Never the same - Manifest

Chapter 11: facing reality

The Next Day
Saanvi
Saanvi was late for work since she had overslept. She was not the sort to sleep in, but it does happen. The receptionist gave her a disapproving look as she stepped into the hospital.

"You're late, Dr. Bahl."

"I know, I know,  I'm sorry for sleeping in. But it will never happen again."

"I know it won't. You're good at getting to work on time. That is, most nights you spend here working late, and I never see you leave sometimes."

"Ahhh yes."

"Hmm, so that's why you have dark circles under your eyes all the time."

"I guess you could say that."

"Okay, so yesterday night there was this guy who was looking for you and asking if you were still at the hospital. He seemed worried."

"Oh, really? I wonder who that could be." Saanvi pauses. "Uh, thanks for telling me I'm going to start my work now."

The receptionist sighed and reluctantly nodded, allowing her to proceed to her lab.

As Saanvi walked towards her lab, she couldn't help but wonder who the worried man at the hospital could be. She hoped it wasn't anything serious and decided to focus on her work for now. No distractions. She knew her research was important, and she couldn't afford to let anything get in her way.

Cal
Cal woke up to the smell of pancakes and eggs. He didn't want to get up. Without Olive and his dad, life was just... boring and empty. Although he didn't show it as much, he liked Olive as his company. She was the one who made mornings feel less lonely and more bearable. Cal sighed and reluctantly dragged himself out of bed, knowing that he had to face another day without them. As he sat down at the breakfast table, he couldn't help but wonder if things would ever be the same again, seeing the two seats empty where Ben and Olive used to sit. He missed the family dinners, even if they were sometimes filled with arguments and chaos.

"Cal, honey?" His mother called, breaking him out of his thoughts and setting a plate in front of him.

"Yes?" He replied.

"The court date is set 2 weeks from now," his mother said with a sigh. "Final decisions will be made there."

"Did you tell Dad?"

"Not yet," She sat in the chair decide him. "I will. Today." She paused. "Now eat up we have a long day ahead of us."

"Which is what?"

"A day of fun just to take our minds off of things."

"Yay! So excited!" He said with a hint of sarcasm.

His mother chuckled and ruffled his hair affectionately. "I know going to court is not the most exciting thing, but we'll make the best of it," she reassured him.

"I guess," Cal said, taking a bite of his food.

Michaela
Michaela's alarm woke her up, and she groaned as she reached over to turn it off. She realized she slept 45 minutes longer than she normally does. Another day of work, but what she could look forward to was seeing Zeke today. She didn't know what they were doing, but she put her mind to looking forward to that. She got ready for work, trying not to wake Ben or Olive because she knew they would make her more late, but that would mean getting ready slower than usual.

She realized she didn't have time to eat breakfast. With a quick glance at the clock, she grabbed her jacket, keys, and headed out the door, but then she heard a voice calling her name from behind.

"Aunt Mick?" Olive asked. "Where are you going?" She said, sitting up from the couch and facing her.

Michaela shut the door and turned around. "I have work, Olive, remember?" she said, rubbing her eyes.