A Discovery Which Led To Doomsday (#68 In Mystery/Thriller)

Chapter 11

Ali faced the optimistic receptionist again.
"So your name and your father's name  please." He interrogated.
"Elahi. Ali Elahi. We both hold the same name. I am Ali Jr." Ali replied.
The receptionist gave him a funny look. Ali realised that he had to act serious as his dad was in ICU and he was failing miserably. But Ali wasn't a good actor no matter what he thought.
"Your father's age?"
Ali thought for a moment and then replied.
"64."
The receptionist snorted. Ali decided to be more prompt next time with his reply
"Any previous medical issues?"
Ali decided that he would answer this query truthfully.
" He has asthma." Ali had discovered that he had asthma when he was 5 years old so his older self must have had retained it. What if some medication was invented which could cure Asthma. He shrugged away that thought and tried to be more optimistic.
"Any ID proof." The receptionist carried on.
"Sure." Ali took out his passport and handed it over.
The young man scanned it and clicked his keyboard and gave it back to Ali.
"You are done. You can leave the hospital premises now. We will update you whenever there is some progress. Just write your phone number here." And he slid a notepad and a pen in front of Ali.
"Actually, I'm not going. I'm planning to stay." Ali knew this was a trick used by the receptionist to find out whether the old man was his real father or not. The receptionist had started doubting him the first time when he wasn't rushing in the time of emergency in the afternoon and had left his dying father in a taxi. Now he was again growing suspicious when Ali was joking around when the old man was in the ICU ward.
"As you wish,sir." Ali could see that some of the suspiciousness had been cleared from the receptionist's eyes.
Ali walked off to have a conversation with Asbah when he noticed that she was standing right beside him listening to his and the receptionist's conversation.
"Oh! You are here only." Ali was surprised.
"Mmm-hmm. I was getting bored, so decided to take round and saw you here."
" Is she your sister?" The receptionist said popping in.
"No!" Ali snapped back almost immediately. He himself was taken aback by his quickness. He had to get this girl out of his mind real soon.
"She is just an acquaintance." He replied.
The receptionist was taken back at the sudden reply and resumed back to his work.
He and Asbah walked to a seat placed next to his father's ward and sat there waiting for more news.
"So..what do you do for a living?" Asbah inquired.
"I'm a scientist actually. But one who hasn't been a mark yet." Ali sighed.
Asbah made a face as if she had realised something. The expression was clear. There was no mistakening. Her face looked like she had finally understood something fully.
"She doesn't even know me. What could she have possibly realised? It's just my wild imagination." Ali thought.
"Cool." Asbah said,shaking Ali out of his thoughts.
"Uh-what?" He mumbled.
"You...being a scientist, it's kinda cool."
"Yeah,thanks."
Ali and Asbah were talking when suddenly a doctor came running towards them. Ali stood up quickly, trying to look worried.
"What happened doctor,is everything ok?" He questioned.
"No,you have to come with us quick,the unthinkable has happened!" The doctor exclaimed.
"Surprise,surprise." Ali muttered under his breath and walked to the ICU ward with the doctor.