' I asked a stupid question

'She didn't know, she just got a call and left immediately' he said

Just then Mia walks into the scene.

'See me in my office' I said with a firm voice

'Where did you go to?' I asked her

'I had an emergency' she said with a nonchalant attitude that made me angry.

'You didn't seem it fit to tell me before running off?' I asked

'What is your definition of an emergency?' she asked me instead

'What is wrong with you, why are you so rude?. I gave you a task and you haven't finished it, you left and then came back with an attitude. My company is important, put its needs before yours' I said

I don't know why I was acting this way. Her mother is in the hospital but she will not just tell me when I asked where she was.

'I always put the company's needs before mine but not before my mother's' she yelled at me

I looked at her with a shocked expression but deep down inside I was happy. I loved seeing her this way, I loved that I could provoke her to see the limit of her patience, I enjoy every bit of it.

'If you don't gather your shit together, I might as well write you a bad report and bad letter of recommendation and you know what that means' I said again

'I don't care what you do. The money you were offering me before, is it still available?, I will do the job, I will pretend to be your girlfriend to ward off evil Selena' she said

I didn't know whether to cry or laugh. It's obvious she is dealing with a lot right now. She needs money, I'm sure for her mother, it must be serious.

'The job is still available but the price has changed, half a million a month if you're still interested' I said

'You were willing to give me a million and half last time' she said

'You declined' I simply said

'But I'm here now' she said

'Ok, a million a month and I will do it' she said

I laughed mocking her.

'That is what I'm willing to pay, take it or no deal' I said like I meant everything I said

'Please' she said surprising me. She looked tired, I sighed

'Ok' I said and the relief was evident on her face.

'Can I get an advancement already, like a two months pay?' she asked me

'What!, no. Why would I do that?. Why are you in such a hurry, do you do drugs?' I said in a sentence

'You are doing everything on purpose, the insults, your pride, you mocking me and trying to drain every bit of the self esteem I have left' she said

'You have a problem, you think too highly of yourself' I said

'Please just give me the two million for two months work, I will do anything you want in the course of the work' she told me

'Anything?' I asked

'Yes, except sleeping with you of course' she said

'There's nothing interesting about your body Mia so don't fool yourself' I said but regretted when it came out

She stayed silent.

'Here, write your account number details and leave' I passed her a pen and paper.