The Drafted Reality and Dreams

CHAPTER 6: MR. FRANCIS

Each time I visit Mary; my daughter, she always looks pale as if she's losing her light. I have been told that I will lose my job if I keep calling off. But the thing is though, I own the business so me being told that I will lose my job is ridiculous. I even hired one of my childhood friends because they were having a hard time.
My main job is to make sure that my relationship with my family is healthy. And it is of course. My second job is to do acupuncture on patients including the elderly patients. My business is small but enough people are coming and going.
Mary is someone who I would like to consider as an important patient but she isn't mine but the doctors. So I will have to hope that she will get back to being healthy again. Might need to find some therapy for her and her nightmares. It has been a little while now since she first had a seizure, but she does tell me that she keeps getting nightmares. I honestly wanna say that she's dealing with sleep paralysis or something. As long as I reassure her she doesn't think so much about it. I even have to let her know that everyone else is doing just fine.
Mary is a sweet kid and important to me especially when she saw what happened that day when she was younger. She would forget about that by now though. As long as I keep hiding it everything will be just fine.
I actually went to visit Mary today, this visit was a bit more strange than the other visits.
"Hey, dad." Mary got my attention, her voice sounded weak.
"Yes, Mary? What's up?" I sat next to the hospital bed, meeting her at the same height. "Will I be alright? I don't feel as sane as I was before." She chuckled weakly, "I'm sure you will be alright, you might just be missing the sun since you have been here for a while now."
"When will I be able to leave this place?" She asked me, her eyes were dull and flushed with desperation. "You might be here for a while longer, since you've had a seizure once before." She sighed, turning her head away.
"I need to leave, I must leave. Dad." She put a grip on the white sheet. "The doctor said that you will be here for a little longer so they can run some more tests on you." She looked back at me, "What, am I an alien now?" She seemed impatient with her tone of voice. "Just be impatient and besides, a year feels like a month." This was the fifth visit and I feel like no matter what I tell her she just doesn't want to listen to me.
"That isn't true dad, 15 hours can go by if you just play video games the whole time, ask Edson Im sure he knows." Of course, distractions. There weren't many in the hospital, the only thing she could mostly do is sleep– unless..
"Are you able to go back on your feet? Maybe a walk won't do so much harm." I stood up from the chair, "Well, yeah the doctor said that my legs are free to go. But why walk? It's better if I could rest at home or something." She shrugged her shoulders as she pouted. "I'm going by what your doctor has said and you should know too." She groaned, "Fine, walk it is then." I don't really think her doctor minds, especially when her foot has healed.
Walking itself is good exercise and gets you moving. After walking it is running but it's probably better to keep things slow. Mary doesn't seem to be in the mood today for some reason. I wonder what's up, she seemed to be in a rush as if she's trying to run away from something. Especially when she said that she 'needs' to leave.
"So, how's work?" She asked, having a hard time dealing with the awkwardness, "It's going well, I was told that I would get fired if I dont go back to working."
"It's ridiculous really." I sighed, "Why would you get fired when it's your business? Who told you that anyway?" Her eyebrows were narrowed. "One of my childhood friends told me. I guess they will fire me since they were the one who told me."
"Im gonna kill that son of a-" I interrupted her, "Just leave it be, Mary, I will deal with it when I go back." She huffed, "Alright alright, sorry for losing my cool." I chuckled, "You're a good kid you know that right? You heal up and you can kill that son of a bitch."
"Sounds like a deal, I won't let you down." She smirked, I can tell she was in a better mood than earlier. Her mood swings left and right, she was different before she came here. I wonder if she hadn't died she would have been able to do what I'm doing right now with her. And I would be playing football with Edson.
I smiled softly thinking of the good days, "What's on your mind?" She turned to me, "Nothing much, just thinking what it would be like if your mom was still around." She nodded her head, biting her lip. "I'm sorry for what happened and the fighting when it happened." She stayed quiet for a little bit, "No worries dad, it's not your fault but if you were helping her she would still be alive." Her eyes appeared to be watery almost as if she's about to cry. She rubbed her eyes before any tears could run down. "I should maybe go back to the room, and you should go back home or something." She sighed hoarsely, "Alright, you take care of yourself, okay?" I pat her on the shoulder softly. "See you later, dad."
I nodded, I didn't have much to say but I could've said bye. It's whatever, it doesn't matter what matters right now is my business.
My business can't be shut down, it's my business and it will always be my business. No man nor woman can take it away from me and cant say that I will be fired from it. I had to confront my childhood friend. He used to be my bully in elementary school but they changed when we were in highschool. And surely they were trying to take my success. Let's say I had a bad feeling from the start but I just ignored it.
It's common to be ignorant but I can't be ignorant any more. I drove to the building: it was a small one matter of fact. It had one story and enough rooms for at least five patients. Parking lot had at least three to five parking spots. I think it's perfect but other than that acupuncture was pretty uncommon but quite a classical way to treat someone. But it works and it doesn't matter who the patient is.
I parked my vehicle and went inside of the building unannounced. "Hey! Wasn't expecting you to come today. Thought you were babysitting your kids?" This damaged man, the man who I called my bro back then but he destroyed himself in college. Started taking drugs and man I couldn't stand him so I stopped hanging out with him and pretended he didn't exist.
"Yeah, didn't know you would be the one to fire me also." He was behind a desk that was beside the entrance. "Well, you weren't coming anymore so I just gave you a warning. We are low on employees if you haven't noticed." I scoffed, "Low on employees? I'm the only one who's doing the job around here, and uhm. I own this business and building included if you haven't noticed." I was on the other side of the desk leaning towards his face.
"So, who's being fired here again?" I gave him the dead stare, "Dude, can't you just chill and we can talk about this like bros." He backed up, losing eye contact. "No, no we can not. We aren't bros, we are enemies." He scoffed, "And you're also fired from your job. Why? Because you aren't doing your job as a helping hand and you were warning me when I should be the one to warn you."
He stayed quiet, "Do you understand, Mr. Drug addict?" My arms crossed, shooting bullets at him with my eyes. He bolted out the entrance, shoving me to the side. I followed him making sure he actually leaves.
"Fuck you dude!"
"Oh yeah? Fuck you too!" I gave him the finger and went back inside of the building. Crazy bastard, I hope he doesn't come back to me and ask for guidance like a kid. Should have searched for a great rehab instead of hiring him. He's the type of fuckup that ends up homeless and dies with his pants full of shit.

I closed the place, locking the back and the front door of the building. After that it was time for me to go back home and see Edson and Clarence; Clarence is the woman who I decided to marry a year after Ashlyn had passed. She was the one who understood what I was going through since she went through the same troubles. Her husband passed away from lung cancer. She even had a miscarriage.
All she ever wanted was a family, a happy one matter of fact. And I hope that this family she committed to is the family she's looking for. Could say that she was jealous of Ashlyn, I talked about her to Clarence and man she just had this look on her face. Almost as if she looks up to her in a way.
Ashlyn was one of a kind, she was bright, talented; plays the violin. And she was so worth it. But had a fight this one time and while she was walking down the stairs, she tripped on her dress and fell all the way down. She broke her neck, couldn't breathe very well. Had no choice but to call an ambulance but Mary saw it happen; saw her fall. Told her to leave before she freaks out. But yes I called the ambulance and she was in the process of healing but she wanted to be discharged after a week had passed just to see her kids. But I denied her wishes even the one where she was so desperate to accomplish. She was paralyzed permanently, it was bad. I felt terrible and I just couldn't see her in pain anymore so I just didn't visit her.
Got a call from the hospital saying that she was found dead on the bed. Her death became a case but was shut away when they couldn't find any evidence. It was a terrible thing, Mary and Edson were still very young when that happened. So since kids tend to forget old memories as they grow I hope that's the same for them especially Mary.
By the time I got home it was already getting dark, so I took some leftovers from last night's dinner; Buffalo chicken wings. The stuff is good but it would've tasted better if it was more fresh and tender.
As soon as I was done eating, I got ready for bed; Brushed my teeth and laid in bed with Clarence who was reading one of the books from the library. She was reading the book '10 ways to not get caught using duct tape just to fix a broken window without using money' and yes I know it's a bit ridiculous but that's all she's been reading for a few days. And the book has more than 200 pages for some reason.
I turned off the light that was on my side of the bed, "Goodnight, Clarence."
"Goodnight, Joseph." She yawned as she flipped the page. Eventually, she closed the book and turned the light that was on her side of the bed.
And goodnight world...