The Pining

Chapter 3

''No trouble I hope, dear?" Her father is watching the birds play together. They jump in small intervals of air borne dances as they peck at the grass underneath them.

"None at all, father. It is the maintenance company I called to fix the door locks on the bathrooms. Do you think it is a father-son owned business?"

Her father leaves his stare on the birds. " Is there a certain son causing your confusion...or rather your interest of this curiosity?" Green gestures to her father for the palette and paint brush she so fleetingly left on his lap. "I don't have an ounce of understanding of what you mean." They both smirk as she mixes paint on the palette. First yellow then red. She creates a bold orange and sweeps it over the canvas. It plays the part of a horizon. She brings more life to it by adding some white streaks to make a washed out undertone.

"Add some blue won't you?" Her father so gently interrupts her trance. She takes the advice generously and applies a vivid blue to the existing sunrise. Her father drops a piece of the blanket he was clinging onto. She notices and gives a short chuckle.

"Is the heat from my talented sunrise getting too much for you, father?"

She waits for her father's snarky answer. It never comes. She turns back to his wheelchair and drops down. His face is hanging low while his throat is pulsating in dangerous rhythmics trying to catch a breath. "Father!" She voices her stricken concern louder than she intended and yet somehow not loud enough. She lifts his limp head to the sky and investigates his eyes. Her audible panic caused Sheppard and his father to come speeding to her side. They both evaluate the situation while pushing the old man's wheelchair back inside. Green rushes to her phone. She types in Genevieve's phone number. Why the hell does she not have it on speed dial?

"Miss, wait." Her gaze rushes to the determined call. Her father is waving a hand at her.

"I'm fine," is what he is trying to tell her. She rushes to his side and throws her phone next to her.

"I told you going outside is a horrible idea but you never listen! Why won't you ever listen!" She feels tears trickling down her left cheek and becomes mortified when she realizes that Sheppard and his father are watching the whole scene take place. "My apologies to you both. I took up quite a scare back then. Thank you for your help." Sheppard denies the want to wipe the falling tear from her face. His father takes the liberty to answer. "Please don't apologise. We are just happy we were here to help." He nudges his son to agree. "yes , of course."

"Allow me to take my father to his room. I will be with you in a moment." Green escorts her father to the bed she found him in this morning. She takes advantage of the moment to speak her mind. "What was I thinking. To let you out knowing the consequences of your health." He tries to caress his daughter's distress.

"I needed to see the sun , Greeny."

"You are too weak!" He falls silent at the sight of her face. She is both furious at herself for letting it happen and saddened that she couldn't make it better.

" I am going to rest for a while. Go finish your business and please finish that painting for my sake. I'd love to see how it ends." She leaves her father be without an answer and marches outside