The entire room was thrust into a deadly quiet.
“Caleb...” Kate muttered.
“I never lie,” he said, “and I never say what I don’t mean! You should know this the most about me. You and your father hid everything so pardon me for having to result to this. But it is a trade I’m willing to make. The truth or his life.”
Tears filled her eyes. “Caleb you are too ruthless. He trusted you… And so did I.”
“But this is not about either of us or him. It’s about a life that he ruined, that you both ruined, without a bit of remorse.”
“So now you want to ruin ours in return?”
“That’s not my choice to make. I think it’s high time we all stop making choices for other people. For example, you are an artist in your heart and through watching you over the years I have come to realize it. What the hell are you doing in a hospital, feeling miserable and making mistakes? You should leave and go on to do what you truly want with your life.”
Tears fell from her eyes.
Suddenly, blood shot out from within the abdomen and splattered onto Caleb’s face. The monitor went crazy as the Director’s heart rate began to soar. Caleb stared at the bloody bowel.
“Dr. Pace…” the Head Nurse called, her eyes on the dropping vitals.
“That was not a mistake,” he said quietly and dropped blade in his hand.
“What the hell are you doing?” Kate cried.
“I touched one of his mesenteric arteries,” he said, and then glanced at the time. “I’ll give you two minutes to answer all of my questions, and if you cannot within that time then you know what will happen to your father.”
“Caleb, you can’t do this. How can you do this?”
“The Hypocrite’s lament. Think back four years ago to the girl that you framed and tried to kill. Her career was one of the few things she held so dearly onto her. She had worked her whole life for it. You should at least risk losing everything!”
“Caleb! Caleb!”
He took a step forward and placed his hand inside the abdomen. “Pad,” he called and was handed over the cloth to soak up the blood.
“Hemostat,” he called, and with it, he clamped the artery shut. The monitor stopped going crazy for a moment as Director’s vitals began to stabilize once more, and everyone breathed easier.
Kate ran towards the door and pulled it open, but found that it was sealed from the outside.
“Help!” she screamed as she pounded on it. “Help!”
“Kate, I’m not kidding,” Caleb said. The Head Nurse went over to set the timer and pressed down upon it.
The countdown began.
2:00
1:50
Kate kept crying. “You won’t get away with this, I swear it.” But no one said a word.
“Caleb you’ve gone mad!” she screamed at the top of her lungs until she collapsed on the ground.
1:30
1:20
Eventually, she yelled, “What do you want to know?”
“Why and how was Aisha framed? Speak fast, you only have a minute left.”
“I misdiagnosed a patient and subsequently ordered the administration of a wrong drug. He died on the OR table.”
“Why did you pick her to take the fall?”
“I went to find you because I was scared, but instead I saw you sinking down to your knees and asking her to spend the rest of your life with you. It shattered me.”
“So you chose her.”
“I chose her. I figured I’d at least gain something from the catastrophe I had found myself in. Who knew that you’d drop everything and leave?”
“What about her supposed death?”
“I don’t know anything about that.”
“You have thirty seconds left.”
“I didn’t know about it until I met her again a few weeks ago. I thought that she had truly died, but then I saw her again and... I asked my father about it. He told me that he had wanted to be thorough, to leave no evidence. He hired a truck and the driver to by any means, push her little car off the road. If the accident didn’t kill her, then she was to be burnt alive in the vehicle.”
The Head Nurse shook her head in horror.
“She somehow survived it, and here we are.”
“Time’s up,” Nurse Kang announced.
“In many ways,” Caleb began, “you’re still family, simply because I cannot erase all of our memories together. So I will hand this confession over to Aisha. She will be the one to choose what she wants to do with this.
I do not need to tell you not to dig your own grave my saying anything to anyone outside of this room, but if you cannot hold back then feel free. I’ll be more than glad to share your confession to the world. Escort her out,” he ordered and nurse Kevin picked up the phone. Moments later, the door was opened and Kate stumbled out.
“Let’s resume,” Caleb told the Head Nurse and held out his hand.
She gave him a hemostat, and he got to work.
An hour later, he walked out of the OR and met Aisha waiting outside it. He stopped as he watched her, suddenly aware of the blood splattered all over his robe.
“There was a commotion in the reception,” Aisha said. “Kate ran out in tears, screaming and promising that she would shut down the hospital. What happened?”
“Caleb...” she called softly when he remained silent. He took a step forward and encased her in his arms.
“Blood,” she started to protest, but he wouldn’t let her go so she relaxed into his arms and held him tightly.
His voice shook as he spoke.
“I am so sorry,” he said.
“For what?” she asked, patting his back.
He didn’t respond, but after a few moments, he pulled away and took her hands. “I’ll tell you on our way out,” he said and held her hand.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“Home.”
Chapter 25
The atmosphere in the hospital was unusually cold. For once, the ER was empty, as all patients had been taken care of and moved to their respective wards, so Aisha stood by the nurse’s station updating charts.
“Almonds?” One of the nurses offered the packet to her and she took a few pieces. “Thanks, Marlene. It is so unusually dull today.”
True enough, barely a few moments after she had said that, all hell broke lose in the reception.
“Where is Caleb Pace?!?” came an angry roar.
The nurses and doctors all filed out to the reception to meet two men dressed in suits, standing in front of the double doors.
“Bring Caleb Pace to me immediately,” yelled one of the men, and soon the murmurs died as Caleb appeared at the top of the stairs. Everyone turned to gaze at him and parted the way between both men.
With a bitter laugh, the little girl’s father started to approach him, as Caleb walked slowly down the stairs with his hands in his coat’s pockets.
They stopped when they were a few steps away from each other.
“You have no manners,” Caleb shook his head. “Why make such a fuss in a place where there are so many ill people? I have an office if you want to speak to me.”
“Not for long,” the man gloated. “I told you that I was going to destroy you.”
He held up a letter and showed it to everyone around. “This is a notice from the Medical Board. An investigation has been launched against you, Caleb Pace, for medical malpractice over the death of Alice Bright.” He flung the paper at him and Caleb watch as it floated on the ground.
Aisha felt unable to breathe.
“As from this moment on, you Dr. Pace, are forbidden from administering any medical care to patients, until the investigation has been completed. Failure to adhere to this will result in the immediate suspension of your medical license. Feel free to act on your own will.”
Aisha hurried over to retrieve the letter and went through it, her heart pounding within
her chest.
“You might regret serving me that notice,” she heard Caleb say and all eyes turned on him.
The man’s smug look sent chills down Aisha’s body. His eyes appeared sunken, as though he had not slept in months and Aisha suddenly felt compassion for him.
“Tell me, Dr. Pace, what is there to regret?”
“You have a cerebral aneurysm,” he calmly said and the whole hospital went quiet. “Your vision is blurred is it not? And no, your lost sense and balance is not from vertigo, and neither are your droopy eyes and enlarged pupils from a lack of sleep. The aneurysm in your brain is about to rupture,” he raised his hand to glance at his watch. “Perhaps in a few moments, you might collapse on this very floor. Would you still want me to adhere to this piece of paper then?”
The man didn’t believe a word of what Caleb was saying.
“Every time you open your mouth to speak, I wonder how someone as inhumane as you could be a doctor,” he said in disgust. He walked up to Caleb to stand only mere inches from him and pointed his hands in his face.
“You-”
The entire hall gasped in shock as the man froze and collapsed on the ground.
Chaos erupted as Dr. Reed, as well as few nurses, hurried over to him. A pen light was pulled out and his eyes inspected.
Everyone looked up at Caleb with shock in their eyes, including Aisha.
“This sure is a thankless job,” he said in a bored voice. He looked at man’s colleague who had run over to his collapsed front to shake him awake.
“Do something you bastard!” he yelled when he saw that no one was responding to him. “Do something!”
“I’ve been suspended from medical practice,” Caleb said. With a shrug, he winked at Aisha and turned around to head up the stairs.
“Wait!” the man yelled. “I said wait!”
Caleb glanced back at his fear-filled eyes and cocked an eyebrow.
The words came out of man’s mouth as though he were chewing glass, “the suspension has been lifted, starting now.”
Caleb rolled his eyes and continued walking back up. “Nurse Kevin,” he called out as he walked away and the male nurse stood at attention, amusement lighting up his face like a bulb.
“Move him to the OR.”
“Got it!”
“Aisha...”
“Don’t you dare!” came a roar and all eyes turned to Dr. Reed.
“I’m a neurologist specialist. I will be the first assistant. Don’t you dare, Dr. Pace.”
Caleb turned to Aisha, as she tried her best to stifle her laughter with a hand over her mouth.
Caleb nodded. “Sure. Aisha, I’ll see you at home then,” he said, and the entire reception burst into oohs and aahs.
She received bumps of approval from the nurses, and then the Head Nurse came over to give her a hug.
Aisha had turned a deep shade of red by the time the woman let her go. She lowered her head and ran into the hallway to hide in embarrassment.
Epilogue
Caleb and Aisha stood at the Norton County cemetery, gazing down at the marble headstone that held her name and death date.
It was a beautiful day; the wind was blowing briskly, and the golden red maple leaves on the trees around them seemingly set ablaze by the rays of the overhead sun. She shifted closer to Caleb and held onto his arms.
He looked fondly down at her beautiful face, noting the wealth of discomfort in her eyes.
“This is scary, Caleb,” she said and lifted her gaze to his. “I’m freaked out.”
He was amused. “I used to come here all the time. I’m glad that I won't have to anymore.”
“This needs to be destroyed,” she said. “Immediately.”
“I’m already on it,” he said with the brightest of smiles. He lifted up her left hand to kiss the wedding band on her ring finger and picked up the heavy sledgehammer he had brought along with him.
“Mrs. Pace,” he called. “Step back. I’m about to tear down your tombstone.”
She cracked up into a high, hearty laugh, and did as she was told.
“I love you,” he said to her and she felt as though she would melt into the ground.
“I love you too.”
“Okay on the count of three. One, two....”
At her scream, he swung the hammer into the marble tombstone and it cracked into pieces. He did so a few more times and then finally put the hammer down.
“The rest will be sorted out tomorrow,” he said and took her hand. With a kiss to her forehead, they began to walk down the hill and toward their car.
“I still feel a bit guilty at the decision you made,” he said to her when they were buckled in.
“Why?” she asked softly. “I feel as though you went too out of your way to ensure some degree of peace.”
“Well, I did go out of my way, but it was not too much a sacrifice. Choosing to remain quiet about it all, for now, is the best gift that I can give to both you and me. All is well, Caleb, they were once your family. And moreover, we forever have something to keep them in check.”
“Kate quit her job,” he informed her. “She’s now enrolled into a design school.”
“Good for her,” Aisha said and then muttered, “Wish I could do the same with the hospital.”
“I heard that,” Caleb responded as he started the engine. “And that’s not going to happen. You need to be agile for your back, as well as the baby in your stomach. You can start getting lazier the closer you get to your due date.”
She pouted her lips, and he leaned over to kiss them.
Her heart raced at his move, and so did they, into a future filled with love and limitless hope.
THE END
Full Helping
Chapter 1
It was spring in Boston and everything was lush and glistening from last night’s rain. Boston was one of Simon Kavel’s favorite cities to visit because, in his opinion, it had some of the best running paths in all of the United States. Secretly, that was one of the reasons he’d decided to open the latest branch of his restaurant there. It would give him one more excuse to visit.
Simon’s preferred running route was along the Charles River, the green waters of the river taking him through Cambridge and past the Science Museum. The only drawback was that, because the route was so scenic, it was also very popular. Simon had to get up extra early if he wanted the path (mostly) to himself. But he didn’t mind. He was used to getting up early and he loved Boston’s pastel-colored dawns - especially in the spring when the cherry trees were blooming and the grass was covered in dew.
As he ran, Simon reviewed the day’s schedule in his head. When he got back from his run he and his assistant Jack were going over scripts for next week’s episodes and then prepping for Simon’s interview with Oprah later that day. After that, he had a book signing downtown. Then lunch and then, Jack had promised him, he would have a few hours off to relax before going to meet Oprah. Ashley had already said she would be coming by to visit and Simon could hardly wait. Ashley was another reason Simon liked Boston so much.
After Oprah, there were resumes for the new restaurant, then dinner, then menu-planning. Simon nearly groaned out loud. He did his best to keep his runs free of work-related thoughts, but it didn’t always happen. Simon was a celebrity chef with four (soon to be five) restaurants to his name. He loved his job, but it could be a bit all-consuming sometimes. But he knew that at the end of the day he would never trade it for anything else. He’d spent all his life working to be where he was now.
Simon had grown up in San Diego with his over-worked single mother. On weekends, as soon as he was old enough, she would take him out to the country to stay with his grandmother so that she could have a moment to herself. It was his grandmother who had taught Simon to cook, using the vegetables she grew in her small back garden. It wasn’t long before his mother was coming home to freshly cooked meals. No matter what he cooked – and because
he loved to experiment some meals had been a lot better than others – his mother would pronounce it the most delicious thing she’d ever eaten.
Despite the taunts of his friends, he’d taken Home Economics all through high school, solidifying the techniques his grandmother had taught him. To keep the other boys off his back, he’d joined the rugby team – it took up less of his time than football and still made him too fit to picks fights with. Being the only boy in Home Ec. had its advantages as well: all the girls found the combination of his dark good looks and undeniable cooking abilities irresistible. By his senior year, he’d dated nearly all of them. He graduated a charming, confident, driven young man and was soon accepted to premier culinary academies from Los Angeles to New York.
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