Heartthrob of Aclea

Chapter 10 - I Saw Her Cry

'Rise and shine, Your Highness. Up, up you go!' Maria pushed all curtains to the right, allowing the sunlight to enter and forcing me to descend under a thick blanket. There was no way I was going to get up now. It was my day off. No stupid tea parties, no classes, no hangouts.

'I won't relinquish to the light! I'm a vampire! Darkness and I have grown friendly.' Maria chuckled while sweeping out yesterday's dust and arranging the sofas back to their original position. I stayed inside for what it seemed like five minutes and about to drift back to my wonderland when I heard the cling sound of a metal tray on the dresser. The aroma of a stack of pancakes, served with chocolate spread and a cup of English breakfast tea penetrated the blanket and I could not help myself from only showing my eyes to the world.

'It's your favourite, son. Still claiming yourself as a vampire?' Entertained by my half-covered face and messy hair, she gently took out some sweetly scented pink flowers - which I assumed they were pink carnation - and scattered them at the side of the tray to show her gratitude. I felt touched. Those delicate pink petals symbolised undying mother's love. Maria had taken care of me since I was born. A mother figure who I had grown fond of. She lost her husband to a war and his only son to an accident. The world had never been fair to both of us. Life was cruel!

'Eat your breakfast, go to the library and do some research for your thesis. Even if you are so lazy to do it, make use of today with something useful.' She stroked my head softly. 'Enough drugging. It kills you from inside. If you don't care about your reputation, at least, care about yourself. Care about your mother. Care about my feelings.' Silence. I refused to take her advice. Maybe I would do the research part. But leaving drugs behind? No effing way.

'What's today's news?' The tray now resided on my lap and I gorged the pancakes like a beast. 'Your brother dating Duke Robert's daughter has made it to the main headline!'

SPPPPLURRGGHHH!

'Do the pancakes taste awful? I'm so sorry.'

'No, Maria. I can't stand hot food.' It wasn't that hot. The news was hotter. Breathed in. Breathed out. How long had I been high? Last night was Brian's first date with Catherine. That was so confident of him to share such a short term relationship with the press. Unless...

'Maria, what day is today?

'Friday.'

'Already?!'

'I told you not to do drugs! You didn't join...' I lost in the pool of my thoughts. I did not attend all the classes and clinical sessions. I did not join any discussions with the doctors. I was absent throughout Problem-based learning with my groupmates. ALL IN ONE WEEK!

Great, Aaron. This was how you were going to be a dedicated doctor. This was how you were going to graduate with the DR in front of your name. It was brilliant, Aaron. Very, very brilliant!

I jumped out of the bed, apologised Maria for flipping the pancakes on the carpet, ran to take a brisk shower, and put on a basic blue tee and loose cotton slacks. Pressing the pedal to the maximum, I wasted no time heading to the library, with my laptop, a half-eaten Snickers - as long as there was no fungus growing on it, who was I to complain - and some reference books and journals on the backseat. So mad at myself for being reckless.

The library was so quiet I could almost hear my rapid heartbeat. The sound of flipping pages, the odd smell of ancient books, the satisfyingly neat arrangement of dictionaries and encyclopaedias made the library a heavenly place to reside. As a man who adapted the party life as his priority, as cliché as it might sound, I would classify this place as a living hell on earth. But, no. I loved libraries. I enjoyed finishing all tasks and assignments here. I can also find some naïve, nerd but kind of hot chicks here especially at the law section because they were so good at wording, teasing and joking... dirtily.

I stopped at a rack that was labelled The Circulation System and started to explore on articles which explained characteristics of hemodynamic phenotypes in a patient with hypertension - don't do med school if you don't like biology, kids.

So many complex words. So many terms. So many pathways. Lord, give me strength.

Hours, hours, and hours had been spent to run the ink on rims of paper. Also, those five-minute breaks that were sandwiched within the hours - flirting and making out with random, educated ladies - were worth it. I typed the last sentence, switched off the laptop and stretched out for a little while. Left hand on the table, I placed my head on it while facing right. Could not hurt to take a brief nap. When I closed my eyes, there was a soft cry echoing throughout the room. Lifting my head, I turned to the right, left, and right again but nobody seemed to notice it. Maybe I was too tired. Maybe my brain was messing with me. Once again, I placed my head on the table...

'I got a B for clinical assessments. If I get the same grade again next time, I won't be graduating this October! Help me, Lisa. I'm so exhausted. I've done everything that I could. I even stopped binging Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Nights were spent on reading, examining patients, assignments. Where did it all go wrong?' A cry of despair came from a familiar figure that was slowly falling to her knees. Hugging her tightly, Lisa tried to reassure Catherine. My heart sunk. I should go right now. This was not my place to soothe her.

Ah, blimey!

There was a war between my brain and my heart. My brain, without my consent, transmitted impulses that drove my feet to the destination, where my heart would strongly avoid passing there. The journey lasted in a fleeting moment. Lisa stood up to greet me while Catherine was still on the ground, trying to suppress her sob.

'Catherine, fancy a cuppa?'

Jeez, Aaron. You could do better, you unimaginable bastard!

Light make-up running down her face. Before she could reply, a glimmer of light suddenly replaced the haze in her eyes. Straightening her dress, she walked past me and Lisa and continued to weep out on a chest that belonged to someone that I least expected to be here.

Brian.