A few days later...

After disposing off the needle, I took a break and thanked the last donor.

I had skipped breakfast and was surviving on just one slice of apple, which made me feel like giving up by 4 pm.

The 'incident' had depleted the blood banks in almost all hospitals, prompting campaigns to encourage blood donations.

Today was the final day of the drive, and the blood donation camp was held at a primary school playground on a Saturday, with only school teachers and clerks offering assistance.

I left for the hospital in my car, followed by the van carrying the blood bags.

The roads were empty, and we were about to cross a traffic intersection when suddenly, I saw the van collide with something and veer off the road.

I was left in shock as I couldn't see any other car or wild animal around.

I heard the driver calling for help and quickly got out of my car to assist him.

His head was bleeding. I checked him for any other injuries, cleaned his wound, and provided him with first aid.

While carrying the driver to my car, I called the hospital to inform them about the accident. Suddenly, the van jerked, hit the divider, and drove off.

I didn't notice the attacker approaching the van . We were told to leave the site immediately.

Upon reaching the hospital, I admitted the driver to the emergency ward and informed the hospital's chief about the incident.

It was reported that blood bags had been stolen from nearby hospitals, but this was the first time someone had been injured.

Initially, the police were doubtful of my statement until they reviewed CCTV footage from a nearby traffic camera.

I was now sitting in the kid's area, pondering over what happened when I saw Clara running towards me.

She looked worried sick, hugging me she whispered, "I would've killed them if anything happened to you."

I let out a chuckle, "How? No one knows who is behind all this. Why would anyone be stealing gallons of blood!"

She looked like she wanted to say something but merely shrugged it off.

Something felt off about her, she wasn't her usual self. The Clara I knew would've started with all colourful words and scenarios of how she'd torture the offender.

Jake soon joined her. Clara nudged me and whispered, "Go ahead, Mr. Romeo left the OPD and ran here after getting the news."

I was still skeptical of Jake. He behaved sweetly most of the time, but his little stunt at the club almost made me want to back away from my decision to date him.

Later that night, Jake texted me asking me to join him at a conference in Seattle, but I kindly declined his offer and asked for some more time to adjust to our new arrangement.

"Thank goodness you're alright!" He exclaimed. "I told you not to volunteer. It's an intern's job, not a third-year resident's. But no, you had to maintain your independent façade and overwork yourself."

"Excuse me? Its not my fault that some retard is stealing blood and going to the length of crashing a van. Volunteering was my choice and none of your business.

Look, I appreciate your care but I think we should take a step back. There's no way in hell I'll be tolerating this behaviour ",I snapped.

"Hey, I'm sorry. It's just that when I heard about the crash, it crushed me. I felt helpless. I shouldn't have said that. I apologize."

He seemed sincere.

"Look Jake, I appreciate your care, but I think we both need some space", I expressed.

He looked dejected but nodded nevertheless. "You are right. Take care."

Clara gave me a sympathetic look. "Zy, I may have rooted for you guys, but let me know when to knock some sense into him."

I laughed and said, "No need. I'll handle him, but I'll let you know if anything changes." She laughed too and left.

I arrived at the wards for my afternoon rounds when someone tapped on my shoulder.

It was Alana, and Dr. Knight was carrying her. "Ois! You hurt?" Alana asked me with tears in her eyes.

I picked her up and replied, "No, love. I'm fine. See, there's no boo-boo anywhere." She ran away, mumbling, "Take care, Ois!"

Dr. Knight cleared his throat and said, "It's great to see that you're not hurt. Take care," before leaving.

I felt as if the sun had risen from the west. I never thought there would be a day when Dr. Knight would speak civilly to me and show that he cared.

It seems that he is indeed a human and not a robot that has been updated with exceptional knowledge.

I was still in awe when my alarm went off, reminding me that I was already late for my presentation. I rushed to the hall, preparing myself for the worst.

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.....And that is our treatment plan."

I finished presenting on 'Leukemia in the Pediatric Age Group'.

Dr. Knight objected, saying, "The drugs you mentioned are still in the trial period. It will take at least 10 more years to obtain adequate results to verify their effectiveness in reality."

To this, I replied, "Yes Dr. Knight, the drugs are indeed new. However, so far, they have given us positive results. Although a larger sample pool will ensure efficiency, we can give them a trial run as these drugs have been considered safer than the currently available ones."

I saw him controlling himself in front of our Unit Head, his nose flaring.

"Do you realize we don't have time to wait and watch?", he said. "These are the kids we are talking about! Did you take into consideration the cost of these drugs? Insurance companies are not saints. There is no way they will be covering the costs."

"Dr. Knight, I did consider these concerns, but the benefits outweigh the risks. It's not like the current treatment is cheap or without side effects. What harm is there in giving it a try if we'll be getting better results for a slightly higher price?"

"WHAT'S THE HARM? The harm is that you can't understand the reality of the world. You.."

"I guess we can give it a try," our unit head intervened.

He was a burly man in his early 50s. Despite his intimidating personality, he was a sweet soul.

"Dr. Knight, I agree with your concerns, but medicine has to evolve. I agree with Dr. Murphy too. Ultimately, it's the benefit-risk ratio we consider. If this is all, then I'll take my leave. We'll discuss this further once we get approval from the HOD. Good work, Dr. Murphy!"

I felt giddy. Not only did the head accept the proposal, but he also acknowledged my efforts.

Dr. Knight, on the other hand, had a frown cast over his handsome face. "Don't be happy yet, the project needs HOD's approval."

I simply nodded and left. I feel like he holds some animosity towards me.

This is not the first time he's behaved as if I set his house on fire. I have to deal with his angry and mean self, while the rest of the unit sees his calm and charming side. Sighing, I left for the cafeteria.

Clara wasn't responding to my calls or messages, so I asked the front desk about her, only to find out that she left early due to health reasons.

I dropped a 'get well soon and call me back' text, shoved my phone in my pocket and went for my evening rounds.

I saw the most unbelievable sight . Dr. Eros Knight was playing 'Ring a Ring o' Roses' with Ray, Alana and a few other kids.

If he looked handsome before, he looked 10 times better now.

Gone was the scowl that I had seen on his face before, replaced by the warmest smile I have ever seen. He laughed a musical laugh at something Alana said, picked her up, and started bouncing her up and down. It was a beautiful sight to see.

Mrs. Berney, our staff nurse, commented on his outburst in the seminar room, saying "He's a softie for kids. Don't mind his rudeness, he only wants the best for these kids. It's not my story to explain but leukemia is always a sour subject for him."

I simply nodded, knowing that Mrs. Berney is his aunt and would support him. Although I was curious about what got Dr. Eros Knight so worked up.

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It was 10 PM and my shift had ended two hours ago.

As I looked up at the night sky, I was captivated by the beauty of the full moon.

The entire neighbourhood was bathed in its glowing light, and its magnificence was beyond words. It seemed as if every star in the sky was paying homage to the king "moon" - their twinkling appearing almost like a joke to amuse the king.

I was lost in my thoughts when my phone rang. It was Clara finally calling me back.

"Hey Zy! Sorry for not replying. I wasn't feeling well, so I slept it off."

"No worries, Clara. I shouldn't have called you so many times. I hope I didn't disturb your sleep."

"Oizys Bridget Murphy! Don't you dare go all formal with me. For heaven's sake! I was unwell, not dead."

"Clara, please don't say that."

"I'm sorry. It's just that I hate it when you behave like I'm some stranger. We are family, remember? 'Together, forever'."

I smiled warmly at her. "Together, forever. Take some rest. I've got tons of 'news'. Good night!"

"Oh, you better spill the beans tomorrow. Goodnight, Grandma!", she mumbled sleepily.

I was going through my emails when I came across one from Dr. Knight.

'Hello Dr. Murphy,

I know we both have different approaches, but our ultimate goal is the same. I should have kept my views in a professional manner. I regret the way I handled the situation. I hope we can set aside our differences in view and work together.

Goodnight.'

To say I was shocked was an understatement.

He did not apologize directly, but it takes a lot of courage to accept one's mistakes and write an email, especially for a senior and well-known doctor. If I were in his place, I don't know if I would be able to do it.

I thought about writing a reply but then decided against it. I'll talk with him in person tomorrow.

That night, I slept with a grin on my face.

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I woke up at 3 am to the sound of wolves howling.

Fear gripped me when I saw that my windows were open, despite distinctly remembering closing them before going to sleep.

Summoning some courage, I walked up to the window and closed it.

While doing so, I looked into the tall bushes etched across my building and saw golden eyes staring right into my soul. It transported me back ten years ago- the howling, the golden eyes- and I felt panic set in.

He was back.

After calming myself down, I looked back and saw no one, no sign of any living creature. I brushed it off as an illusion and tried to go back to sleep, thinking that I might be overworking myself.

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What Oizys didn't know was that the masks were about to come off, and loyalties were about to be tested. The past had returned and was now stronger than ever. Will Oizys be successful in facing it, or will she lose everything, just like a decade ago?

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A little bit clarity on the structure of a medical school . The head of the entire school as well as the hospital associated with it is the 'DEAN', further each department has its own head called 'head of the Unit' AKA HOD , each department is further divided into small units managed by unit heads. Hope it helps!

Hey lovelies! I hope this chapter met your expectations. Get ready for the next one because it's going to be full of surprises. Let me know your predictions!