"I can see that you are really having fun," a female voice sounded.
Austin Dre smiled upon hearing the voice.
"Oh daughter-in-law, you are here," Mr Claude greeted her as soon as he had seen her.
"Grandfather, I just heard that this guy was back, so I came to check him out," she said as she slapped Austin's shoulder playfully.
"Yeah he just came,"
"How have you been, Cathy?" Austin Dre asked, smiling broadly.
"Better until I see you" she joked.
"Really now, then why do you like a small kid who just went to the amusement park for the first time?" he teased.
"OK you two, I want some peace of mind here" the old man complained.
"Okay grandpa," Cathy said.
"By the way, meet my friend Lee," Austin Dre introduced.
"Nice to meet you, Mister Lee," Cathy said, shaking Lee's hand.
"When did he say he'd come back?" Austin probed.
"Well, soon he said there wasn't so much to deal with in the first place", Cathy answered.
"OK, then we'll wait, by the way, how are the preparations coming along?" he asked.
"Well, everything is OK, it seems we still hold onto the month's limit", she answered.
"That's great, I just can't wait to see you two finally together," he says, a twitch of sadness evident in his tone, but she didn't notice.
"OK Austin, I brought you drinks, grandfather, the sun must be hot now," she said and started handing over the glasses.
Austin looked into the sky, his mood darkened and slowly his face was contorted.
"Damn this life, everyone seems very happy, but what about me? "I just can't be the same anymore. I have been clouded in mystery enough now. I don't care about the consequences, but from now on I live for myself, my own happiness, me and me alone" he thought as he gritted his teeth and hardened his fists.
Unfortunately, he was still holding the glass. With his resolve faltering, he clasped harder and harder until, "crack!" The glass broke into pieces, the steering point tore through his nerves like a needle. He cringed and slowly came to.
His palm was bleeding.
"Boss!" Lee called out and moved fast. He took a towel from the table and covered the hand.
Looking at him he whispered, "What's the matter, boss?"
Austin, wincing, blurted out in a soft pained whisper. "We should go", Lee nodded.
"Are you OK? What happened?" Cathy rushed over as soon as she saw the blood splattered on the ground.
"Am OK, let Lee help me pull out the pieces stuck in my hand?" he ordered.
Lee nodded and slowly began extracting the glass shards with surgical precision.
From time to time, Austin Dre would flinch in pain but courageously uttered no sound.
Mister Claude watched him with interest; something was really not right.
He watched and nodded in admiration of his resolve.
His facial expression remained unperturbed throughout the entire process.
Lee then wiped off the blood and took another glass of wine. He looked up at him; Austin nodded. Lee then slowly poured the liquid on the injured hand.
Thereafter, he tore a piece of cloth and bandaged the hand.
Standing up, Austin Dre said.
"Cathy, Mister Claude, I am sorry for that" he pointed at the glass shards scattered on the ground.
"I think I need to see a doctor, or else I'll get an infection. Sorry I have to leave. Give my regards to Seth when he comes back. Goodbye", Austin Dre said and turned to leave.
"OK Austin, take care", the old man, Claude, said.
"Goodbye Austin, I will make sure to tell him you came by", Cathy added.
Austin Dre waved and dragged his sore body out of the residence.
Lee followed behind.
As their figures faded away, the two looked at each other questioningly.
"What's going on?" the old man asked.
"What do you mean, grandfather?" Cathy asked.
"That was unlike him, what really happened to that kid?" his face registered worry and curiosity simultaneously.
"I don't know grandfather, but Austin is definitely very strange today. It's like he has completely changed his personality at the same time," she pointed out.
The old man nodded as he appeared deep in thought.
"Furthermore, that Lee Guy doesn't appear to be a normal friend, he is somewhat acting like his protector or something… like a… bodyguard" she said.
Mister Claude looked over and said as his face lit up.
"You noticed too?" he asked.
Cathy only nodded.
"Well, that's strange" they two thoughts.
"Sir, your wounds need to be examined by a doctor or else the lady…" Lee said to Austin as soon as they had gone out of the gate.
"I know Lee, I truly understand, let's go," he said.
Lee looked at him. He wanted to say something but after much deliberation, he didn't.
"ok" he said.
"Stay there, I will go inside and finish my examination," thirty minutes later the two were standing outside a room the dressing room, inside Riverton Hospital.
Lee wanted to come with him. The lady had instructed him to always stay by him at all times. However, this time he thought about their relationship and the way they had slowly built it on mutual trust and understanding. He nodded and watched him disappear inside.
"Doctor Moreau, how have you been", Austin Dre greeted him as soon as he had walked inside.
"Well, I am good, but I can't say that about you" he said, glancing at his hand.
"What happened?" he asked.
"I just cut myself with a glass," Austin said.
The doctor frowned and, with a contemptuous look, asked,
"And how exactly did that happen?"
"Well… I… I just felt too much anger and crashed the glass in my hands by mistake. I wasn't even aware I was holding one," he explained.
The doctor chuckled. And then his face turned from amusement to cold exasperation.
He asked, "Mister Austin Dre, do you know how much value your life holds in the state and the whole of the continent?"
Austin Dre looked at him speechless.
"Do you know the risk I am taking by not revealing this to your family? If they found that I was doing something like this, I don't think even with you backing me up, I would not be able to live peacefully even if I had the chance to live at all."
He took a deep breath and continued.
"Colluding with you is like having a death warrant. It's like invoking death at my doorstep for myself and even my family. I agreed to help you live normally, but we have to work together, we have to be in the same chapter here. If not, I will be forced to confess to your mother", he stopped and gazed painfully at him.
"Doctor Moreau, why are you saying all this?" Austin asked.
"You go along hurting yourself, recklessly. Didn't I ask you to protect yourself from any harm and most of all your skin?" he yelled, clearly flustered.
"Am sorry doctor I didn't…" he started, but guilt overwhelmed him that he couldn't get himself to make any more excuses.
The doctor just sighed and said, "It's OK, Austin, you just need to know your limits. A little tear on your skin might have lowered your lifespan. Breaking your skin and losing blood, you are loosing cells. Like I said before, your cell replication and growth is slow. If you loose too much of that, you are bringing yourself closer to your death, soon if there is nothing that can be done, your cells will completely stop regeneration if that happened…" He trailed off, clearly avoiding the last words.
"Ok doctor Moreau, I understand I will surely take care of myself well in the future," he said eagerly.
Doctor Moreau nodded and said, "OK then lemme examine your hand, your friend out there might be getting nervous."
Austin Dre nodded and sat in the patient's bed.
Austin slowly pushed open the door.
He then walked outside and, noticing Lee still standing in the same place, frowned and asked, "Hey man, didn't you even rest by the benches?"
Lee shook his head and asked, "Are you OK now, boss?
Do you need any kind of medication?"
Austin Dre smiled and, patting his shoulder, said.
"It's OK Lee, let's go, we will get them at the infirmary, it's downstairs."
Lee nodded and took a final glance at the dressing room door and turned and followed him.