The Mechanic

FOURTEEN

I squeezed my mother's hand lightly, avoiding the syringe that was attached to her.

"I love you, Mom," I whispered to her ear. She was still asleep, but I was relieved that the surgery was successful. She was already in the recovery room when I arrived. My grandparents had to calm me down for minutes because I was really worried about my mother.

"You have to rest, Jay," My grandmother told me, rubbing my back. "You drove for five hours."

"I'm fine, Grams," I assured her even when my head was throbbing in pain. "I'll wait for Mom to wake up."

"The doctor said she'll probably wake up in the afternoon," said my grandfather, who was just beside my grams. "You can come back later."

"I want to stay, Pops."

I stared at my mom, and my heart was still breaking into pieces every time I realize how frail she became. She used to be so radiant, full of life and smiles despite the heartaches my father gave her. But now, she was so pale and she lost a lot of weight. Hopefully she would recover fast and be her old self again.

The door opened. Dirk smiled warily at me. "Jade, can we talk? Outside?"

I nodded and went outside the room. "What's wrong?" I asked him. He looked a bit tense.

Dirk faced me, biting his nails. He always does that when he's nervous or confused.

"Dirk? You're scaring me," I said, my throat hammering.

He looked at me. "Harry paid the hospital bills."

"Come again?"

"Harry paid the hospital bills. Everything. He paid everything," Dirk repeated, a mixture of awe and disbelief.

It took me a minute or two to fully wrap my head around Dirk's statement. My jaw was left suspended in the air as my mind tried to process what I just heard.

"Harry did what?!" I echoed once more.

"He paid everything, Jay. The nurse told me. I didn't know why! We were just talking here in the lobby earlier and I told him that Pops is planning to sell his farm to pay the bills, and then he said he'll just go to the cafeteria for a coffee and half an hour after the nurse went here to ask me if Harry is a relative. She said that he paid everything," Dirk gushed, who was also shocked like me.

"Where is he?" I asked, my mind swimming in a pool of questions.

"Cafeteria? I guess?" Dirk replied. "Jay, are you dating Harry?"

"No," I simply said, then walked away to head to the cafeteria.

I took the elevator. I bit my lip hard, trying to answer my own questions. Why? Why would he do that?

I reached the hospital's cafeteria and I saw him there, sitting on the table while sipping a hot coffee. He was chatting with a very pretty nurse.

"Harry," I murmured as I approached nearer to his spot. "Can I talk to you?" I asked, throwing a quick glance to the nurse beside him.

"Any time, Jade," he smiled. His eyes looked tired, but his face lightened when he flashed a warm smile.

The nurse left us after slipping a piece of paper in the pocket of Harry's polo shirt. She gave him a flirty wink before strutting away from us.

That was smooth as hell.

"How's your mom?" Harry asked.

"She's still sleeping."

"I'm really glad that the surgery went fine," he said. "I told you it's gonna be okay."

"Me too," I mumbled. "Harry...did you...did you pay my mother's hospital bills?"