My Salvation

Liam

"Over my dead body" Mike said and I sat down with a sigh. This was going to be hard, Mike was bull headed and she looked like she was too.

"We should talk about this amicably" I said and was completely ignored. No surprise there.

"Really Mike? You upped and left without a single thought to your daughter, was I supposed to just leave her here?" Liliana asked, her voice rising.

"Please guys, let's sit and talk about this" I said again but it was no use.

"I was mourning my wife! Damn you Liam!" he shouted, facing me. "You couldn't just give me the time to mourn before rushing off to hand my daughter over to just anyone?".

So now it was my fault...

"I am not just anyone, I am her aunt, whether you like it or not cannot change that". Liliana said.

I rubbed my temple, already feeling a headache coming on.

"Guys, can we calm down?" Liliana's friend said all of a sudden.

"Who the hell are you and what is your business in this? Mike asked her angrily.

"I'm Tam". She replied, "Lily's frien--"

"I don't care who you are" Mike said, dismissing her.

She narrowed her eyes at him, looking like she was going to pounce any minute but then, she whispered something to Liliana and walked to the door. Opening it, she turned and eyeballed Mike before walking out of the room and closing the door hard behind her, making the three of us jump.

"Do not talk to her that way, ever again!" Liliana said, steaming with anger.

Pissing people off...It was one of Mike's special attributes.

"Why should I even be fighting with you for my own daughter? You want to take her away from me too?" Mike asked. His exhaustion was seeping through, I could hear it in his voice. "I will never let you take her Liliana. Over. My. Dead. Body!"

"Too late Mike, she has already been signed into my custody" Liliana countered.

"Oh you mean this?" I asked, standing up. I picked up the document she had signed and held it up, to get their attention.

I waited for them to look at me, then I ripped the paper into two, then into four and threw it in the trash by my table.

Feeling satisfied, I sat back down.

"Did you just--" Liliana started but I cut her off.

"Yes I did...". I replied

"...and I didn't do it for you" I told Mike.

"Now, can you both sit and let's discuss this like the adults I am sure we all are". I said, rubbed my temple again.

I had been on call all night and right now, I was supposed to be home resting, not dealing with this...

"Fine!" Mike said, taking a seat.

"I'll just stand". Liliana said, walking back and forth at the center of my office.

"Sit Liliana" I insisted.

She observed me for a few seconds before coming to sit, quietly.

I decided to start with Mike. "Mike, I understand that you are mourning. We all have been affected but it is no reason to just leave your daughter like that, without any arrangement. You probably wouldn't have come in if I hadn't called over and over again" I paused, letting it sink in before I continued.

"I don't know your history with her but clearly, it didn't apply to Vi because she requested that her child be placed in her care if something ever happened to you both and if she ended up not being available, then her child should be in my care, as her godfather".

"What?" Mike exclaimed "I can understand the part about you because you were always supposed to be the godfather but her? Why her and when did all this happen".

"A while back. Vi set it up one of the days she came in alone. According to her, she wanted to cover all the basis, still unsure why though". I said then turned to Liliana.

"Liliana, all that document I ripped gives you is temporary custody. Only Mike can sign away parenthood of his child, unless he abandons his responsibility for too long, then you can take it up with the court but don't forget that I am also in the picture and I will not let my godchild go through a custody battle". I said and for a while, they were both quiet though Liliana looked relieved.

I could tell what they were thinking because I was thinking the same. It was the question that hung in the air, yet no one had asked it.

Why did she need to make these kind of arrangements? Did she expected something to happen to her and possibly Mike too?

I glanced at Mike and saw that his condition was getting worse by the minute. He looked really exhausted with huge bags under his eyes and beads of sweats on his temple. This wasn't just exhaustion alone.

"Mike, are you okay? When last did you sleep?" I asked, rounding my table to him.

"I don't remember" Mike replied.

Liliana placed her palm on his forehead and frowned.

"Shit! Liam, something is wrong" She said

"I can see that" I replied, examining him.

"What have you had to eat today?" I asked but he didn't respond. His eyes were half closed so I hit him a few times to wake him up.

I asked him the question again and he shook his head weakly.

"Drank anything?" I asked again and this time, he nodded but before he could tell me what, he passed right out.

_______________

Liliana

I paced back and forth, waiting for Mike to come to. I really didn't want to be here, in this position. It reminded me too much of Vi and the time she...passed.

Bless Liam for that word because I just couldn't use the other word, yet, it was too much.

As much as I didn't want to be here, I had to. I couldn't turn my back on Vi's family, no matter how arrogant and annoying they were.

"Liliana, you should sit down. You have been pacing for a while now". Liam's voice filled the room, reminding me that I wasn't alone.

"Are you sure he is alright?" I asked.

I moved close to Mike and observed him, he was breathing, just like the last time I checked. Everything looked the same, I didn't even know what I was checking for.

He stood up and came to stand beside me.

"Yes he is. They got it all. They pumped his stomach and got rid of everything, okay? Now sit". He held my shoulder and drew me to the couch, pulling me down with him.

I kept looking at Mike, didn't want to take my eyes off him. My eyes were especially pinned to his chest and each rise and fall gave me relief.

I didn't know why I was this concerned when Liam had assured me that he would be alright.

Guess I was just scared.

I had seen my own fair share of deaths and had gotten used to it. People live and people die, no biggie. Just the course of life.

Yet, in the last two weeks, I had gotten a whole new perspective of death, putting me on the other side of the table.

I felt a finger come under my chin and my head was turned to Liam who was smirking at me.

"What" I asked.

"Someone looks really worried, I must be mistaken but are you worried? About Mike?" he asked and for few seconds there, I didn't know how to answer.

"That's ridiculous!" I said, standing up abruptly and resuming my pace.

"Me? Worried? Nah. He is such an annoying and arrogant bastard. Why would I be worried?". I replied and he simply laughed, we both knew I was ranting.

I sighed and went to sit back down.

"Yeah, maybe I am worried. You were there that day right? The day my sister....?" I asked, unable to complete the sentence but he understood because he nodded.

"So you heard me promise Vi that I would look out for him and her baby. I cannot let her down". I said and Liam cocked his head to the side and looked at me intently, as if studying me. Suddenly, I felt bare under his scrutiny.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked, shifting uncomfortably where I sat.

"Just wondering how you intend to keep that promise, especially for the baby. What did you have in mind exactly? Coming for the baby? What was the plan?" he asked.

I couldn't tell what was going on in his head, I tried to read his expression but he had a straight face on.

"I couldn't just abandon her or let her go into the system to some probably weird family. Why are you asking this all of a sudden?" I asked.

"So you plan to stay?" he asked, ignoring my question.

"Umm... Well I-- No-- I mean-- Why are you being like this all of a sudden?" I asked outraged. What was he going to gain by pursuing this?

"From what I gathered from Vi, you never stay. You always came whenever she needed you but then, you left right after. I only thought you made that promise to her because it was what she wanted to hear at the moment, I was kind of surprised when you actually came for your niece, and worried too". He said and I felt my heart burn with disappointment.

Just like Mike, he was already judging me before he got to know me.

"You know, you two are one and the same". I said, gesturing to him and Mike. "Birds of same feather, right? You think it was easy being away from my sister?"

I could hear my voice crack but I reined it in. No way was I letting a tear drop.

Since Vi...passed, I had experienced so many emotions than I had let myself experience in the last couple of years. It was seriously wearing me out.

I stood up again and this time, I walked around the room slowly.

"I missed a lot in the life of my sister, I couldn't even attend her wedding". I said quietly. "My heart ached whenever she sent me pictures, pictures of moments I could have shared with her. The times she would call me and just cry... or the time Mike would get carried away at work and she would call me because she was so lonely and I would talk to her till she slept off. You think it was all by choice, to stay away? Tell me Liam, what gives you the right to judge me when you don't even know me?" I asked, looking at him pointedly.

"No Lilana--"

"It's Lily" I corrected and he nodded and continued.

"Okay Lily, I am not judging you, just stating fact and fact says that you never stick around, for some reason but that doesn't mean that I do not trust you to have your niece's best interest at heart. You coming for her proved exactly what Vi said. You knew Mike was unavailable and despite your...situation, you still showed up. I'm not even sure you had a plan but you did show up at least, I'm glad you did".

"I don't know what to say. Is that why you were willing to give her to me?" I asked.

"Partly. It was only temporary and I knew that this bull headed friend of mine would come around. Also, I was hoping that she would make you stay. Who knows, she just might have been the salvation you needed" He said and gave me that smile of his that always seem to make my heart thump.

"My salvation, huh?" I asked, staring off into nothing.

"Like I said, who knows" he said.

We both stayed silent after that and I continued walking around the room, too agitated to sit in a place after the talk we just had.

Liam on the other hand turned to his phone and we both waited...

The beeping sound of the monitor was all that we could hear in the room.

Beep... Beep.... Beep.....

It beeped and beeped and then all of a sudden, we heard a moan and I turned around to see Mike stirring and Liam already at his side.

"Mike, can you hear me?" Liam asked but all Mike did was move his head from side to side. He still looked out of it.

I kept a little distance and just watched as Liam did his thing.

Liam had to ask the question again and again before Mike finally answered,

"Like a siren in my head". He answered, his speech slurred.

His eyes opened but remained half closed before finally opening fully.

"Hey brother, good to have you back" Liam said.

"Good to be back but from where though?" He asked, his eyes meeting mine. I expected him to instantly ask what I was doing there but he just nodded curtly at me, then looked back at Liam.

With Mike, it had always been just shouts and quarrels so I didn't know how to respond to that.

"What happened?"Mike asked Liam.

"Asides from the fact that you had overly exhausted yourself? Were you trying to kill yourself?" Liam said. He looked like he was scolding a little child.

"No, I have just been having a lot of trouble sleeping. When I close my eyes, I'm back there at that moment". He said, looking away from us and out the window.

"I get Mike but do not expect me to cut you some slack, you have a daughter you should be thinking of and if you were, you wouldn't have put yourself in that condition. Not eating or sleeping?". Liam scolded again.

"Then what the hell was I supposed to do?" Mike asked

"You should have called me and talked to me, as both your doctor and your friend. I'm trying not to sound like it but I am very disappointed". Liam said and I could see he was really upset and he had every right to because he had been there with them and for them, but not me.

I started to feel out of place, I didn't know where to come in in their whole brotherly conversation so I just decided to keep my mouth shut. I would have quietly left them alone but there was just one thing I needed to know.

"I doubt my lack of eating and sleeping alone, put me here. So, what else?" Mike asked.

"On the contrary, lack of sleeping and eating could very much do worse than just this but you are right, it wasn't just that. You were poisoned Mike". Liam said and Mike's eyes widened in surprised.

"Poisoned? How?"Mike asked and I could see his brain already working.

"It was put in something you drank. What exactly did you have to drink?" I answered, beating Liam to it.

"Between Europe and here? A lot. I wasn't eating so I drank everything I could". He replied, with a shrug but he couldn't fool me.

"Who do think would have poisoned you?" I asked and this time I moved closer. I looked at him, observing every little detail, trying to also listen with my eyes and not just my ears.

"I don't know, I have no idea". He replied. He was too calm, his reaction was too rational and his breathing, too controlled.

His eyes drooped like he was sleepy but I wasn't satisfied.

"Mike! Just two weeks after Vi and you get poisoned. Are you sure there is no one you can think of?" I pushed him.

His breathing quickened at the mention of Vi like he was about to have a panic attack.

"Mike, deep breaths. Take deep breaths In... Out... In... Out". Liam guided him through it and soon he was breathing normally again.

"Rest up, I'll be right back" Liam said to Mike then pulled me out with him.

"What are you doing?" He asked, "You can't be grilling him like that, at least not right now".

"Everything was too controlled, he was managing the situation too well. How long have you known him?" I asked

"Since college". He responded, confused as to why I asked.

"Then cut the crap Liam cause' we both know he is lying!" I said and walked out.

They were to close for him not to have noticed.

I dialled Tam and it rung a few times before she picked.

"Hey" I simply said, getting off the elevator.

"Hey girl" She replied. "All good?"

"Will tell you all about it. Meet me at The Williams Chain Industry in 10". I said and waited for her 'Okay' before I ended the call.

_______________________________

Author :)

Hello friends, thank you once again for reading this far. I appreciate you all and as that you vote/rate and comment please. Thank you✌