The Royal Contract

Nurse Jane could only give her friend an IV fluid to rehydrate her. Other than that, they could do nothing but wait till the alcohol in her system subsided before she would wake up.

“Thanks, Jane.” He heard her tell their friendly nurse before she walked out and nodded at him, leaving them in silence.

Amelia pulled the white blanket, tucking her friend snuggly before moving away from her. Then, he watched her walk toward him.

“I guess my work here is over.” Evan finally uttered when she stopped in front of him. “Goodnight, Amelia.” He stood straight, nodding at her, ready to leave. Then, he felt her fingers grip him by his arms, stopping him from taking another step out of the door.

“Wait.” She quickly said. Then, slowly she pulled her hands back to her side, waiting for him to turn around. “Thanks for helping me with my friend.” She added. “And...” She slightly paused.

“Don’t worry about it.” He quickly answered, knowing that this must be awkward for her as it was for him. “I am sorry too for my disgusting behavior since we met.”

.....

He believed they never truly started on the right foot. So, it was hard for them to continue with all those misconceptions hanging on their heads.

He believed his grandmother was right about her. She was not the usual girl he associated himself with, and he did not handle their situation correctly.

“Since you are saying sorry. I think I also need to apologize for quickly judging you despite not knowing much about you.” Amelia looked down at her entwined fingers before her.

“Don’t. Your presumptions about me are spot on.” He was indeed a womanizer, so he was not hiding that fact. “I like my woman just like the way I like my clothes.”

He could see that she was slightly surprised by his admittance, but he did not see the point of lying to her. It would only lead to more complications that he did not need today.

“Still, I should never have judged you for your lifestyle.” She finally responded, moving her head until her eyes gazed at his face.

“I might as well say the same thing.” He smiled at her, glad somehow they had cleared the air between them. “Do you want to have some coffee?” He offered. “I know a place, just on the lower floors.” He pointed outside the door.

“I don’t think I should leave my friend alone.” She reluctantly answered, turning around to check on her.

“You know what, I am going to check on my friend too, then get myself a coffee because I know I am not sleeping tonight,” Evan said indifferently, not that he wished to force her to join him.

That was up to her.

“You can come with me or not. But I am sure your friend will not be waking up anytime soon.” He commented, waiting for her final response before he took his leave, seeing the indecision in her eyes.

“Ok. I will also have some coffee. But I also need to check on a friend if you don’t mind.” She stated as if that was her condition.

He did not mind if she needed a stopover somewhere. So, he moved aside and let her leave the room first. Then, she stopped at the station, calling the woman’s attention at the desk.

“Would you know where I can find a patient? His name is Lance Wellington.” She asked the woman, who looked at her questioningly.

“Are you a family member?” The woman asked, not giving them information that easily.

“Yes, I am.” She finally answered. “I am his best friend.” She told the woman confidently.

“I am sorry, but we can only give information to family members.” The woman shut her down.

“But.” Amelia was about to plead her case, but he decided to pull her instead. He did not want her to make an unnecessary scene.

He knew she would be wasting her time, but that woman would never spill a single bit of information. He dragged her towards the hallway, where there were no people around.

“Wait, I need to know where he is and his condition.” She pulled her hand away from him, but he did not let her go. “What is wrong with you?” She asked, struggling in his grip.

“Why are you looking for that man?” He finally asked, trying to calm her down. “Are you truly his best friend?”

If she was, then she should be contacting his family. She should be standing in the waiting room with them. Suddenly, he wondered who could be this woman standing beside him.

Come to think of it, the only thing he knew about her was her name. He did not even learn her last name from all their interactions.

“Of course, I am.” She responded irritatedly at him. “It is a long story.” She finally slumped down on the wall behind her, suddenly feeling deflated.

She unexpectedly looked like she had run out of air, exhausted, but that was not the worst part. She started crying. Not just tears, but she was sobbing uncontrollably.

He had no idea what to do with her. He had never been in a situation like this before. As he stared at her, he gradually pulled her towards him, allowing her to rest her head on his chest.

Then, instinctively, his right hand wrapped around her shoulders, then the other gently patted her hair. He doubted if he was doing it right, but that was what his grandmother did to him when he was a child.

“I need to know that he is ok.” She finally mumbled between her sobs when he felt she was slowly calming down.

He kept her in his embrace, letting her know he was there for her. But his mind was debating whether he should believe her or not. But his intuition was telling him that she was telling him the truth.