Second Chances

Chapter 12

As I got to his room, I realized he wasn’t attached to any machine, which means he’s probably doing fine on his own. I made my way to his side very carefully because I don’t know what is going to set him off, might be the way I walk, the way I breathe or the way I’m too quiet.

I got to his bed side, and stood there awkwardly, until…..

“Sit” he said “How have you been?” he asked me.

“I’m fine sir” I replied looking at the floor “How are you doing, are you in any pain sir?”

“No,  I'm not in any pain” That’s all he said. "You don’t need to call me sir”

There was a pregnant silence in the room, if this goes on for long it was going to get more awkward than it already is.

He broke the silence with the least thing I expected.

“I’m sorry” he cried.

“Excuse me?” I said surprised, and when I looked at him, I saw tears in his eyes, seeing that shocked me because I have never seen him weak not to talk of crying.

“I’m so sorry” he repeated.

“What exactly are you sorry for?” I asked him cocking my head to the side.

“Everything” he said quietly. “Everything I have ever done to you”

“Why now?”  I asked.

“I don’t know” he shrugged as best as he could in his state “I didn’t hate you, you know” he said looking straight at me for the first time.

“Why did you act that way towards me then?” I asked getting angry.

“I loved your mother very much” he sighed “She was my light during my darkest hour, my star” he had this gleam in his eyes while talking about my mum assured me he loved her. “When she died, I was lost, I was supposed to love you because you have a piece of her in you but instead I hurt you. I held you responsible for killing my wife”

“I was just a child” I said “I wasn’t my fault”

“I know that now” he said “To make matters worse, you look so much like her it hurts just to look at you, even now it’s difficult looking at you and not thinking of her”

I gestured for him to continue.

“When you were born, and the doctors told me it was a girl, I was the happiest man in the world but then doctors told me my wife had passed, my world shattered, she didn’t even get to say goodbye, they brought you to me and I didn’t want to see you nor hold you, I didn’t care about you, I just wanted my wife back not someone I didn’t know or the one responsible for her death. I asked a nurse to come home with me so that she can take care of you because I could barely look at you” he continued

At that moment Nick walked in, his happy self.

“Good morning” he said cheerfully “How are you doing this morning Robert?” he asked

“So, you’re Robert now” I said angrily

“Calm down dear” Robert said.

I was shocked speechless at the endearment, and I felt my eyes widen because he had never, never called me that before.

“Sorry to interrupt but I need to check on him” he nodded to Robert.

“It’s fine” I sighed “Just pretend like I’m not here”

I waited for him to finish his examination on my father, and when he was about to leave, I made the introductions because I know he is dying to know what I going on and why I am in his patient’s room, he’s curious like that.

“Ivashkov, this is Robert Killian” I said.

“Don’t you think I know that?” he asked with his brow raised.

“Well, if you hadn’t interrupt me, maybe you’ll know why I’m making introductions”

“Then you shouldn’t have paused” he said “You should have started with something other than his name which by the way, I already knew”

I growled and was about to stand up to strangle him when I heard a chuckle from the bed.

“What’s funny” we looked at him and asked at the same time

“Stop that” we said at the same time facing each other

“No, seriously, stop copying me” we said again together.

We were about to say something, probably the same thing again when we heard a booming laughter. I was shocked, yet again. That’s thrice now and I’m not that easily shocked.

“Oh my, you guys are so sweet.” He said still laughing.

“We are not sweet” I grumbled “He’s just annoying” I said out loud.

“But you love me” he said smiling

I just rolled my eyes.

“Are you two together?” he asked looking at the both of us.

“No”

“Yes” we said at the same time yet again.

I raised my brows at him, “I didn’t know we’re together”

“Of course we are” he said.

“He meant together, together” I raised my hands to make quotations on the second together. “How many times do I have to explain the same thing to you”

‘Well, sorry if my mind is not in the gutter” he said realizing what it meant, facing my dad he said “No sir, not together like that. We are just friends”

“An annoying friend who’s oblivious to everything” I said under my breath “Anyway, what I wanted to say before this-whatever this is-happened, this is my father” I said out loud.

To say he was shocked was an understatement, I was sure he did not expect that.

“You mean, your dad, the one that gave birth to you?” he asked.

“Is there another definition for father that I don’t know?”

His amazing green eyes brightens up like he just figured something out “You’re the one that donated the blood”

I stiffened, I did not want him to know that and Nick just blurted it out like that.

“What blood?” My dad asked looking at me surprised.

“The hospital was out of O-, so I asked my assistant to draw a bit of my blood for you, anonymously” I said glaring at Nick. “Besides i only did it to make Drew and Carol happy and I didn’t want your death on my conscience knowing I could’ve done something to help” I shrugged.

He smiled sadly and that made me regret what I said, a little bit.

“I’m really sorry and I would like to make it up to you”

“That is a step by step process” I said “You can start by finishing your story.  I want to know more about my mum” I said.

He looked pointedly at Nick asking me a question with his eyes.

“It’s okay, he can stay. He’s been dying to know something about me, we might as well give him a front row seat” I said “Ivashkov, grab a seat” I said to Nick.

“I’m not dying to know anything, just curious about you. Are you sure?” he asked me, hesitant to stay. I understand why he is hesitant, well we did fight about it recently “I mean I don’t……….”

“Sit” I said interrupting him.

He sat and said in my ear “You still haven’t told me why you call me Ivashkov”

I sighed, and shook my head. Nick, his mind is like that of a child. It’s a wonder he graduated Medical school at all.