TREATING A PATIENT- CHAPTER #2

AFTER TWO DAYS IN DREW'S OFFICE

DREW POV

Ethan PIFER my childhood friend, and the wall I could lean on to keep my sanity since the day I decided to take my revenge, to the day I chose the dark path to do so. A bit of a nutjob but hey, he is my closest friend. With his strong build blond hair, green eyes and six-foot two inches height he could woo any woman, and he does, all the time! Which got him in more trouble than I could count.

Now, we are both in my office. Him pulling one of his sessions to wake me up from one of what he calls "crazy stunts" and me? I'm trying to keep up with him while I'm having a storm playing in my head.

'Have you lost it? Why did you bring her here? She is a fucking assassin. You are not even sure she is the one who killed your brother, and she is a bloody high ranked assassin!' He spat angrily while looking at my eyes. He was sitting on the opposite chair of my office, so I could hear him well even if he whispered but not Ethan, he had to cry aloud in my face, I don't even know right now if he was panicking to have her here or he doesn't want me to find her at all. Well, he made it clear before that he preferred, I let the whole thing go since I don't have a solid lead beside her.

'I'm really not in the mood for this' I said while I pinched the bridge of my nose, I was trying hard to inhale and exhale slowly to calm myself but if he keeps this up, I might as well shut him down.

'Listen, Ethan, I need this, you know too damn well that I need answers to get done with this so I can breathe and live.' I said in the calmer way possible in my actual mental state.

'You are really still planning to kill her!' he said looking surprised as if coming to some magical discovery, Arghhh God not again. He is my Bro but, in this subject, in particular we don't have the same reasoning even if he was with me that night when it all happened.

'You know there is only one ending to this, my death or hers, if she is the one!' I said angrily while I'm starting to lose my nerves.

Surprisingly after triggering me, he is acting all calm.

'You have no way to check if it's really her or not. Haven't you seen her? She is way too young and the incident is more than twenty years ago!' The Bastard got a point, she was way too young! The incident is over twenty years ago but she still looks the same as in my memory, maybe she just got good genes.

'That's what's killing me, and that's why she is here. Even if she is not, she still spared my life and I owe her.'

'So, you are turning the favor before you kill her.' He said trying to look surprised, why does he keep pushing all the right buttons to anger me? Can't he just do what I told him to?

When he saw he would not get any reaction from me, he just headed for the door but before going out.

'Just so you won't get any surprise visits, your parents got wind that you enrolled a girl in the hospital and watching over her yourself, so they are coming this afternoon, if I'm not mistaken.' he said amused, he knew I'm in deep shit and they will not let this go. Well as a matter of fact they were over my head since I was a teenager to have a girlfriend, and now, they want me to get married, hell I'm not even dating, I'm just not interested and my focus is elsewhere.

'And now you are telling me?' I said surprised, I don't get how they can get all my news, this is supposed to be my workplace! About that, I'm a doctor; Yeah, well, being a doctor doesn't stop me from being a freaking free agent, a sword for hire to get my revenge, especially that I bought this hospital just to get that liberty.

'Don't avoid it. If they called me, it's only because they are sure of the information. You can't move her in her condition so you better come up with a good story.' He said knowing all too well that this is becoming messy.

'Shit!' I said while clenching my teeth.

'Yeah, shit! (He smiled) good luck in explaining how you are involved with a girl, after all these years' he said laughing while closing the door behind him, the bastard is getting a kick out of it. How in Hell am I going get them out of my back now?

IN ANNA'S MEDICAL ROOM

At two pm, I finished my rounds, and went to the room I booked for her to check on her situation. Well, I don't really have a choice! I have to do everything myself. The nurse I assigned couldn't touch her, I brought another one but still the same problem each time they touch her their skin just got burns all over, even with gloves still the same. Strangely enough, I could touch her without problems.

She wasn't a tall girl just five feet six inches, fair skin, black hair, and eyes. Got a muscular body but with the right curves in the right places which makes her a gorgeous assassin. Yeah, as rare as it is, I do admit that she is one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen but the deadliest, let's not forget that.

She was extremely pale like dead pale, her fever still going into the red without any sign of going down. Without mentioning her injuries her right-hand fingers were crushed, and her left arm and leg were broken, which got me seriously worried if she would wake up any time soon. She was a bundle of mess; I can't even imagine how she could get this fucked up, or how she could get to where I found her! Wasn't she one of their top assassins?

As in sync she started to regain her consciousness.

The moment she did, she realized she was restrained; even so, she stayed calm, which surprised me. Don't judge me, I can't risk her fleeing when I finally got her.

As soon as she opened her eyes and recognized me, she sat and looked at me like I was a kid who have done something wrong.

'You Bloody Fool' she said, without showing any ounce of emotion while breaking all the restrains, as if they were nothing, what the hell? Her arm and leg are broken!

Why the hell is she looking at me like that? Calling me a fool? I get the restraints part, and the fact that she warned me that she would kill me the next time she sees me, but I did save her sorry ass, they were in no way there to save her, and she was clearly fleeing when I found her.

'You better don't try to get up' I said warning her, but whom am I talking to! She was already on her feet, and as I predicted, the moment she stood up she lost balance and her consciousness. She was in no way in hell in shape to go anywhere, even with that freak show she showed me.

I practically flew to catch her and get her back to bed.

While I was getting her into another bed, Ethan got into the room. He appeared confused at first but when he saw the shattered restraints, his face showed a priceless mix of confusion, surprise and fear. Soon to my annoyance, it morphed to amusement.

'Didn't take you long to piss her off, I told you those restraints are a bad idea' he said while smirking, how I wish I could just wipe it off of his face, I was already on edge and here he is making fun of me. This is in no way what I had in mind.

'Fuck off!' I said angrily while drawing some blood of her uninjured arm. He knew I just screwed any chance of having a descent conversation with her and he was going to take advantage of that to make fun of me. To my surprise, he didn't for once.

'What did you do to fuck this up? A part from the restraints! Hope you didn't go around telling her how you saved her' he said looking serious.

I breathed heavily and sat on a chair close to her bed while putting the blood tube on the stand, I scrubbed my face while leaning back on the chair before I started talking. 'I know the restraints were a bad Idea, but she didn't seem that bothered by them. Hell, she destroyed them as if they were some toys. I don't know what got down, this isn't how I saw it playing. True; I need answers, but I need her treated properly before anything else, I still owe her my life.' I lifted my head and looked at Ethan who seemed confused again.

'What do you need me to do?' he said.

'Can you watch over her? don't touch her just stay with her, you know how I don't deal with girls, and I don't want to lit her up when she wakes up, she needs rest' I was talking but his eyes only got bigger as I did, a little more and they will pop out of his head.

'A girl!' He said surprised, the fucker, from all that I said that's what he got? And now, he is smiling.

'Andrew, Dear Andrew! "Girl" is a word that doesn't exist in your vocabulary, you do treat them like they don't exist! And here you are acknowledging a female assassin as a girl.' Arghhh he is getting on my nerves again. I stood narrowing my eyes on him 'You do get my point, so, will you? Or will you not?' I said while doing my best not to punch him.

'Okay, just get Gerard to cover for me while I'm here' that was surprisingly easy! I just nodded, took the blood tube and went out before he changes his mind. Before I could make it past the door he talked 'did you think about what you are going to say to your parents?'

ETHAN POV

This silly friend of mine, I know for a fact that he is a bad liar, that's why he will find trouble explaining the situation to his parents, not that I don't find this funny. Hell, I find it funny to lit him up all the time, well I can do this because he cares for me, others? Not so much.

His parents don't know about his other side, he has always made sure to act properly in front of them, but I was there when it all happened, when he broke the night of his brother's murder and swore vengeance. He kept to his word. Actually, with all the training he went through, his body became a deadly weapon. This path consumed him to the point he doesn't have a personal life what's over, I don't know if he is taken by blood vengeance or he is just really not interested in women, for the last couple of years we just came to terms with the fact that he is not interested, even with his killer looks. Dear Andrew Gilliam thirty-six years old, a combination of strong attractive and big, with a height of six feet six inches and a chiseled body, black hair and blue eyes. Did I mention he is a surgeon? So also, a terrific career, and as of this two last years he became a multimillionaire so a businessman. Well, the business thing and the agent for hire are of course unknown fact to most including his parents. And here he is describing the one he wants to kill as a 'girl' something he never does like ever, oh how I wished to press on this, but I will be quiet not that I don't want to but I want to see this how it will unfold.

The moment I talked, he stopped in his track and looked back at me.

'Still don't know! Telling them she is a friend won't work and there is no other relationship that could link us and explain what I'm doing, maybe something in the line like I'm doing a favor to a friend?' he said looking perturbed, I knew this got him.

'It won't work either, you know you are a bad liar, the moment they will start asking questions you won't be able to keep up.so what about keeping it simple? Just stick to the friend version. Say that she got hurt while hiking. Guess your aloof personality will do you a favor; they won't push it further, I hope. If they ask you why you registered her under your name, well, just don't answer, because you really can't explain this one no matter what approach you take.' Don't get me wrong, I'm not in no way his lying helper or anything, but I know he doesn't want to give his parents a false hope.

He smiled 'I can't believe that I can't get away with such a thing even in my own hospital.'

I smiled in return 'should I remind you that no one knows except the brass that you hold the managerial rights? Besides, you should have known better than to buy the hospital where your parents used to work and still have loyal friends.'

'You are really getting a kick out of this.'

I laughed 'Yes, I do!'

He just went out, no warning, look or growl! I know something isn't right with him, he is practically fleeing right now but not from me. I approached her bed and I couldn't help but smile. I didn't get a proper look before, but I know now why he couldn't help but admit she was a girl. Professional killer or not, he had all the right to struggle, she have one of those bodies that are hard to miss athletic but curvy, raven hair long lashes well-defined lips, she was pale indeed, but it can't hide her beauty.

I was still looking when I saw something disturbing on the interior of her arm, Holy Crap it was really her! Just don't judge me! I'm no pervert but I do admire true beauty, just scared the crap out of me.

IN DREW'S CLINIC

Drew POV

My parents, Samantha and Arron Gilliam, didn't waste time, and now here they are in my office questioning me, like I have no other business than this. Don't get me wrong, I love them, but it's not as if my only job is to get a woman to pop kids for their pleasure!

'Can you remind me why I'm in the middle of this interrogation? I'm not a kid to be questioned about who he is going to befriend!'

I said trying to close this subject. And here comes my mom's dashing smile, I know where this is going;

'Come on! You know we are just curious, besides, you nursed her for two days leaving everything behind.'

'I assume who told you about her didn't tell you about her condition.' I said curious as to who ratted me out.

'Not much was out, since you selected the people that went to her room, truth be said they are way too tight lipped. You didn't have to spend all the time with her but you did.'

'I'm here now, aren't I?' I said while this is really starting to irritate me.

'Your mom is just excited since she heard that the girl is a beauty, that's why she insisted to come. but let's keep this short since you don't want to talk.is there something between you two? something other than friendship?' dad said, apparently, he noticed my reaction. I held his gaze 'No!'. and his second question came.

'Is there a possibility there will be?' again I insisted 'No!' but mom just won't let it go, will she?

'Why are you so adamant on a No? is she engaged? if yes! I doubt you would be the one enrolling her here and taking care of her!' and now she seems irritated, why don't they just give up?

'Mom please can...' before I could finish my sentence Ethan entered the room storming, all it took me is a glance at his face and I knew something big went wrong.

'They are taking her! All communication devices aren't working' he screamed to my face. I immediately jumped on my feet and went toward him to exit the office. 'who' I exclaimed once beside him; we didn't stop moving. 'I don't know, they just showed in the room and took her, I didn't have a chance against them' he said worried about my reaction.

IN THE HOSPITAL CORRIDOR

In our way to the lifters, I noticed that the corridors are way too quiet, and there are several people who looked like soldiers but in casual clothes. I continued my way until I saw them finally, a group of people guarding her while a giant of a human was holding her like a baby.

At this moment my blood was really starting to boil and my head turning with a million questions, but one question in particular irritated even me, who the hell is he to hold her like that?

CELESTE POV

Oh wow! He is a hottie; the one with him is good looking too. I really wanted to scream, "I'm here" just to get his attention, but his eyes didn't leave Anna. Then he narrowed his eyes on Damien, he was ready to jump him even with the height and build difference, forgetting that he is in the presence of one of the deadliest armies on the planet. I have to give it to him he does look like a good fighter.

He was delaying us and I know my grandpa won't let it slide. I was right; he just gave us the signal to go. Anna is in a shitty condition and if we don't move now, this whole situation will become messy and bloody.

When he saw the signal, he tried to stand in our way but Grandpa warned him 'Don't'. We left Grandpa take care of the situation while we headed out.

DREW POV

This is the kind of situations that kills me with what ifs! If only my parents weren't here, if only the hospital was empty, I could take them head on without restriction. But that's not how I see this working right now, I have to let them go even if it's killing me. The old man approached me.

'I assume you are Andrew GILLIAM!' he said with his composed tone, he knew why he was here. And he was going see it to the end, but I don't understand why he wants to talk to me even after they already got her. I did come to the conclusion that they are not part of the sect. and the way that guy was holding her it was more on the overprotective side, so at least I'm sure she will be OK and alive. In the middle of my thoughts, my dad interrupted us. 'Sir HAROLD' he said surprised, what the heck? does he know them? The old man just nodded in his way recognizing him, HAROLD! Why does it sound familiar?

He returned to look at me.' we need to talk! I don't have time'. he said like he was asking me to go somewhere for privacy.

When he noticed that, I didn't quit staring at the leaving group.

'She will be safe with us! so, will you?' he said trying to assure me so I don't create any problems for him. I didn't have another choice but to lead the way to my office. Mom dad and Ethan took the clue and didn't come after us.

BACK IN DREW'S CLINIC

The moment we sat, he started talking without losing time, it was like he was on a mission, and he have to end it in the shortest time possible.

'Since I don't have the time, I will cut to the chase. I assume you know her, that's why you kept her identity hidden and I'm grateful for that, so first, thank you for trying to help her. However, the moment you started a blood test, the sect was notified as we were. That's why we don't have the luxury of time in dealing with this situation. She has been replaced with another girl, I doubt they will check her injuries so as long as she keeps the cast for a while, she will be okay, we will retrieve her later. As for the blood it has been replaced in your labs with one with the same agents that triggered the notification, sorry we took control of the hospital without warning, but as you can see, we didn't have time. Lastly, be prepared, in a while, the sect agents will be storming in the hospital just let them be. In case, I'm leaving a squad to guard you and another to guard your parents and grandmother.' He said trying to put me at ease, but this despicable person just got my blood boiling more; he took control of my hospital and clearly ran an in-depth background check on me in what? Ten minutes? What the heck? These people are bad news that's for sure.

'Why bother leaving protection?'.

He smiled 'Well, she doesn't like favors or debts, so I'm making sure the basics are covered. have a good day Mr. Andrew' he said while standing. I didn't bother asking who he was because if he wanted to introduce himself, he would have done so first, and just like that he left.

The moment he left my office my parents and Ethan entered.

My Parent's face was full of worry. 'Are you ok son?', my mom on the other hand had her mind elsewhere.

'Did they take the same girl we were talking about?'. I'm really not in the mood for this! I have to think of how to get her back. The three just took the comfort to be seated, I'm I not supposed to work?

I stood 'I'm ok dad don't worry. Since I can't answer you, can we close this subject, please?'

'I assume you won't tell us how you know Sir Harold either!' my dad said.

'Actually, I don't know him! Who is he anyway?' I said and my parents seemed surprised by my response, as if I should have known who he was, should I? When he noticed that I was dead serious he sighted. 'Douglass HAROLD the Head of THE HAROLD INDUSTRIES, does it ring a bell?' he said waiting for my reaction. I answered immediately surprised, how the heck is she linked to them? Does she work for them? 'The HAROLD INDUSTRIES? How do you know him? Isn't he supposed to not appear in public?'

My dad smiled 'And yet he came to you because of that girl. As for your question, he bought a research from me about altering depression genetically, I still don't know how he got wind of it, and even if it was going nowhere, he seemed pretty desperate to get it at the time' why would someone like him want something like that? It was Ethan this time who knocked me out of my thoughts 'I'm sorry but I need to talk to him!'.

'Ok, kids! We will leave. Drew come back home; it's been two weeks since the last time you did.' My dad said while he stood and took my mom with him. 'I will'.

After they left, Ethan sat on the chair opposed to me and stared directly at my eyes, like I have some telepathy and I would know what he wants. 'So?' is all he said. When he noticed I didn't understand what he wanted.

'What did you discover? You looked like a ghost since we entered the office!'

'You know that since I took over, I upgraded the security system to a military level, well, they made it look like a joke and controlled the whole hospital in a matter of minutes, and don't get me started on the fact that they ran a background check on me in minutes too'

Ethan looked surprised 'Why do you say it was done in a matter of minutes? She was here for two days!'

'If they knew before they would have come to retrieve her without waiting, he said that the blood test I run triggered some kind of notification and the sect must have gotten one too, that's why they had to move fast, and no! He didn't say what she is to them'.

'Is there more? Your face is pretty screaming that' Ethan said scanning my expression.

I leaned back on my chair and inhaled deeply 'She kind of warned me, man. I doubt that even her last tentative to leave was to protect me. And there I was upset she said I was a fool the moment she saw me'

Ethan just looked at me and laughed 'A Fool! Well, that's a new one, and sorry to say it, you got yourself and us in pretty deep shit so its sweets you to perfection for the moment. So, what's the plan? Didn't you say the sect assassins will be here any minute?' I knew I shouldn't have said that part to him, well I don't have the energy to think about that so I just moved to look at the security cameras. It didn't take me long to notice their presence. 'They are already here'

'Why are you calm about it?' Ethan said starting to panic.

'I can't make rush decisions, so I will wait it out, hoping that what that old man said is true' I said, and apparently it didn't calm him that much. It was then that he decided to change the subject. 'So, what do you think is their relation?'

'First, I thought maybe she works for them, but you saw it too how that man was holding her...'.

He smiled 'Like a baby or something that would break, like a fragile girl!'.

'Exactly, not only that, but the whole group that was around her was kind of overprotective, if it wasn't for that old man any of them could have jumped me just for the fact that I was delaying them.' And just now I paid attention to what he said 'wait! did you just mock me?'

'I did! And you didn't even pay attention.so what's your next move?' he said grinning, I know he won't let this go, so will just ignore him.

'What do you think? I need to track her down again.'

'The she and her has a name, so keep it in mind, it's Anna'

'How do you know?'

'The girl that was with them, was on the verge of crying when she saw her condition and called her by her name'

I tried not to look that interested and rechecked the feed cams, and even with this, he knew what was going into my mind.

'Don't you feel weird? Just two years ago you were in their hit list, now they are here, and you are not even afraid they would kill you. Don't you feel that you owe her more than your life'

'That's what's killing me right now! I was hoping this was my chance to pay her back but it did turn out to nothing. I don't even know to what length she did go to get me out of that mess. And after today she just made a mess out of my head.'

He smiled 'because she is a girl?'

I hit him with a pen, which he did avoid 'Can you stop fooling?'

Now, he chose to look concerned about me! No! he looks serious? Why?

'Actually, I'm not. don't get agitated, just listen. I have been there your whole life. Each time you got to deal with the girls, you just avoided them like they were a plague, using your tactful façade. But today! I saw you for the first time worried and really considering how to treat a woman, whom you are very aware that she is an assassin. even when they were taking her, the flame I saw in your eyes when you saw her in the arms of that mountain of a man, it was like they were taking your possession. I believe you were ready to really fight them, the only thing that stopped you is that your parents were here.' I tried to look unaffected, but in reality, the monkey knew me too well. 'Are you done?' I said trying to end this. But he wasn't sharing my thoughts.

'Don't build your walls yet, and hear me out some more, I know it's not the right time, but I know too well that you will disappear god knows till when. But you need to hear this, I think it's her, she has the same tattoo I saw that night.' Well, I didn't see this coming. 'Are you sure?' I said surprised.

'There is always the possibility that she just happened to have the same face and tattoo. But even so, even if she is the one who talked to Mat that night, you know that my version of what happened isn't the same as yours.' No, no, no, I'm not having this conversation right now. 'Stop with this story again!'

'I won't! I need to remind you that I'm sure she saw us that night, and she did something to put us to sleep and make us invisible. That's the only explanation why we didn't get killed too. You saw it how your brother was talking to her, there is no way in hell she is the one who killed him, even if she is an assassin. You just said it yourself she put her head at stake to save you and even today she didn't hesitate to go away, even in her condition, just to spare you the confrontation and maybe getting killed.'

'Where are you going with this?' I said angrily.

'I'm just saying that you should make sure that she is really the one who killed him, before making a mistake that you certainly will regret, in your case, I think either way you will regret it.' This is really getting on my nerves, why are we having this talk again.

'Why can't she be just a betraying friend?'

'You are no more in the age to believe your own bullshit. I did get along with it before, because it was the only way for you to keep going forward. (He stood up) but this? This is different.' and now he is angry with me, again!

I swear I could feel my body heating up.' Why is it that different?' I shouted, and he shouted in return.

'Because she has no fucking gain in helping you, but she did. Which only proves my side of the story, not yours. (He inhaled deeply then exhaled trying to calm down, is he really trying to calm me after he lit me up?) Listen, I'm in no way trying to change your mind, I'm just saying get the facts corrected before anything else. You cold-hearted bastard, you don't react or flinch before anything, but she got that from you, you must have felt that she was not the one you pictured all these years.'

I didn't notice, but now I realized that I was clenching my hands into fists to the point my knuckles turned white.

'You know that I'm barely able to stop myself from punching you right?!' I said under my breath.

How the hell am I supposed to control myself if he is smiling right now? 'I know! But we need to make this talk so I don't regret it later, and who knows, maybe it will help you open your eyes for once.

I let out a deep breath 'You know I'm not the kind who runs from his feelings'

'I know'