Genius in Distress

Chapter III: General Sebastian

Chapter III

Doctor Sandra helped Atlantis get out of bed the next morning. She had a hard time standing on her own as she still felt weaker due to muscle wastage. The kind Doctor had to help her to shower. Thinking about her mom, Atlantis heard herself crying again, though she was hardly aware of it.

Back in her bed Doc. Sandra assisted her with her clothing. Atlantis could do it herself, but she was persistent.  After dressing up, she sat on her bed in lotus position. She was just too tired to move. Just then the door barged open and in walked her dad and a man in uniform. Both had serious faces especially the latter. He looked like Hitler incarnated.

Atlantis slowly stood up and greeted her dad with a peck on the cheek and just looked blankly at the person he was with. Not too long, her dad introduced “Sir Hitler” to her.

“Angel, this is General Henry Sebastian, my trusted friend. He’s the older brother of Doctor Sandra”

When she heard the word ‘trust’ coming from the mouth of his dad, she let her guard down. If her father trusted this person so much then she’d do the same because she believed in his father’s judgment. It never failed.

 “It is nice meeting you, General Sebastian, Sir,” she said.

The General only gave her a nod. His face was unreadable. If she could portray a blank expression, this person in front of her seemed natural. Her father looked intimidating but this General Sebastian was scary. So effortlessly scary!

Atlantis sat back at her bed while the two carried on standing. She still couldn’t stand longer than five minutes. “Dad, I wasn’t able to ask you yesterday about what happened, what ‘really’ happened. Please tell me everything. I wanna know.  Doctor Sandra told me I was in coma for almost a month, who was the culprit behind the ambushed? Are they in jail already?” She meant those unknown men who fired at them.

Senator Altamirano shook his head, “Honestly, we still don’t have a lead yet. But we are doing the best we can to capture who’s behind this.”

Atlantis couldn’t believe it. Those bastards were still free and ready to strike anytime. She survived the ambush, what about the next? She turned to the General. “Why aren’t you doing something? Why those bastards are still free? They should be rotting in jail for what they have done to us,” she said in rage.

“Atlantis.....”

The General spoke for the first time, “It’s okay, Mr. Senator.”  General Sebastian looked down at her, face so formal, that she flinched. “As of now, we don’t have a lead yet but the PNP had formed a task force to investigate the case. Russian Police are also helping with the investigation since the crime involved prominent members of Russian society. This is not a simple case as you can see. Your father holds a high position in the government, a senator at that. You know how dirty Philippine politics is.  You don’t know who’s on your good side and in your bad side.”

“Wala ba kayong hinala or suspect sa likod nito?” She turned to her dad to get answers, “Dad, may suspek ka ba sa nag ambush sa amin? Tell me, I deserve to know.”

Iling ang natanggap niyang sagot sa daddy niya. Hindi niya alam kung totoong wala itong alam o hinala o ayaw nitong ipaalam sa kanya ang lahat nang detalye nang totoong dahilan nang pag atake sa kanila.

“As your dad said earlier, we don’t have a lead yet. We’re seeing different angles. It could’ve been from your mom’s or from you,” General Sebastian said.

 “No way! I do not have enemies my whole life,” she said defensively. “And if I have, they won’t do such evil thing to get even.” Same thing for her mom, she was the sweetest and kindest person she knew. No one would dare lay a hand on her.