Let Go

39: Scarlet

Harken's P.O.V.

It was a walk of shame to my uncle’s office. We passed by nurses and doctors, all who greeted Dr. Grayson like he owned the place. He kind of did. He was the head of the hospital. His wife, Professor Linda, my psychiatrist, was the head of the psych ward.

I was busted on both ends.

I didn’t know much about uncle Liam except that he changed his last name and took a step away from our family. While we were Reds, he was a Grayson. He didn’t like what my dad and Amanda did for a living, and for that I admired him. I knew he was married to someone else before and she died.

I couldn’t see any resemblance between him and dad. He had softer features than dad and a calmer demeanor. He definitely shared the elegance dad had.

“May I ask what are you running from, exactly?” He asked the moment we sat in his spacious office. It smelled like the rest of the hospital; sanitation and bleach.

“I need to see Thomas and no one is letting me,” I said bluntly. I was done playing. No more games, no more players.

“What for?” He seemed to have lost his confidence upon me mentioning Thomas. It only helped affirm my suspicions that something did happen to him.

“It doesn’t concern you or anyone, for that matter,” I slammed my hands on his desk. It shook a little, which made a framed picture fall flat. “I need to see my brother, and no one is letting me. So, I left,”

“You won’t find Thomas this way, Harken,” He said calmly. What did he mean by ‘find’?

“Find? Is he not at the Manor?”

“Do you think Thomas wouldn’t have visited you by now if he was at the Manor?” Liam Grayson retorted, which made me itch with sudden worry.

“Did Thomas leave?” I asked, trying to contain myself. I sat in one of the chairs he had by his desk for guests. If Thomas wasn’t there it meant I lost my backbone.

“He didn’t leave. We don’t know anything about him except that they’re missing,”

“Who’s they?” I asked before I could process what he was telling me.

“Raiken is missing too, his son,” He didn’t have to point out that Raiken was his son. I obviously knew that. “I’m not supposed to tell you this, but Linda and I talked and I think you should know this,”

I was shaking by then. I couldn’t remain calm after what he told me. I was ready to bet my life that Blake had a hand in this whole thing.

“Tell me, who else?”

He seemed a little hesitant, and after he told me, I knew why he was scared of telling me. He feared the consequences, for I was ready to tear up the ground to look for them.

“Aiden and his daughter, Ruby, are missing too,” I froze. The shaking stopped. I stopped blinking and stared at the shiny floor for a long minute without saying anything.

Colour drained out of me. They took Aiden.

I wanted to scream harder. Cry harder. Die harder.

I wanted to punch someone or myself. They couldn’t keep doing this to me. To him. He was still recovering from the past. He can’t suffer again in his present. Not when I wasn’t in his future to help him. He couldn’t fall apart when I wasn’t there to pick up his pieces.

“Linda gave me this,” He moved his chair backwards a little and opened his drawer and pulled a bulgy envelope. “She said to be very careful with it and she hoped to see you again,” He gave me a hopeful smile, “willingly this time,”

I opened the envelope and found my prescription along with my medication. It had a written note with some instructions on what to do if I missed a dose or if I feel a sudden urge to stop taking them, along with a few emergency phone numbers.

“I’m free to go?”

“You’re free to go,” uncle Liam said, and it was the best thing he’s ever said.

I was overwhelmed with confusion, anger, and anguish as I was leaving the hospital building. I didn’t know where to go first or who to talk to first. I wasn’t in good shape. I had barely been eating anything, and I hadn’t slept properly in a few days.

I didn’t have money or clothes other than the pajamas I was wearing and a fifty dollar bill Liam gave me. I needed a phone and some proper clothing and some cash. I figured the right place to go was the Manor. I wasn’t one to lower myself to Dad, but for Aiden I’d kiss dad’s shoe.

I reached the lobby fumbling with the envelope and the cash in my hand. However, I wasn’t the only frantic Red at the hospital that night. For when I reached the door, I was met eye to eye with another. And suddenly Aiden’s past and mine were clashing again at that moment in time.

A/N: I'm not rushing the ending like I usually do. Take your time and hop on for the ride.

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