Fan Fiction |
by Mimosa
Fictional:
Eileen
Yip JiaJia
Mrs. Yip, JiaJia's grandmother
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[Hong Kong – Sunday (8th day) – Late afternoon]
[Flora]
I was so looking forward to see Jerry on line again the next day, but thing just took an unexpected turn. As we just got off the ferry back from Peng Chau, Gallen received the urgent message from Grantham. JiaJia's condition had gone critically bad.
“Gallen, take the HOPE van!” Nick suggested
Gallen didn’t waste a second. He immediately took the seat behind the wheel and switched on the vehicle’s trope light. It illuminated the whole pier with an uneasy sense of emergency. Nodding at us, he sped the huge van away.
*****
When we reached the operation room of Pediatrics Cardiac some 40 minutes later, the small waiting area was in some sort of confusing chaos. We struggled our way through the curious on-lookers to find an old lady in hysterics.
“What’s wrong with JiaJia?” She shrieked in her cracking voice, clutching the arms of a nurse “Why? They told me she would be fine!”
“Mrs Yip, please calm down!” Nick quickly stepped up to intervene “Just calm down!”
“What did you do to my grandchild?” The old woman released the frightened nurse and switched her target to Nick, shaking him violently by the arm
“Mrs. Yip,” Nick tried to pacify the distressed woman “I’m sure my fellow doctors are trying their best to help your grandchild. Now you just calm down and sit down here, okay?”
“Right, Mrs. Yip!” Annie sat down the other side of the bench “You JiaJia will be fine!”
We waited for another nerve-wrecking 15 minutes before the indicator light switched off. Mrs. Yip sprang up her feet and bounced toward the door, where the stretcher was pushing out.
With the white sheet draping all over!
“You murderer!” Mrs. Yip launched herself at Gallen, who had just emerged from the room with his head hung low and his lips tight-pressed. With both of her tight fists, she hit Gallen’s chest with such violence that one might not expect from a small, frail woman her age. The attack sent him bouncing against the hard wall.
His eyes shone with agony! Not from Mrs. Yip blows, I was sure!
“JiaJia, JiaJia, JiaJia!” The old lady wailed horrendously.
Her cry echoing down the hallway, back at us, back at Gallen!
*****
He leaned against the wall with the brave effort to stay standing. His lips pale and his hands trembled.
“Gallen,” Nick put a supportive hand around his friend’s drooped shoulder “You’ve tried your best!”
“I should have come back earlier!” Gallen whispered hoarsely “I should have tried a little harder!”
“Gallen!”
“I’m fine!” He straightened himself up and took a deep breath “You guys go home and rest, we’ve all had a long day!”
“How about you?” We asked, wearily
“I just have something to do in the office!” He said, then walked away.
We watched his retreating figure with uneasiness. He had just appeared brave and calm to face JiaJia’s death.
Like I said, he appeared so! More than anyone else, I knew how important JiaJia was to him!
“Nick” Ada asked for all of us “What should we do?”
“I think he needs a little time alone!” Nick nodded at us “I think you should do what he said, go home and rest! We could take care of the paperwork tomorrow!”
Reluctantly, we left.
*****
“Kevin!” I said once we’re already in his Accord “I think I left my folder up there in Pediatrics, you guys go ahead, I’ll get a taxi home!”
“We’ll wait for you!” Kevin offered
“But I’m tired!” Ada said, sending me a knowing glance “Could you bring me home first, Kevin?”
“Well,” Kevin hesitated “It didn’t take long for you to get the folder, I think I should wait!”
“Kevin!” Ada snapped “I told you to bring me home! Flora would get a taxi all right!”
“Okay okay!” Kevin sighed with a desperate shake of his head “So scared of you, Madam Choi! Bye Flora, see you!”
I waited for them to back away from the parking spot, before turning and rushing back into the hospital. I got out of the elevator at Critical Care, and ran as quick as I can toward the other end of the hall to find the lift up to Pediatrics, where Gallen’s office was at.
Impatiently, I pounded on the elevator button…
“Take it easy, Flora!” A familiar voice said right next to me
I spun around to find him there, jacket carelessly on his arm, tie loosened and crooked around his neck.
“Gallen!” I cried “I thought you said you went back to your office!”
“I don’t feel like working!” He admitted “Where are you going? I thought you went home!”
“Well, I .. I…” I stammered “I left a folder in your office!”
“Is it important?” He asked
“Er.. not really!”
“Then get it tomorrow!” He said, and pressed the down button “Come, I’ll send you home!”
“Gallen!”
“Yes?”
“You know, JiaJia… It’s not your fault!”
He let me in the elevator first, and followed me, saying nothing
“Gallen!”
“Flora, are you free?” He answered me with a question, gazing blankly at the metallic wall of the lift
“Yes, why?”
“Would you care to accompany me, just for a little while?”
“Of course!”
I would, gladly. Leaving him right now was the least I wanted to do.
*****
We got into his car, and drove in silence. He got out of the downtown area, and sped on a narrow, winding road. We seemed to go up a mountain, for my ears began ringing. I tapped my hands over them and grinned slightly.
“You remind me so much of my girl friend!” He broke the silence with that unexpected statement “She used to tap her ears just like that!”
“Eileen?” I couldn’t stop myself.
He eyed me in astonishment: “How do you know her name?”
“Oh, I just guess!” I lied, I couldn’t really tell him that “Jerry” had told me so. “Where are we going?”
“Pay Eileen a visit…” he turned to me “You don’t mind, do you?”
“Of course not!” I shook my head.
*****
Nightfall was completed when we reached a plateau midway to the top of the mountain. Gallen slowed down and turned into a gate of what looked like a private cemetery.
I shuddered. And Gallen turned to me apologetic:
“I’m sorry, Flora, I shouldn’t ask you to come here like this!” His voice was low and thick, “I should have told you that Eileen has passed away!”
“It… it’s okay” I assured him. I’d expected this! I knew about Eileen! But it was indeed a little eerie to be at a cemetery after dark.
“Here!” He must have detected the trembling of my hand, and wrapped his jacket around my shoulder “The wind is a bit strong!”
We carefully found our ways among the old, formidable-looking tombstones. Despite my will, I shuddered again. In the dark, those tombstones looked just like ugly and dangerous monsters, which were ready to shake back to life any moment.
I scowled my silly imagination! Come on Flora, they’re just stones! Plus you weren’t alone!
“Meaow!”
I jumped and fell backward, shrieking at the top of my lung… Next thing I knew, I was clutching tightly at his shirt, my face buried in his broad chest.
“Just a wild cat, Flora!” I felt his warm hand touched my back ever so gingerly, with a little reluctance.
I broke free, blushing. For once, I thanked the darkness. I didn’t wish for him to see my face at the moment…
…But the shortness of my breathing wasn’t that easy to hide.
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