For A Friend

Mrs Heirden kneels in front of Dr. Sebastian. Her knees are feeling sore from kneeling for so long, but the respectable doctor was ignoring her.

"Matilda, get up. Stop troubling him." Mr Heirden persuades his wife. He can't stand to watch her on her knees anymore.

"Don't touch me!" Mrs Heirden swings her husband's hand away. "I won't leave. I won't leave here until Dr. Sebastian agreed."

The old woman crawls towards Dr. Sebastian, who was sitting on the table, pretending to do paper works. She holds his leg and keeps begging, "Dr. Sebastian, p-please, save my son. Please." She sobs. Her eyes were swollen and red for crying for so long. "I'm w-willing to do anything. Anything. I can be your slave. Just save my son."

"Don't hold me, you disgusting old peasant!" Dr. Sebastian kicks her off, the old woman stumbles, lying on her back.

"Wife." Mr Heirden rushes to his wife and holds her up, as he shivers in both anger and disappointment. He shoots the doctor a dissatisfied look, and says, "You're a doctor. You are supposed to help us, not to hurt anyone. My wife is already old, why did you kick her? I never kick her in my entire life! How could you?"

Dr. Sebastian laughs like a madman. His usual calm and kind face is no longer seen on him. His brows curve with hostility as he points a finger on the old couple. "How could I? Because I am the only one in this world who can save your son!" He yells proudly. "But you, and you, are nothing but rotting garbage! Want to become my slave? Are you able to do that? Look at yourself, soon, you'll be needing help to be able to pee on the restroom! For me, you're useless! Useless!! But, I have a good heart. As long as you can bring your great son in front of me, I'll save your dying son. How about that?"

"But where we are going to find him?" Mr Heirden says as her wife hugs him tightly and bawls in his arms. "My son was kidnapped! Even the police can't find any clues of his whereabouts, how much more us? Dr. Sebastian, save my son. We will be grateful to you. We promise, we will pay you. Just give us some time."

"I don't need your money, fools! What I want is your Morgan!!" Dr. Sebastian slams his hands on the table and clenches his teeth, his face reddened with rage. "Without him, forget about saving your sick son!"

"Please, save my son." Mrs Heirden begs again.

"Get lost!" He points the door. "And prepare for your son's funeral!"

"Oh my God!" Mrs Heirden falls limply from her husband's hand. Dr. Sebastian's words suck all her strength and unable to stand on her feet.

"Dr. Sebastian, you're a doctor. How could you treat this to us?" Mr Heirden asks as he supports his wife on the floor. "You're disgracing your profession. Your uniform doesn't suit you."

"What did you say?" Dr. Sebastian hurries to the old couple. "I dare you to say it again!"

"You don't deserve to be a doctor." Mr Heirden says softly. He is hurt for the fate of his two sons. He doesn't want to say it, but his heart forces his mouth to say it, unless he wants to die from emotional pain. "You're worse than a coldblooded monster."

"Damn you!" Dr. Sebastian is about to hit the old man when the door suddenly flings open, and a strong surge of wind assaults him, sending him flying on the wall. He groans and struggles to get up, while gritting his teeth. "What the fuck just happened?"

"Look what I see," a man's cheerful voice rings in their ears, and in a second, the three hears footsteps approaching them. With fix gaze on the doorway, the old couple holds their breaths when they finally see who the person is.

"Surgeon Simon Hawk?" Dr. Sebastian's exclaims in disbelief as he rises to his feet. In one glance, he recognizes him.

With his brows knitting together, he inspects the man, who was leaning against the door frame, up and down as if he is a detective. 

He can't believe his eyes. It's really Dr. Simon Hawk, the well-known miracle doctor in the fields of medicine. He has deals with countless hopeless patients, but he all manages to cure them. That is why he gains the name 'Miracle Doctor'.

The entire world knows him.

"Dr. Simon Hawk, what brought you to visit our humble hospital?", Dr. Sebastian asks in a respectful tone.

"Drop your pretense, Sebastian." Simon says in a sarcastic tone. "I never know that you are this cheap and arrogant… How could you bully an old couple?"

Dr. Sebastian doesn't like Simon's tone and the way he addresses him, but for the sake of the reputation of the hospital and his name, he can't argue with him. He stiffly smiles, "You get me wrong, Dr. Hawk. We're just discussing here about their son's operation. We—"

"Then no need." Simon cuts him off. "I'll do the operation… For free."

Simon smiles.

"What?" Dr. Sebastian ejaculates in disbelief, his eyes jut out from his sockets. Even the old couple is dumbstruck. "Are you kidding me?"

"Clemente, are you dense?" Simon looks seriously at the doctor's eyes. "Look at me. Do I look like I'm kidding?"

"No! You can't perform the surgery for him!"

"Why can't I? I am a doctor. And it's my job to save people. I think you'd forgotten that."

"No!" Dr. Sebastian shakes his head. "You can't. Besides, it's Dr. Steph—"

"He can't save him." Simon cuts him off again. "I already went upon the patient's records. It's impossible for any doctor to save him… except me. Do you agree with that, Dr. Sebastian?"

"I—" Dr. Sebastian can't retort.

"Now you can't speak." Simon grins mockingly. "It's mean a yes." His eyes suddenly narrow with fury. "And how could you, huh? You give the family a false hope. Are you still a human?"

"I—" For the first time in his life, Dr. Sebastian can't defend himself. He can't even raise his thoughts or retorts against Simon. And he is not reconciled inside because of this. But he has to admit that, he is inferior in front of this man, in every aspect.

"Now, get to work. Prepare everything necessary. I'll perform the operation in fifteen minutes."

"In fifteen minutes? Isn't that—"

"I don't allow objections! Scram!" Simon glares at him, which makes Dr. Sebastian scud out of his own office like a threatened rabbit.

"Not bad." Samantha, who is leisurely sipping wine on the rooftop of the hospital, praises Simon through their mind link. "You nailed it."

"Excuse me? Before you praise me, tell me, how am I going to explain to his family when they ask why I am willing to help them?" Simon asks.

"That's a simple matter. Handle it yourself."

"How heartless! You hide me away from my fans. I should be showered with their compliments and admiration by now while I am walking in the hallway, but you chose us to sneak in. I'm not even complaining that. And now you want me to handle his family as well?"

"You sure you're not complaining?" Samantha growls.

"I—"

"Excuse me?" Mr. Heirden snatches Simon's attention from Samantha. The couple is now standing before him with an inquisitive and grateful expressions.

"Hear that? They're about to inquire me." Simon murmurs.

"Handle that." Samantha orders.

"You owe me this." Simon growls though the mind link and smiles at the couple. "Yes, sir, ma'am?"

"Dr. Simon Hawk? Are you really Dr. Simon Hawk?" Mrs. Heirden asks with her teary eyes that almost can't open her eyelids properly due to endless crying. She has seen this face in the news, he is the legendary young miracle doctor. She is not doubting his identity, she just finds it unbelievable to meet him in person. 

"Ouch, ma'am. Are you doubting me?" Simon jokes.

"No. No. Don't get us wrong. In fact, it feels like a dream to meet you. We often watch you in news. We are your fan as well." Mr. Heirden explains. 

Simon nods. "Oh, thanks."

Mr. Heirden furrows his brows. "But… Dr. Sebastian is refusing to save my son, and you, why are you willing to help us? We are nothing but a nobody to you."

Simon sighs. He finds the couple pitiful, so he thinks, maybe, he can give them clues to lessen their worry for their sons. "Alright. To be honest, I'm doing this for a friend."

"A friend?" The old couple looks at each other. "Who? Do we know him?"

"You met this woman once."

"Woman?" The couple repeats Simon's words in unison, and again exchange a perplexed look with each other.

"I can't say much. Or else, she will peel me alive. But…" Simon pats the old couple's shoulders. "Stop worrying about your sons' wellbeing. I'll assure you, they're safe now."

"Thank you, doc." The couple bows to him.

"Oh, don't do that." He stops them to bow on him. "I'll go get a move. To start the operation. Don't be nervous." He pats them again and leaves first.

"Woman? Could it be Ashley?", asks Mrs Heirden when only the two of them are left inside.

"Impossible. If her father doesn't agree to help us without Morgan. It's impossible for her to persuade a well-known doctor to help us as well. I'm sure, it's someone else. Someone else who is more powerful than Dr Sebastian."

"Then who could it be?" 

The couple looks at each other's with unsettled feeling. They lock their inquisitive eyes for a few seconds as they recollect every people they met. Finally, a woman's domineering countenance flashes their heads. They both exclaim in bewilderment on each other's face, "Samantha!"