Strike, when the iron is hot!

Chapter - 9

"Alright, Rick, time to play detective," he muttered to himself, feeling a mix of curiosity and concern. He couldn't ignore the faint sound of someone crying, and he was determined to find out who needed help. But more than that, being a fan of Sherlock, but regrettably not as smart as that guy, it was time for Rick to solve the case and prove himself.

Well... It was all bullshit actually... Rick was just curious.

Rick followed the trail of sniffles, crutching his way through the hospital garden. There was hardly anyone that could be seen around in the garden.

"Where are you?" Rick murmured to himself as he walked forward, "Maybe I should get a cool hat or something," he chuckled, trying to lighten the tension building inside him.

As he followed the sound of sniffing, it led him to the corner of the hospital building, where the darkness loomed ominously. "Man, why does it have to be so creepy around here?" Rick muttered to himself as he slowly took steps forward. He did not want to startle anyone.

As he turned a corner, the sound became clearer. He noticed a dark figure huddled behind a bush, barely visible in the fading light. His heart raced a little faster, unsure of what he might find.

"Hey, you alright?" Rick called out softly. And as he did, Rick gently tapped the person's shoulder, and they let out a surprised yelp. He couldn't see their face clearly as they turned away from him, but he could hear the faint rustling sound of someone hastily wiping their tears. And it sounded like it was a woman.

"Hey, it's okay. You don't have to hide," Rick said gently, trying to put the person at ease. "We all have our moments, you know?" Slowly his eyes began to adjust to darkness around him. He could see that the person in front was wearing some blue clothes.

Rick did not try to guess who it was. It was actually hard to do so in the dark with their back towards him. On top of that, he could still feel the tension in the air, and the person's sniffles were still audible. "Take your time," Rick added, trying to give them space to compose themselves.

Finally, the person turned slightly towards him, their face still partially obscured, but Rick could see their shoulders shaking with suppressed sobs. Rick actually had some experience in such situations. Since childhood every time Emily had a heartbreak, he was there for her, consoling her like a fool.

Thinking about Emily, Rick shook his head. She might still be waiting for that beer he promised her.

He reached into his pocket, fishing out a tissue. "Here, you might need this," he offered, holding it out to them.

'Good thing I picked a couple on my way out,' Rick nodded at his preparedness.

The person hesitated for a moment before taking the tissue and using it to wipe their face. Rick could hear their deep breaths, trying to regain control of their emotions. It took the person another half a minute to completely calm themself.

"Thank you..." The person said as they finally turned to face Rick.

"Wait, Amanda?" Rick's eyes widened as the person finally turned around, revealing her tear-streaked face. It was indeed Amanda, the cheerful nurse who had checked on him earlier.

"What's going on? Why are you crying?" Rick asked, his concern evident in his voice. Just a few minutes ago he saw her in the corridor, she looked so cheerful. She even joked with him. But now...

Amanda didn't say anything; she simply hung her head low, trying to hide her emotions. Rick felt a pang of worry for her – this was not the Amanda he had encountered earlier.

Thinking what might be the reason behind it, he tilted his head. He followed with his gaze, trying to see what it was Amanda was spying on, that had caused her distress.

They were in fact at the back of the hospital. There was a dim bulb, trying to light up as much as it could. Under the dim light, Rick saw a man and a woman. The man had embraced the woman and was whispering something in her ear. The woman would occasionally giggle, hearing the man.

As he watched, the man slowly put his hand inside the girl's clothes. The girl acted shy, but she did not stop him. As Rick looked closely, the girl was another nurse from the hospital itself.

"Oh... I see..." As Rick watched, the man pulled the nurse closer and started kissing her. While his hand worked on her breasts. The nurse couldn't help but moan.

The two of them were lost in their own world. They didn't even know that there was an audience watching them. Rick and Amanda could easily hear the girl's moaning as well.

"You are not thinking of watching them all the way, are you?" Amanda softly said, her eyes looking down. Her lips trembling as she fought to keep her emotions in check. Rick could sense the mix of pain and heartbreak in her expression.

"No... I will not..." Rick quickly turned his face away from the couple when he heard Amanda. To be honest, he did want to watch a bit. With the system in his hand, there was no telling when he might end up in the situation. Tomorrow... Day after tomorrow... Or maybe even today. But he was a virgin, with no experience at all. So, it wasn't a bad thing to get some pointers live.

But Rick couldn't say nothing of this out loud. He shook his head and gently pulled Amanda slightly away from the place.

"It's about that guy, huh?" Rick muttered, understanding the reason behind Amanda's tears.

Amanda nodded silently,

"Look, Amanda, I know it hurts," Rick decided to comfort Amanda.

"And what I am about to say might sound cliche. But you deserve someone who appreciates you," Rick said in the gentlest of tone, "Someone who loves you dearly."

She finally spoke, her voice soft and vulnerable. "I never thought he would cheat on me... I thought we had that honesty. I thought he loved me."

"And that too with my colleague... We see each other every day." Amanda found it obscure.

"I get it. It's tough when feelings aren't reciprocated," Rick replied, empathizing with her pain. "But you're an amazing person, and there's someone out there who'll see that."

Amanda looked up at him, her eyes still glistening with tears. "You really think so?"

"Absolutely," Rick said, offering her a reassuring smile. "You deserve happiness, and you'll find it, trust me."

Rick gently held Amanda's arm and slowly pulled her into his embrace. Amanda was stiff for a split second but she did not resist. Rick placed her head on his chest and gently stroked her head, trying to calm her down. This was something he would do for Emily as well. And it did wonders. Within a minute, her breathing was normal, her emotions were almost in check. She was still sad, but she was not crying anymore.

"I just don't understand why it had to happen like this," Amanda said, her voice tinged with sadness.

Rick leaned closer, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Sometimes, life throws us curveballs. But it's how we handle them that matters."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Amanda said, wiping away her tears. "Thanks for being here, Rick. I don't know what I would've done if I hadn't bumped into you."

"With or without me, I know you would have done great..." Rick said as he held Amanda's face between her palms and looked her straight into her eyes.

And just at that moment, with a ding sound, a prompt appeared in front of his eyes.

[1. Ask Amanda to accompany you to his room. (Temptation +10)

2. Ask Amanda for a coffee. (Temptation +5)

3. Leave Amanda alone. (Temptation -5)]

'What the Hell? At a time like this?' Rick was slightly taken aback.

But he knew the system was not wrong. It is what they call, 'Strike, when the iron is hot!"

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