Last

Chapter 5.

Switching from the left to the right side of my - oh wait. I realized I wasn't home. This wasn't my bed. I was laying on the couch with Cameron beside me. I rubbed my eyes slowly and reached for my phone. There was still an hour till school starts. I sat up straight and tried standing up without making any sound to wake Cameron up but as soon as my feet touched the floor, his eyes shot open.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up," I told him.
"Morning to you too," He said and sat straight himself.
"I'm going to get ready for school," I said. I looked at him for a moment.
"You'll be coming this time, right?" I added.
"What makes you think that I'm coming?" Cameron asked.
"I mean.. you're not sleeping this time-"
"I'm busy today. But don't forget to bring me some notes like you always do." He said and stood up, walking to the kitchen. He opened the cabinet and took out a can of strong black coffee. I walked to him and leaned against the counter.
"What's going on, Cameron? You're always making up excuses for not going to school and they're plainly stupid."
He took a sip from his coffee, picked up another cup and poured me some. He pushed it towards me but I said no.
"Busy is not stupid, love."
"Who are you afraid of meeting up with there?" I asked suddenly.
He laughed hard and almost chocked up on his coffee.
"Me? Afraid of someone? Dream on." He said.
"If it's not a person you're afraid of, then you're afraid of - something," I said, adding a mysterious tone to my voice. The result came unexpected and Cameron's expression changed to a smudge. However, he managed to cover it up with a vicious smirk. I placed my hand on top of his as I sat down.
"Cameron, just tell me the truth," I tried comforting him.
"Alright, I'm afraid of something." He said.
"What is it?" I was preparing myself for an answer but he couldn't help but ruin it with a daft reply.
"I'm afraid of falling asleep in class." He said, raising his eyebrows and drawing another smile on his face. I rolled my eyes and sighed.
"Whatever, Cameron," I said and headed to the bathroom, washed my face and fixed my hair. I applied some lipstick from my purse and checked myself in the small compact. When I got out, Cameron was dressed up as well.
"Where are you going?" I asked him.
"I'm giving you a ride to your school."
"It's okay, I don't want to trouble you since you're busy and-"
"Shut it, Vanessa. Come now, out." We walked out of his apartment and went down the street. The pavement was wet and the ground, slippery. Last night, it didn't stop raining until dawn. We arrived at Oakwood High.
"Have a typical school day, love." Cameron said as he gave me a kiss.
"Thank you, jerk. Enjoy your buisness." I blew him a kiss as well and walked out. He waved for me and I turned around. I spotted Bethany sitting on the front stairs.
"Morning," I said.
"Morning." She said back. And we both went inside the school building.

Dr. Giles took the third chair as a seat for him and joined me and Diego at the Brown Stone restaurant & café. I was smoking my third cigarette and Diego took his root beer in a fast gulp.
"Good morning, gentlemen." Giles said.
"I hope your flight from London to Maplewood wasn't that frustrating." I told him as I leaned my back against the chair.
"Good airlines. I had no trouble." He said with a smile.
"Glad to hear that," Diego told him.
"So, how can I help you, Lockwood?" Giles asked.
"I thought Diego made it clear to you in his email, not to forget mentioning the stash of eighty dollars which got to you in cold nerves." I said.
"Well - yes, he - er- made it clear. But you know me, Cameron. It'll take you more than just eighty to-"
I slammed my hand against the table.
"Cameron, easy-" Diego started.
"We had a deal, Giles. You got your money, now do your job." I said aggressively.
"Actually, there was no deal, Lockwood. You paid the money but the truth is - we - didn't have a call and decide on the price," Giles said with resentment. I turned away and blew away the smoke of my cigarette then I turned back.
"Alright, mate. How much does it take?" I asked him, knowing exactly what this bastard is going to demand. But I drew the lines nevertheless. He gave us a look of hesitation but then the glint of avidity wiped away the color and the motion from his eyes.
"Four - hundred is what it takes."
"For devil's sake, Giles!" Diego exclamied.
"No more than three fifty, Giles." I told him.
"Listen, son.. I don't think you're aware of all the expenses we pay in return of these kinds of therapies or treatments." Giles said.
"Your expanses can go to hell for what I care. It's your job to get the treatment for your tiny little viruses that you spread over the globe, reaping lives out of twelve million people a year. I said no more than three-fifty. Take it or I'll find more of your fraudulent mates who will help me through with no more than eighty, do you hear me?" I ticked him off.
He didn't answer. He looked at the polished wooden table before his eyes.
"Pleasure doing buisness with you, Giles. Farewell." I said as I thrust my seat backwards and stood up, signing for Diego to leave as well.
"Wait," Giles cried.
I turned to the chap.
"Fine. No more than three fifty."
"Now we're talking, mate." I said and Giles stood up.
"So, I've got to run now. I've got a friend of mine I'd like to pay a visit for. I'll see you tomorrow, Lockwood." Giles said and we shook hands. Seconds after making his way out, Diego turned to me.
"Cameron, where the hell are you going to get three hundred dollars from? Don't tell me you'll ask Vanessa if-"
"No, we leave Vanessa out of this. Where did you tell me Giles gambles again?" I asked Diego.
"At Paul's, downtown. But why- don't tell me you're planning to-"
"Play some Roulette? Bloody hell, I am."

I turned the keys inside the lock and stepped inside my house. I took off my coat and hung it in the hall. I heard Mom's voice speaking with someone in the den but it wasn't clear. I came in and stood by the doorway. Mom was sitting on our brown leather ottoman, with a tray holding two cups of milk and coffee and two plates of plum tart. She was chatting excitedly with a man about fifty. He was slender and dark. His eyes were sharp behind his eye glasses.
"Vanessa, honey. Come in, we were just talking about you." Mom said.
"Hello," I said to the man, who stood up and shook hands with me.
"Do you remember Philip?" She asked.
I shook my head and took a seat on the armchair.
"Oh I'm sure she won't. She was just five when I last saw her." Philip said.
"Yeah, I honestly don't remember you." I said.
"Well now look at you, Vanessa. All grown up. Your mother told me that you wanted to be a doctor. I'm sure this job will suit you lots." Philip praised me in a funny way.
"Well, um.. I also have side hobbies besides med," I said.
"Well? Tell me about them." He said.
"Oh, I will tell you all about them," Mom started.
"Mom!" I nagged.
She laughed, Philip smiled and looked at both of us; taking a piece of his plum tart.
"She loves writing. Leaves torn pieces of the things she disliked about her stories all around the house." Mom explained.
"Must be fun," He said, laughing. His voice echoed through the hall.
"Every mother's nightmare." Mom added.
"Well, besides what Mom mentioned, I do enjoy medicine,"
"Yes, yes. It's rather a task full of responsibility. Each doctor and nurse has a part to do. You know, nowadays it's somehow easy to get treatments for varied illnesses. But there are still some illnesses and viruses that stand aside waiting for someone to find an instant cure. Take cancer for example. Also, the mental illnesses that require a very detailed and risky operations.. well we do hope to cure anyone who's a schizophrenic," He said. I started listening with attention. "But there are those illnesses and tumors with no identified causes such as encephalitis lethargic and-"
"I'm sorry?" I sat straight like a razor.
"Is there something wrong?" He asked.
"What was it that you said just now- lethargic something?" I asked, feeling my heart skip a beat.
"Encephalitis lethargic. Goes by the name of sleepy thickness as well. You're interested in that?" He asked.
"Oh, it's just... it's just a research I'm working on," I lied.
"Oh well, take it from me and don't bother. I've got this patient whom I really want to help. He's in too deep, I'm afraid." Philip said.
"Well I'm sure it'll be okay. He wouldn't have turned to you if he didn't acknowledge your skills." Mom said. He smiled as if he was thanking her for the compliment.
"Sounds like you're well-known around here," I said, my mind muzzled.
"Come on, Vanessa. Everyone knows Dr. Philip Giles," Mom said, shooting me a glare. I felt the walls closing in and I took a hard breath. Giles? Out of nowhere, a picture of Diego's torn liner and the piece of paper with the name on it appeared before my eyes. 'Just some buisness for Cameron,' He had said the other day.
"W-what's the name of the patient you're helping through this - sleepy thickness?" I asked, sensing my heart about to stop. Please, don't tell me..
"Lockwood. Cameron Lockwood."
A scream with no sound escaped me. I felt like I was choking up. Mom turned to me. "Lockwood? Isn't he your friend, sweetheart?" She asked. No words came out of my mouth. I saw everything ahead of me; Cameron's excuses to skip school, his alibis to get away and his constant habit of falling asleep.
"Y-yeah. That's him." I answered. My face started steaming up. Mom said something and went back to her talk with Dr. Giles but I couldn't make out a word of what they were saying. The only thought that was whirling in my head was that Cameron was - ill.
"How bad is it"? I asked him.
Giles turned to me.
"Well, the deeper you are the faster it is to get in it." He answered.
"Get in what?"
" - A lifetime coma."