Watch your back

A luxurious interior came into view. Silver paintings, linings and sorts. White colored sofas were placed firm in the king-sized spacious living room and just behind the living room was a sort of mini bar which housed different bottles of expensive wines.

Modern chandeliers, numbered three, were dangling on the ceiling near lighted white bulbs. A staircase leading up the top floor was just near the door leading to the bedrooms on this present floor.

He breathed in the air of the room unnoticeably. The familiar scent filled his nostrils and sent a tingling sensation into his body. He was back home... after over twenty days in the hospital and the unknown.

John looked around. This was a place he thought he wouldn't see again on the first day he met himself in the unknown. The first day he thought he had died. Now, he was back to his place, his very own territory.

He walked over to the L-shaped long cushion chair and took a seat. Right now, he was clothed in a T-shirt and a blue jean which had been delivered to him earlier today at the hospital. He was happy to be out of the hospital 'dumping' he was wearing when he had woken up.

"John..."

He looked up as a feminine voice came into hearing. A lady was standing not too far from him, dressed in a tightfitting sleeveless long dress with a black jacket over it. Her expression was something he couldn't predict at the moment. But a sober look was certainly obvious.

"What's wrong, Trisha?" He narrowed his gaze as he spoke.

The lady walked over to him, her heels resounding on the tiled floor beneath the silver carpet. She stood firmly, her hands gripping her purse tightly as she got in front of him, staring calmly into his brown eyes.

"What's the matter? Talk to me..." He urged her as he noticed her hesitation to speak.

[Try not to overreact when she speaks!]

A voice came into his head as he awaited a reply. Turning his body around slightly, he saw a familiar presence he hadn't seen since leaving the hospital, standing behind him all geared up. Rasmus.

He was about to speak so as to give a reply to the being when another voice came into his head...

[Remember she is still standing in front of you.]

It suddenly dawned to him. A little awkwardly, he turned back to face the lady in front of him who now looked confused due to the sudden behavior he portrayed not too long ago. Was there something behind him?

"Is there something you are looking for?" The lady suddenly asked.

"No," he shook his head. "Just trying to look around a bit."

"You sure there's nothing you're looking for?" she asked again.

For almost ten seconds, he stared at her with uncertainty. He wasn't getting what she was driving at this time. Didn't he just give her a reply, so why was she insisting on the question? Her behavior at the moment had a bit of suspicion, that he could sense.

"There's nothing I'm looking for," he affirmed as he ran a hand through his hair. "So, what's wrong?"

The lady felt anxious, replying after heaving a silent sigh. "Why were you eager to leave the hospital? You just recovered, you know?"

"I know, but staying there was making me sick already. Is that what you really want to talk about?"

The lady shook her head. "I received a report from the doctor regarding your situation,"

"Okay, what was it?"

"Before I tell you what I was told, can you tell me if there's something wrong with you. Perhaps you're feeling any slight change or probably some changes in your body..." the lady helplessly stared at him as she spoke, motioning her body to sit beside him.

He arched his brows questioningly as he stared at the lady who was now sitting by his side. "What changes are you taking about? I don't quite understand what you're saying,"

[She believes, or should I rather say thinks, you are suffering from a mental illness.]

In his head, Rasmus told him what the lady had in mind.

His expression immediately turned cold, exuding the vibe as he spoke. "So you think there's something wrong with my brain or what?"

The lady widened her eyes in surprise. How did he know just what she was thinking? Had he been informed already of the meeting she had with the doctor? But there was no one else there asides her and...

"N– No, no... it– it's not that..." she stuttered while trying to come up with a reasonable explanation.

"Then it's what?" He snapped.

"You shouldn't talk to a lady that way you know,"

A man walked straight in front of the two, bearing both hands inside his pants pocket. He carried a domineering presence John was familiar with, his looks just similar to John's. It was Jacob Ruben, John's elder brother.

"What are you doing here, Jacob?" John questioned, staring coldly.

"That's a rude way to welcome someone that's four years older than you are," Jacob revealed a shrewd smile as he stared at his cold younger brother.

"Well, I don't recollect having a familiar relationship with you, or did that unknowingly begin in my absence?"

Jacob shook his head as he made his way to a single cushion chair opposite where the other two were occupying. "Aren't you supposed to be grateful that I helped you keep your company in order during your bedridden state, despite knowing we don't have a 'familiar relationship'? How absurd!"

"Oh, you did?" John let out sarcastically. "Well then, thank you, mister. I'll definitely return the favor. You can leave now,"

"John, stop it." Trisha cautioned him as she touched his hand. "He's your elder brother, remember?"

Jacob waved his hand nonchalantly. "You don't need to stop him, Trisha. This is still his house so he has every right to do what he wants,"

"You still haven't told me what you're doing here." John stated. His tone and expression had gradually relaxed.

"We have some issues to discuss,"

"Okay?"

"I believe Trisha has informed you already about the meeting with the doctor,"

"She didn't, I figured out myself,"

Jacob eyed him suspiciously. "How did you do that?"

"That doesn't matter, I have my ways."

"Well, do you know why the doctor seems to think so?"

"No?" He questioningly replied.

"The nurse saw you talking to nobody. I mean, you were talking to someone that wasn't physically present. Am I actually making any sense? What I truly mean is, let's put it this way, it seemed you were literally talking to a ghost..." Jacob explained in the best way he could.

[You need to be more careful with the way you try to communicate with me in public.]

The words of Rasmus filled John's head immediately, making him recollect it was his fault for making the nurse to misunderstand him.

"Did the doctor record any signs of mental illness? Dementia or something?" He twisted the question, slightly deviating from Jacob's explanation.

"No, but—"

"So it's just a mere speculation due to the words of the nurse right?"

"Yes,"

He looked at his older brother sternly, sensing something deeper as his purpose for showing up in his place. "Why are you actually here, Jacob?"

Jacob relaxed himself on the soft sofa as he gazes at both individuals seated opposite him. "How are you planning to clean up the mess you made?"

"What mess are you talking about?"

"Are you literally trying to tell me you don't know what's going on?"

"Get straight to the point, will you!" John exasperatingly let out.

"Within the days you were in a coma, and even after you're out of it already, something that has never happened before occurred."

"And what is that?"

A finger was pointed in John's direction. "Your information was leaked... three times by an unknown person."

John blinked his eyes repeatedly to get a hang of what he just heard. "Did you just say three times?"

"Yes, three bloody times..."

He ruminated on it for a bit before giving a reply. "Then what mess did I make? Aren't the issues supposed to be cleaned up after?"

"Well, the first two were handled but the most recent one which was released today, we haven't managed to get through with handling it. Right now, the whole country literally knows your every movement and this makes me think there's something going on..."

"What do you think is going on?"

"You need to watch your back, John. There's a possibility you have a mole among your people," Jacob warned.

Just then, Trisha stood up.

"Let me leave you guys to sort out whatever you want to. I need to check on the cooks. I'll be in the kitchen if you need me,"

As she began making her way to the kitchen which was a separate room at the other end, John stared at her suspiciously. Why did she suddenly decide to leave the room when Jacob made a statement?

[Stop staring at her that way. She knows nothing about the issue.]

Rasmus made him to immediately clear his suspicion about her. If he couldn't trust anyone else, he had to trust the being who knew the inner mindset of others.