The Circle of Life - Addicted Series - BOOK 4

East meets West (continuation...)

Ria looks at Druv silently reading something on his tablet as they were going back to the hotel for the night. "Why so quiet Dee?" she asks trying to figure out what was going inside his head.

"What else do you expect? I was hanging out at the hospital all day?" he asks back.

"You okay?"

He shrugs.

"We are leaving back to New York tomorrow evening." she tells him.

He sighs.

"You understand why Dad has to stay back right?"

"Yeah." he replies without looking at her.

"Druv?"

"What? Doesn't change the fact that I will miss him. And that those two weird chipmunks hang around him like ants on a candy."

Ria laughs. "Well, all I can give you is some food for thought..."

"What?" he asks.

"...those two weird chipmunks didn't have him in their life for 8 years."

Druv looks up in a long thoughtful stare.

So, the next day morning, when he went back to the hospital with her, he couldn't help looking at everything with a different pair of glasses. He saw Sid sitting outside his Mom's suite staring at the ground. He walks to him. "Hey."

"Hey." Sid looks up at him with a blank face.

Druv slumps in the empty seat beside him. "Whatchu doing here?" he asks.

"Waiting. Mom's in surgery." Sid tells him sadly.

"Where is your sister?"

"She fell asleep inside."

Druv sits silently with him for the rest of the morning.

It was almost noon when he sees his Dad walking out with a doctor sighing relieved. He looked disheveled and tensed - there was something so sad about seeing him like this.

He sees Sid walking and quietly hold his Dad's hand as he was listening to the doctor. The doctor leaves and his Dad kneels down and hugs Sid as if reassuring. He gathers that they had survived yet another hurdle. He sees the way his Dad was holding him so protectively - his hand stroke Sid's hair up and down in a comforting haste that he knew all too well. He felt uneasy seeing it. Seeing something that he thought belonged only to him. He dismisses his thoughts getting angry with himself for thinking that way.

"Druv? Why are you sitting alone?" Nick asks. "Where is Bua?"

"She is inside with Dadi." he tells him. "All okay Dad?"

"Yeah. Everything is okay. Listen, you must be bored. Why don't you go downstairs and get something to eat at the cafeteria."

"Okay?"

"Get me a coffee while coming back." he draws his wallet out and gives him some money.

"Thank you." he counts the bills as ten Australian dollars.

"Cafeteria." Nick repeats looking into his eyes.

"Fine!" Druv agrees readily.

"Take him with you." he looks towards Sid.

"Do I have to?" he makes a face.

"Yes."

"If he is coming...I need more money." Druv asks.

"You got enough Dee. Don't act like a rich spoiled kid."

"But, I am....a rich spoiled kid." Druv tells him with a straight face and a open palm. "And I have to get your coffee..."