DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT

      When Faith woke up the next morning, 'perfect' was still playing on her phone. She tapped the phone and stopped the song from playing and she sat up in bed and stretched herself and smiled to herself as she recalled last night with Noah. He had revived her feelings for him, although there were some loopholes like talking about Kimberly, a woman she didn't even know from anywhere. He had said they should take it gradually again. 

       She hopped down from the bed and hummed the song along. She went over to the window and drew her curtains and opened the shutters, it was a bright day. 

       "Today is bright and fair," she muttered looking out of the window. 

       She didn't have a client until 3:00, so she thought of what to do until then. She would just go to the hospital and spend the whole day with Charlotte, then she would go and meet Charlie. She went to her schedule just to confirm. Her eyes flared open when she saw that she had a doctor's appointment at ten. She sat back in bed and whined. 

       "What will I do? I hope my ulcer is not still as bad." 

   She started going into the bathroom to take a shower and get ready for her doctor's appointment. Her phone beeped and she went to check it out. It was a message from Noah, there was another message on the notification bar, she pulled it down and saw doctor Ingrid's message reminding her to come over for a check up since she missed the last two appointments. 

      She scowled at the phone. "I'm just washing up to go." She tapped on Noah's message, it was a good morning message which read. 'Good morning sunshine, I hope you slept well and woke up smiling?' 

       She clutched the phone to her chest and smiled. "How can I not sleep well when you are coming back to my life?" She removed the phone from her chest and looked at it. "Should I text him back?" She shook her head. Let him miss her a little. 

      She dropped her phone on the nightstand and hopped to the bathroom, still humming her favourite song. A few minutes later, she was done having her bath she dried her hair and started dressing up. She wondered if Ethan was going to the hospital early so that he could drop her off. She wore a crop-top and a stripe palazzo, she grabbed a cream coat and wore black shoes and left her room. 

        Ethan was coming out of his room when she came out. She smiled at him. 

        "Good morning, Mr Floyd," she called cheerfully. 

        "Good morning, Miss Prescott," Ethan greeted without interest. 

      She frowned. She knew him, he would have teased her, he would have called her Faith instead of Miss Prescott, he no longer uses Miss Prescott to address her, why did he use it this morning? Something was wrong somewhere. Is Charlotte alright? 

       She watched him as he moved to his part of the living room, trying to button his shirt. She moved towards the door, deciding to give him the space he needed but she halted by the door and turned to confront him. If she was in this mood, he would try to cheer her up. 

        "Are you alright? Is Charlotte alright?" 

    He looked at her as if he was surprised that she was still there. "Yeah, I'm fine, Charlotte is fine too." 

       "You seem...you seem a little moody today." 

       "Some days are like that, Miss Prescott." 

       "Sure," she said and started leaving but halted again. "I was wondering if you could..." 

        A knock came at the door, interrupting her. Ethan glanced at the door and she glanced at the door. 

         "I will get it." She opened the door and came face to face with a lanky, slender guy with a bobbing Adam's apple, who held a briefcase in his right hand. She stared at him and he stared back at her. He seems to be quivering. "Who are you? Can I help you?" 

        "I am looking for the boss," the lanky guy said. 

    He was not only lanky but he was helplessly shy. She could imagine what he was thinking in his head. Maybe the ground should open so he could fall in. But the ground has never opened for anyone who had made that wish before. 

        "Who is the boss?" she asked. 

        "Who knocks on people's doors so early in the morning?" Ethan said and came to the door. He saw his assistant and his eyes widened. 

     Tyler looked at him and looked at Faith, Faith looked from Tyler to Ethan, who stared at Faith. 

       "Do you know him?" Faith asked. 

     Ethan knew what Tyler had assumed. He quickly grabbed Faith's hand and pushed her out of the room. "See you then. You are going to work right? Bye." 

     Faith was confused. "Hey!" she yelled at Ethan, but he had dragged Tyler into the room and had closed the door. "What is wrong with you? This is my house too and I leave when I want to!" 

     Ethan dragged Tyler inside the living room. "What in God's name are you doing here?" 

       "I came on behalf of your mother." 

       "Jesus Christ! Did she talk you into this?" 

      "No. She is gradually falling into depression." 

       "Why?" 

       "Have you finally found a woman you want to marry? Is she the one?" Tyler asked. Ethan glared at him. "I'm sorry." 

       "Why are you here? She asked you to come and spy on me right?" Tyler chuckled. Ethan glared at him. "What's funny?" 

     "Your mom doesn't even know that I am here. She is so worried that she is almost going into depression." 

       "How do you know that?" 

       "Because I am the one there with her." 

        "Don't you know my mom is a drama queen?" 

         "This one isn't drama. Your uncles are revolting." 

         "What?" 

         "As you know the company is not your father's alone but his father handed it over to him because he was the most competent of his brothers..." 

      "Why are you telling me my family history?" 

      Tyler ignored him. "And now he is dead and they plan to take it away from him. They have already started a revolt against you. If you don't bring back a woman by the end of three months, they plan to vote you out and take the company." 

        "What? Is this a joke or what?" 

        "Mr Childress has already started gathering people to his side. I just came here to inform you in person since you won't answer your phone." 

         "Jesus Christ! I have...I have seen a woman but she is sick." Ethan turned his back on Tyler. 

        Tyler looked at him. "The pretty lady I saw here is sick?" 

        "What pretty lady? She is my roommate!" 

         "Roommate?" 

    Ethan turned sharply. "Listen, my mother must not hear of this, do you hear me?" 

        "Hear of what? That you are dating a sick woman or that you have a female roommate?" 

      Ethan glared at him and clenched his hands into fists and made to punch Tyler, but Tyler quickly took a few steps back. "You crazy..." He fisted his hands on his waist and paced about. "Don't talk about anything you saw here. I'll call my mom right now." 

       He started going into his room but halted and turned to look at Tyler. "If I find out that this is a lie or it was planned by you and my mom, I will skin you alive." 

        Tyler sat down on the chair, leaned on the backrest and closed his eyes. Ethan went into his room and grabbed his phone. He dialled his mom and it took her some time to answer the phone. 

      "Ethan, oh, Ethan," his mother cried at the other end once she answered.

       "Mom, how are you?" 

      "How do you think I am?" 

      "I'm sorry." 

        "If you are really sorry, you should come back home." 

        "Can I come back without a woman?" 

         "You haven't found any woman yet? You are good looking enough, why are there no girls?" 

         "I found one." 

         "What?!" he heard the excitement in his mother's voice. "What's her name? Where is she from? What does she do?" 

           "She is sick," Ethan blurted. 

          "What?" 

           "She has cancer and she would die soon." 

            "Are you that unlucky with women? After all, this while is it a woman with cancer that you found?" 

           "She is a lovely person." 

            "That's not the point. I'm not against any woman you choose to love but considering what is at stake now. Oh, God..."

      For the first time, Ethan understood what his mother was going through. She must have worried a lot and she didn't want him to be worried that is why she didn't tell him the whole details. 

     "I think Tyler resigned. I have been too hard on him. He said he was travelling and needed leave but I know he would never come back." 

        "I don't think he has resigned. He won't do that without telling me. What's happening in the company?" 

         "Nothing is going on here it's just our usual routine. Work is killing me here." 

        "Are you telling me all that is happening there?" 

        "What else is happening here?" 

         "You can stop hiding it from me now mom. Tyler told me everything, he is here at my place right now." 

         "What?! Tyler is there with you?" 

           "Yes. I'll try my best and bring back a woman before time elapses. I'll speak to you later mom, I love you." 

         "I love you more son." 

      Ethan hung up and went back to the living room where Tyler was dozing. He kicked Tyler's leg, and Tyler jerked up from the couch. 

       "Tyler, are you resigning from the company?" 

      "Resigning?" Tyler asked looking at him. 

        Faith sat in front of Dr Ingrid who was staring at her, disappointment written all over the doctor's face. After a while of staring at Faith, she sighed and shook her head. 

        "I'm highly disappointed." 

         "Why?" Faith asked. 

        "Your ulcer is not looking good at all. You are approaching a dangerous stage and you don't want to wind up with a bleeding ulcer and bleed to death." 

       "What? No. It's not bleeding yet, is it?" 

       "No, but that's the path you are headed for." The doctor looked at her for a while. "What is wrong with you?" 

        Faith didn't understand that question. She smiled at the doctor. "What do you mean what is wrong with me?" 

         "Why are you sad?" 

        "Sad? No, no, doctor, I think you are mistaken my report for someone else's. I'm fine and everything is going great in my life. Do I look sad?" 

         "I'm going to put you on bed rest for three weeks, come with a family member next time." 

          "No, doctor, you don't seem to understand. First, I don't have any family members, second I can't lie down in bed for three whole weeks doing nothing. I need to work..." 

        "Faith, this is your health we are talking about here." 

       "I know. Alright, I have to confess, I might have had much wine and maybe didn't watch my diet, but I promise to start right from this moment to stop those. I'll go straight home and go to bed after work, I'll eat mashed potatoes and drink lots of milkshakes, I will take it easy on myself, anything. Give me any medicine and I will take it with my whole heart, but being confined in bed is a totally no for me. Are there no medicines I could take or something?"

        Dr Ingrid shook her head. "You are taking everything I can give you but there is no improvement." she relaxed back. "I don't know why I have to beg you to live. I can't leave you like this, so I will have to make a deal with you." 

       "What deal?" Faith asked eagerly. 

        "I will give you another month and if your ulcer is not better I will order you into the hospital, but while you are at it, I would like you to talk to a friend of mine. See if she can help find out what's causing all this stress, she would help find out what's eating you up, you are too young to be in this condition, it might be more than work.

        "Nothing's eating me up, doctor." 

          "Would you rather I put you in bed for three weeks?" 

           "Alright, I'll see whoever you want me to see. That won't kill me right?" 

       Dr Ingrid took out a pen and a piece and scribbled down a name and an address for her. She gave her and she made to take it but the doctor held it back. 

        "Promise me that you would go see her at least twice a week." 

     Faith stared at the doctor. She just wanted to leave the presence of this doctor, so she was going to agree to everything the doctor said apart from going on bed rest for three weeks. 

       "I will go see her," she said reluctantly and took the paper from her doctor. 

         "I think I changed my mind, I'm putting you in bed now." 

      Faith's alarm system went off. "Why?" 

         "You don't look like you are going to see the doctor." 

       Faith placed one hand on her chest and raised the other. "I swear, I will see her and I will call her once I get home. It's a deal, right? I will keep to my own side of the bargain." 

        "Alright, one month, then." 

        "One month," Faith said standing up to leave the office.