𝓐𝓵𝓪𝓻𝓲𝓬

🩺

"Everything is such a mess, Salem." I murmured, lying on the cold floor on my back on the rooftop of my apartment building.

Salem was sprawled on top of my chest as we stargazed. The cold breeze felt oddly comforting and familiar. She purred softly, rubbing my chest with her head softly.

"We're meeting the lawyer tomorrow." I continued, scratching behind her ear just the way she loves it. "Life was going peacefully before everything turned upside down."

I noticed two stars lingering closer than the others. My lips curled up involuntarily. Even the stars had someone. I wanted someone, too. Someone to tell me it'll be over like the other dark patches of my life.

But who was I kidding? Why would I have someone this time when I never had anyone since forever?

God... I sometimes resent him for making me an orphan.

Maybe it wouldn't be hard and lonely if I had a mother.

Jesus, don't I sound pathetic?

"A lonely loser." I murmured the words that came to my mind suddenly and  grimaced, remembering those times in high school.

Salem purred loudly, chiding me with narrowed eyes.

I let out a soft, mirthless chuckle. "Sorry. Not lonely. I have the sweetest girl by my side." I scrunched my nose when she licked a long strip up my cheek.

Yeah... not so hygienic.

But I appreciated the effort and expressed my gratitude with a loving kiss on her forehead.

"Did you like the new fish treats I brought?" I asked, diverting my mind.

She meowed.

"Yeah, I know. But they were out of stock of your favorite ones."

She meowed again.

"No, I can't tell them to save it for her highness."

She meowed grumpily and turned her head away, jutting her chin up in defiance.

"You spoiled kitty." I chided, tapping her nose.

She let out a sound of protest, making me chuckle and want to do it again. And so I did it again... and again. But after a while, that left me with a bitten finger.

I gasped and narrowed my eyes. "Feisty kitty. No treats for you at all."

She answered with a dry, unimpressed mewl and flicked her tail.

"You do NOT roll your eyes at me, young lady!"

⋆ ───⊱☽❁☾⊰─── ⋆

I tapped my foot sitting on the chair inside Mr. Benson's cabin with Dr. Miller, waiting for the lawyer. Mr. Benson was sitting on the chair behind the desk. While we were on the chairs in front. The chair beside me was empty.

I was wearing a white shirt, sleeves rolled up, and black work pants. My hair was styled better than the other days. My watch was different as well. I was wearing my doctor coat over my attire.

I took time to get ready, okay. This was my only-business-no-bullsh*t outfit. I fixed my specs over my nose. I wore those for headaches sometimes.

I checked my watch for the nth time.

Seriously, does this lawyer have no sense of punctuality? This tardiness is going to get our more in trouble instead of doing the opposite. Why would 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 law firm even appoint such a laggard idiot for us?

My nerves were eating me the f*ck up.

I inhaled deeply, only for that breath to get stuck in my lungs when the sharp sound of someone's boots reached my ears. I turned back before the door opened.

The door opened, and a man walked in, dressed in a well-tailored black suit with a  black tie and white shirt underneath. His jet black hair was pulled back in a sleek style, skin tanned beautifully.

His stubble was light but deliberate, the kind that looks maintained rather than neglected. It softened the sharpness of his jaw just enough to keep him from looking too polished.

He was huge. I had prided myself for being 6'2" but this man was 6'5" and built like a small mountain, broad and packed with muscles. His body was the kind that said he ate, slept, and breathed a gym.

His calculating 𝘣𝘭𝘶𝘦 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 searched the room before they landed on it and... stayed. His eyes searched my face before meeting my eyes again. A muscle in his jaw ticked, and eyes darkened a shade.

I broke the eye contact when my eyes trailed past him to the man who entered next. He was no less than him. In a beige suit and those glasses, he looked like he was standing on business.

His eyes widened in recognition when he saw me. They immediately went towards his friend, who was still boring holes in my skull. The air around us was tight, charged with something heavy.

That was before Mr. Benson stood up and forwarded his hand for greetings. "Mr. Thorne, it's an honor to have you here."

He tore his gaze off me and shook Mr. Benson's hand in a firm handshake before pulling back almost immediately and acknowledging his words with a curt nod.

Mr. Benson's eyes moved past towards the other man.

The man forwarded his hand and had the mannerism to give a polite smile. "Arthur Hall. Mr. Thorne's PA."

"Ah, good to meet you, too, Mr. Hall." Mr. Benson returned the smile and shook his hand.

Dr. Miller and I had stood up as well when they entered. Dr. Miller stepped beside me and forwarded his hand towards him with a polite curl of his lips and introduced himself.

"Dr. James Miller."

He shook Dr. Miller's hand with the same curt nod. His eyes fell on me.

Keeping a neutral look on my face, I forwarded my hand as well. "Dr. Alaric Reed." I introduced myself, voice detached but polite like I was tapking to a stranger.

Surprise flashed in his eyes for the briefest second as if he hadn't expected me to acknowledge him. He masked the surprise. His eyes, now, were neutral but not cold.

His hand flexed at his side before he lifted it to meet my hand. A current of electricity passed through me when our fingers touched. He paused like he had felt it, too, before slipping his hand in mine.

I gave his hand a brief shake before attempting to pull back from his tight grip. It took him a second to reluctantly let go of my hand that I not-so-subtly wiped at my side.

"Please, have a seat." Mr. Benson spoke, gesturing towards the other two remaining chairs.

Mr. Thorne and Mr. Hall took their seats, and Mr. Benson forwarded the case files towards them. "I assume you already know..." he began and the conversation continued.

𝘏𝘦 leaned back in his chair with one ankle resting over his knee, looking maddeningly composed while Mr. Benson explained the lawsuit in detail.

I spun the pen between my fingers, trying to focus on the file in my hand but it was so damn hard when you have a constant intense gaze drilling into you.

I swear I'll poke his eye out if he doesn't look away.

I bit my inner cheek to calm myself.

I'm calm.

I'm not reacting.

He's not affecting me.

He's a stranger, and I don't care.

He's just here because we're stuck in a professional clusterfuck.

That's-fucking-it.

"...Ms. Smith claims the hospital ignored early signs of deterioration," Mr. Benson continued carefully. "Her attorney is pushing heavily on delayed intervention."

Mr. Hall adjusted his glasses as he skimmed through the file. "Cause of death?"

"Septic shock following post-operative complications," Dr. Miller answered.

Mr. Hall nodded slowly and scribbled something down.

Mr. Thorne finally spoke for the first time since sitting down. "The media involvement?"

Mr. Benson sighed tiredly. "Minimal for now. But if this goes public..." He trailed off.

"It will become a circus," Mr. Thorne finished flatly.

A circus. The clowns? Us.

I hated how effortlessly commanding he sounded. His voice was deeper than I expected. He flipped open the file in front of him, scanning through pages with sharp eyes. His brows pulled together slightly.

"Who authorized the discharge clearance?"

Dr. Miller answered immediately. "It wasn't a discharge case. The child was under observation."

Mr. Thorne's fingers tapped once against the paper. "Hm." He lifted his gaze directly onto me. "These are the doctors, yeah?"

"Yes, Dr. Miller and Dr. Reed were in charge. Primarily Dr. Miller." Mr. Benson answered.

"I see. Dr. Reed," He drawled as if testing how it sounded. "What were the chances of survival before the surgery?"

"I'm afraid you'll have to ask Dr. Miller that. As said, he was John's Doctor." I replied curtly.

His lips twitched slightly before he hummed. "So you had no hand in his treatment?" He asked.

I blinked. "No. Not the treatment. I was only involved in post-operation activities." I answered truthfully. "I hadn't even interacted with John before his surgery."

"Then why did the mother sue you as well?"

"She sued half the pediatric department."

"Did she?" He cocked a brow almost as if to taunt me.

"Did you not read the file?" My voice grew agitated.

"Dr. Reed," Mr. Benson gritted out in a low warning tone as my tone got out of control.

I cleared my throat. "I apologize. Yes, she... did." I said, eyes flickering back towards the file in my hand.

Fuck you, Alaric Reed. You absolute idiot!

You had to stay composed, not throw your calm out the window.

Jesus Christ. I need to keep it shut.