Katherine treating Jack and bond with Richard.

Vali – Val

At Smith publishers, the day was fresh, when Mary shouted on the second floor "Midget print now" and dashed to the third floor.

Silence then fell on all; Katherine understood that Mr. Smith was around.

Within a split of a minute, a man of little stature with piercing eyes and commanding carriage walked into the typing room, accompanied by top executives at the firm. He wore a tuxedo suit of class with the fitting quintessential of 12 years old.

"Everyone gather round!" The voice was distinct with authority and flawless magister.

Quickly shuffled feet filed on a long row in front of him and his three human shades.

"Good morning Smith's!" with quick grin and stoic flash.

"Good morning, Sir!" echoed by all.

He stared at each person deep into their eyes like he saw their souls and stifles each into remorseful damnation.

"Look our business is bad, because of our manuscript, you! (pointing at Katherine), can you tell me why?" as he brightened his eyes on Katherine.

"No, No – Sir!" she forced words out of her bowels.

Now she knew, she would be a sacrificial lamb at the end of the meeting because Mr. Smith always picked at the goofing fellow.

"Ok!" He said, now focused on the long file of Smith's.

"Look I would be giving one of you a letter of relaxation for 6 months, you would know who, when I am gone. Remember to fill in for him or her (paused).

"Now back to work!" he yelled as he clapped his hands. Everyone scampered for their cubicle, while he zoomed off to the last floor.

As Katherine returned to her office, she had a hunch that her desk was odd. Then she noticed an envelope. As she sat on her chair, she tore the envelope open and read through the letter enclosed in it. At each point in the letter, she assessed herself. Lastly, she folds the letter and relaxed for a while.

She gathered her things, went to John's cubicle, knocked.

"Oh! Katherine, what's up?" with a cheerful tone.

"John, I am the one – 6 months leave," as John was about to console her.

"I know – I know, (in a frustrating fit), I deserve it, I look like shit. I'm gonna fit my life together. Just tell the others, that I goofed;" as she waved him and left.

Alvin in the next cubicle took off his headset, and waved Katherine bye. He was deeply pained.

******************************

Katherine was lying on the sofa listening to the stereo, with a bar of candy strapped between her lips when the door bell rang.

"Who's there?" she inquired while muttering, "No one is in" in a low toned frustrating manner.

"Dorothy! Your hoodie" a reply recoiled.

"Come in!" with Katherine rolling her eyes.

"Hi! Katherine," in an ecstatic voice, as she closes the door behind her and faced Katherine she stopped.

"Woo! I never thought children's day came so early," as she navigated her feet for safe landing close to the opposite sofa.

"Hello, Mrs. Dorothy, How are you?" with a low spirited vigour.

"Only so-so! Kate wanna share with me, why you are this down?" she asked rather abruptly. Silence rocked for some time and then Dorothy spoke up.

"You know, you could need a hand to get it over with?" as she smiled assuring Katherine.

"Ok! (Pause) Mrs. Dorothy, I am so down, like my lungs is ripped apart," as she forced a sitting stance. She then narrated her plight to Dorothy.

"So, sorry Kate, but I hate losers, you know, I was once a junkie, Oh! Let me spare you all that, but I took my life back, you being obese doesn't mean you deserve less, no matter how much you put yourself down, your being still seeks the best, needless to say, the reason for the quest for Jason. But you deserve better, first you have to let go, you lie to yourself that you ain't any good, but look deep, your blue eyes says it all – Sunrise is me!" as she laughed, while Katherine forced a smile.

"You know people will push you, until you reach the end of your seat, then they will look into your eyes while planning for the last thrust on you, it's on this point you either fall off or you fight back, but I hate losers," this time both her and Katherine laughed.

"So, I want you to look deep and fight back," glancing at Katherine for some time.

"Have you found Christ?" she asked in a frenzied mood.

"Yes! Mrs. Dorothy! But why ask?" in a subtle manner.

"This is the point you need all the strength from Him, He loved me a junkie turned lover, sure He would love a handful like you!" as Katherine burst into laughter.

"It's simple just get down on your knees and let Him in, He fixes without pay check you know," as she winked at Katherine.

"So my beautiful princess Fiona, it's time to get back up and be your best self, love awaits you, like you already know true beauty is from the heart, to it, there is no other path," she walked towards Katherine and patted her back with Katherine gazing into thin air.

At that moment Katherine got up and hugged her passionately with both ladies in a high spirited mood.

Katherine then walked Dorothy to the door, as she was about closing the door she gave a last chide.

"You know I hate losers? So I am counting on you," so she left.

Katherine stood facing the door for some time, then she walked back to her sofa, she quickly knelt down, contemplated on her next action for sometime but no longer cared again, did the sign of the cross, and immediately burst into hot tears in her sobs, she prayed.

*******************************

At Hallmark hospital, exactly 10am the door swung open, Richard stepped in and saw Nurse Jane and Abigail, taking prescription from the pharmacist counter.

"Hi! Nurse Jane, good morning!" he said forcing a cheerful mood.

"Good morning, Dr. Richard, how are you?" she asked while staring oddly at him.

"Did the GM ask after me?" he asked in a rather uncollected manner.

"No! But he is in," she said in a low tone.

Nurse Abigail quickly rushed to Richard's side, greeted him and started pulling down his collar with her chest doing more than necessary, while Nurse Jane stared in disgust. Richard quickly thanked her and took over the duty; as he greeted both ladies and headed straight to his office.

"You were hitting at Dr. Richard, and that's unladylike!" Jane said as they both carried trays to the ward.

"Oh! Come off it, I have a hunch that Rose has ditched Dr. Richard and you know he is my crush," Abigail said as she winked menacingly at Jane.

"Yeah! He looked rather unkempt and always late these days. It's unlike him," she said as she tries to fix the puzzle in her head.

"Well, this is a golden opportunity to me, to win him over, and am not going to let him slip by," he is so handsome!" she said as she fantasizes aloud.

"Hush! Abigail, you are so unbelievable, just be careful in your quest for him, lest he despises you and end your intern here," as she walks to the opposite ward to that which Abigail entered.

*******************************

Richard was sitting in his office, when he heard a knock on the door.

"Come in, please!" He quickly sat up.

"Dr. Richard, the G.M.D wants to see you," she bent with her hands on the desk and her clothes exposing her cleavage freely from a three freed button lock stance.

Richard who was caught off-guard couldn't help but stared.

"Oh! Abigail, Ok!" As he got hold of his voice and quickly made a frantic thrust at his stethoscope at his far left.

Abigail knowingly smiled as she walked towards the door with an aggressive fling of her buttocks.

As the door slammed behind her, Richard slumped on his chair with his chin in his hands as he was bamboozled by the dilemma.

************************************************

Katherine was making her meal, while listening to an uplifting tape from her stereo. When suddenly Jack howl in pain, she quickly ran out from the kitchen to the sitting room, where she found Jack lying sideways with slow me movement of its hind legs. As she was about to reach for Jack, Jack vomited a morsel and then closed it eyes.

So Katherine ran to her bedroom to get the keys, while frantically consoling herself with "Jack is going to be fine" repeatedly. At split second she returned to the sitting room swept Jack off the floor not minding the gross regurgitation she scooped and ran to the door as she headed for the hospital.

*********************************

Richard and Dr. Andy were sitting at Andy's office.

"Come on, Richard! It's not that bad;" Andy spoke softly.

"Of course, you know it's that bad," Richard said shyly while tracing the edge of the desk with his fingers.

"Every animal I touch ever since dies and the worse is that I get to see them die." closing his eyes disgustingly in reminiscence.

"But it happened to me also, you know I had such fit too when I lost my mum, But with time it passed and everything has returned to normal," he said assuring Richard.

"But you never had the G.M.D on your neck in those trying period?" he said sarcastically.

"What? You mean he took statistics?" Andy burst out laughing.

"Not only statistics, but the manner in which the deceased pet passed on, and he gave his usual oratory of 'In my time, dogs love vet and we never … " both himself and Andy chorused "let them down" phrase.

And they both burst out laughing. At that instant, Dr. Richard's phone rang.

"Hello, you are on to Dr. Richard."

"Oh Bridget, I have a patient? What's the name of the patient? Jack! Ok, I am on my way."

He quickly exchanged handshake with Andy and headed for his office.

******************************************

As Richard reached the receptionist desk, he saw Bridget and asked for Jack's file and he was told that they were waiting for him in his office.

"Hi! Katherine." with a smile.

Katherine was so engrossed in thought that she needed a touch to bring her back to reality.

"Oh! Dr. Richard, it's nice to see you! Jack has been eating and vomiting lately and he can barely move now." She said as she tries to hold her tears back.

"Ok, can I see him?" as Richard was about to bend over the dog to check it's heartbeat with his stethoscope, Katherine was about to stand up and both face collided with nose to nose pairing and lips to lips touch, quickly Richard jerked backwards and Katherine stood still as she lost hold of Jack and at that moment, Richard quickly thrust himself to save Jack from smacking on the floor, which he did with his belly on his desk.

"Oh! I am so sorry Dr. Richard for this," she said. Then Richard placed Jack on the table and checked for Jack's heartbeat and then told Katherine to help him hold Jack still.

Unwittingly both her eyes and Richard's met and they stared at each other for some time. With Richard reminding her – "The hands!" then she remembered.

********************************

After series of tests and lab results with Katherine waiting at the reception room, Richard phoned Bridget to send for Katherine.

As Katherine came in, she was sober.

"Sit down -" Richard pointing to the opposite seat.

" Well Jack's condition is kind of complicated," he said as he paused.

"Ok! Is there any chance to have him back again?" she asked as she looked expectantly.

"Of course! If we thread with care, Jack has been diagnosed with swollen in his brain, and this had resulted to his kidney failing due to overwork; but both can be overcome but only at a steady pace." At that instant Katherine burst into tears.

Richard knew Katherine has understood the situation and the chances of Jack surviving.

Then Richard moved to Katherine and patted her on the back. At that moment, Katherine started recounting her life experience, with Jack coming into it as a companion. Richard was touched – to know that she was an orphan.

After consoling her, Richard made Katherine to understand that Jack would spend sometime in the hospital for operation and possible search for kidney replacement. While in Jack's stead, he would check up on Katherine for her medication and well being.

As he walked Katherine to her car; she stopped.

"You know – this is the first time I am going home without Jack?" with pain in her heart; both were silent.

Richard hugged her, opened the car door for her and she sat to drive home.

"Hey! You know Kate, how about Friday night, you wanna go out, if you don't mind," he asked with uncertainty.

"Ok! Friday night." she brightened up and they both waved hands as she drove off.