Incurable

He steadily stepped out of the hospital, no one seemed to notice him. He had his face covered with a muffler. His hands were in his pocket, his breaths were shuddering.

'This isn't how it should end?' He questioned inwardly.

'When did you become so helpless, Flynn?'

His questions were to be asked to none, no one knew his life better than he did. No one except that doctor knew how many days he had in his calendar of life. In those countable days, he felt the most helpless. He couldn't opt to treat himself. He had no money to offer, he had no collateral to give away.

As he stopped at the bus station he sighed deeply and looked up. His eyes scanned all the people passing by him.

'These people of Whitechapel, they, hate me. It won't matter even if, I die. It won't matter even if, they lose a detective which was once the finest, as they said.' He thought.

His eyes kept wandering until the bus arrived, with the bunch of people he took the bus too. His mind repeated the doctor's words as he kept standing inside the bus, waiting for his stop to come.

~~~~~

Fifteen minutes ago...

"Checkup has been done, Flynn." The doctor said with worried eyes.

Hebrew rubbed his forehead, as he was leaning on the chair with his hands resting on the arms of the chair.

"So, what has happened to me now?" He asked out looking at the doctor.

"Umm...Flynn..."

"See Mr Davies, I know something is wrong with me. I keep on fainting, I feel weak. My mind is not working properly, and I-" He took in a deep breath.

"I feel tired as hell. I can't sleep much and the coughing has increased."

He leaned forward towards the doctor's table and kept his hands on it.

"So just tell me, what has happened? Has it increased?"

The doctor closed his file, "Flynn, you have always been that one person whose life I've seen from the start of your career to the end. I don't want you to have stress about anything but this thing, it is eating you up. You shouldn't have taken it so lightly as you did when you first came to me."

"This disease. It has ended many people's lives and I'm worried it might take yours too if you don't cure it on time."

Hebrew scoffed, "Cure? And you will do it for free?"

The doctor parted lips but eventually formed a straight line as he heard Hebrew's words.

"It is fine, doctor. You have always helped me, you were the only one who examined me when I first came here. This tuberculosis might just end me. Because I do not expect much to happen in this life anymore. So, let it be as it is." He stood up and opened the door to leave.

"Are you sure?" The doctor asked stopping him.

"I cannot be unsure, doctor. There is no other choice." Hebrew replied.

"But-"

"Also...I don't have much left on my plate now." Hebrew interrupted.

"Still, think about it. You have a week."  Hebrew nodded and made his way out.

~~~~~~

He sighed once more, he had no regrets for what decision he had made. His life was going to end either way. The bus stopped and Hebrew descended. Walking for five minutes more he was now standing outside Fernby's lab.

He looked at the small building and went inside.

"Flynn! You should've informed."

Fernsby's kept his work and lab coat aside.

"Sorry, I- I forgot." He rubbed his forehead.

"It is fine, actually you came at the right time. I was about to leave after examining that last slide."

Hebrew nodded.

"So, are you alright now? That day..."

"Oh yeah! I am- I am fine. Just my head was a bit dizzy."

Fernsby nodded as he took out the small pocket diary from his overcoat hung on the corner of the room.

"This is it, I examined it, it has no other handprints than that of the victim." Hebrew nodded as he took it and slid it inside his pocket.

"Thank you for informing me about this, I will go now."

Fernsby nodded and patted his shoulder.

"Take care of yourself, Flynn. These harsh times will be gone soon."

Hebrew nodded again and went out without uttering anything further.

~~~~~

Sitting on a corner seat in the bus he kept looking outside. He felt weak, he knew he should've visited the doctor way too earlier. These five months after the diagnosis of this disease he forgot about how fatal it was. It became a part of his life, that dizziness, coughing and weakness everything. He never gave a thought about how much it has rotten him inside. And now that he saw himself in front of the mirror every day, he could just scoff at his miseries.

~~~~~~

Here Jessica stood up from the sofa as she saw no hint of Hebrew.

"What happened? You alright?" Eric asked standing along with her.

"I- I guess I should leave now."

"But just a while ago you said, you'll leave after you see Flynn."

"I know!" She raised her voice slightly.

Taking in a deep breath she spoke further,

"I mean...It's getting late so I should leave. These days the reporters have been following me quite a lot."

Eric nodded in agreement.

"Should I lead you out?" He asked.

"No...thank you for your generosity."

She said and left in a hurry.

Eric wondered about what made Jessica so flustered who just now was talking about Hebrew's situation and how bad she felt for him to Eric.

Here Jessica came out of the apartment as bumped into someone. The person held her.

"Ms Lennon...are you alright?"

Jessica looked up and found Hebrew holding her.

She jerked him and started straightening her clothes. Hebrew bent his neck, his eyes trying to read hers. She was flustered.

"Ms Lennon you-"

"Sorry, I- I gotta leave." She said in a hurry and left.

Hebrew looked at her retreating back, frowning. She looked different from how she used to.

Jessica hurriedly made her towards the main road and caught the first found cab.

As she sat down, she took in a deep breath.

"I am not supposed to get distracted, he killed my dad." She mumbled.

She looked outside the window, her mind conflicted with her heart. The cab was swift on its way towards Jessica's house. But Jessica was in dilemma, her mind said to take revenge and get back to her sister. While her heart somewhere sympathized with Hebrew. She felt somewhere that Hebrew was also framed as her dad.

"This can't be done, I- I can't-" She put her head in her hands.

"What if-" She wondered too if Hebrew was innocent since the start.

"This is frustrating..." She mumbled.