Chapter Two: More expenses

"Why where you avoiding my calls?" Millicent's Dad questioned with a frown.

"Where's mom?"

"She's fine. Answer my question."

"Miss Owen?" the doctor called out.

Millicent rushed to the doctor leaving her father behind, "what happened to her?"

"She's fine. She just had a sudden attack, it's normal for the stage of the tumor."

Millicent started crying but the doctor comforted her. "I'll advice you to let us admit her for at least a week for better treatment. She needs to be monitored a little longer."

"okay, can I see her now?"

"I'm sorry not yet, we need to leave her to rest."

"oh."

"Yes. You too, you need to go home and rest, come back tomorrow morning or maybe after work okay?" Doctor Naomi said.

"Okay. Thank you."

Millicent went to sit with her best friend who was at the waiting section.

"Is she okay?"

She nodded trying to hold in her tears.

"It's okay baby, I'm here for you."

Millicent fell in her friends arms and sobbed loudly unable to control her emotions anymore. Milena hugged her tightly consoling her. Her father walked towards them, stood know front of them in silence, watching his daughter fall apart emotionally.

"Mr Owen, what happened?"

"I don't know really, we were all eating together and she said she needed to use the bathroom, as she stood up... she slumped." He said bowing his head in sadness.

"Thank you for bringing her to the hospital sir."

"She's still my wife you know."

"She's not your wife anymore!" Millicent said wiping her tears with her sleeve. "You left us remember?"

"Milly," Milena tapped her. She smiled at her then turned back to Mr Owen. "Thank you sir."

"You're welcome."

"Milly, let's go home, you've been through enough already."

She held Millicent's hand to aid her in getting up and Mr Owen said, "do you girls need a ride? Or will you spend the night at my place?"

Millicent pretended not to have heard him. "Let's go Lena."

"I'll join you 2.0."

Millicent left them after taking one more detesting look at her father.

"Mr Owen--"

"--Please call me Jimmy."

"I'd rather not. Anyway your daughter is going through a lot right now so please just try your best not to cross paths with her too often."

"Hmm. I understand but I can't leave her by herself."

"She won't be alone sir, I'll always be there for her."

"Thank you."

"Thank you for understanding sir."

She turned around and walked away leaving him alone.

Millicent and Milena went back to Milena's place to stay for the night but the groovy spirit in them had died. Millicent cuddled the giant teddy bear on Milena's bed. Her best friend curled up beside her and she cuddled her, "everything will be fine babe, I have something to cheer you up."

"What could possibly cheer me up?"

"So..... I spoke with my parents and they have decided to assist you with fifty thousand dollars."

"What!!!" she immediately sat up right.

"Yeah. I told them the surgery is supposed to happen in less than two months so they said they could squeeze out a little amount to help you."

"Oh my god thank you!" she jumped on her, hugging her.

"You're welcome munchkin." she replied, giggling. "Now, aren't you hungry? Let's eat. We're getting there cupcake, your mom will be fine." She smiled reassuringly.

They got off the bed and went to the kitchen to prepare themselves something to eat.

At six in the morning, the alarm clock rang vigorously. Millicent had been up since four after midnight, unable to sleep due to her mother's situation and Milena's bad sleeping behavior.

She turned off the alarm and got off the bed to get ready for work. Milena turned and tossed on the bed, "hmm, 2.0?"

"yeah?"

"Are you off to work?"

"Yeah babe."

"When you close from work, give me a call so we can pack your things here okay?"

"No problem."

She got dressed in her uniform and hid her blue hair under her hat. She outlined her blue eyes with Milena's make up and applied little power and lipstick.

"Good morning ma'am." she greeted her boss, Mrs Jones.

"Morning." she replied walking past her.

She went to her post but her mother's situation crossed her mind severally. She took out her phone and searched for vacancies online, scrolling through different offers, none of them would help her raise enough under five months. A particular job caught her eyes, a secretary was needed at an IT company around her area and she felt it would be a great opportunity.

As she was about sending her curriculum vitae to the site, a young lady interrupted her "Excuse me ma'am?"

"Oh hello."

"I've been looking for the heels section, I can't find it and these bags, I can't find what I'm looking for."

"Ohh okay, I'll take you there."

She dropped her phone in her locker and followed the lady to assist her with what she needed.

"Thank you for your help."

"You're welcome ma'am, I was only doing my job."

She smiled and handed her the goods she bought, "thank you for your patronage, come again!".

She reached for her phone but another young lady called out to her, "coming!" She immediately rushed to her.

It was a busy day for her, she didn't get the chance to submit her CV.

Finally her shift for the day was over and she immediately made a change of clothes and rushed to the hospital. "Doctor Naomi."

"Ah you came, your mother is awake. Come."

She followed the doctor into her mother's ward where her mother sat on the bed talking with her father "Mom!"

"sweetie you came!"

"Yes mom." She ran to hug her mother. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel better darling. Your father stayed with me all night."

She glanced at him but said nothing to her Dad. "Mom guess what?"

"What is dear?"

"Milena's parents have decided to assist us with some money!"

"Wow that's great news!"

"The doctor was just asking for the ward payment." Mr Owen added.

Millicent frowned, "and you couldn't take care of it?"

"Milly you know I have other things to do with my money."

"Really?, later you tell me she's your wife."

"Millicent that's enough." Mrs Owen said pulling her daughters arm. "Tell me how was work?"

"It was fine. Mom excuse me one moment, let me sort out the bills."

Millicent left her mother's ward and headed for the Doctor's office. On getting there, she knocked.

"Come in!"

She walked in and the Doctor offered her a seat.

"Millicent, I hope you haven't forgotten our discussion?"

"I haven't. I heard there are some bills to pay."

"Yes, we need stronger drugs to keep incidents like this from happening until her surgery. Also the ward bill."

"Right, I'll make the payments."

"This is the list of the new drugs, you can get it at our pharmacy."

Millicent collected the list, staring at the new expenses, she felt her heart sink. Total expenses for the drugs amounted to ten thousand dollars then ward fee. Doctor Naomi tapped on the table trying to draw her attention "Millicent!"

"Huh?" Millicent replied taking one last look at the list before looking up at the Doctor.

"I know what I'm about to say won't help but your mother needs to continue immunotherapy and targeted therapy."

"I understand Doctor."

She thanked Doctor Naomi and left her office. She headed to the pharmacy and presented the Doctor's prescription to the pharmacist and made the necessary payments before returning to her mother's ward.

"Mom, would you like to eat anything?"

"I'll eat anything you give me dear." She replied smiling.

"Let me get you some food outside the hospital, I'll get you your favourite fruits as well."

"Thanks darling, don't spend too much on me, you need money for yourself too okay?"

"I'm okay Mom."

She went to her mother and kissed her gently on her forehead and pretending her father was invisible, she left the room. On her way out, her phone buzzed and she took it out of her Jean jacket to read the message, "hey 2.0, I hope everything is well with your mom, sorry I can't visit right now, problem with mai Lee. I'm gonna prepare something nice for you to eat before you get back. PS try not to kill your Dad."

Millicent smiled as she read the last sentence in the text. She remembered she was about to apply for a post at an IT company while she was at work so she stopped beside a lamppost and immediately posted her curriculum vitae on their site before tucking her phone back in her pocket. She went to a near by store to buy some fruits for her mother but her luck runs out as she met with an old nemeses.

"Long time no see," the lady said.

"Tara..."

Ever since Tara came in between Davy and Millicent's relationship, both ladies had despised each other. Tara forced Davy to cut all forms of communication with Millicent, she claimed she wouldn't be comfortable if her boyfriend still conversed with his ex girlfriend.

"How've you been?"

"why do you care?"

"You're right, I don't." she said giggling. "You've really changed Milly, blue hair? Why? To match your eyes? Though you've lost quite some weight, and your fashion sense is dead, I mean what's with those sandals?"

Millicent remained quiet as she searched for some fresh pickles making Tara roll her eyes in disgust. "In case you're wondering, Davy is doing fine."

"I didn't ask."

"He runs his own company now," she continued and Millicent rolled her eyes, "the executive CEO of OMG TECH"

"I don't really care you know, I have better things to do."

Millicent walked away from her and went to another stand to pick some other fruits and Tara just walked away stomping.

Millicent paid for her goods and left the store but something bothered her, she felt she has heard the name of Davy's company somewhere so she took out her phone to research it. To her surprise, it was the same company she had applied for just a few moments ago.

She gasped loudly pulling her hair almost out of its roots, "oh my god!!!" She yelled loudly and a few people stared at her. she didn't know the next step to take weather to cancel her application or not.

"What am I going to do?"