PLEASE RECONSIDER

Jeremiah's widened eyes fidgeted.

A spine-chilling cold washed over him as the sight of the aged gentleman begging for his help caused his entire body to vibrate with shock and disbelief.

His bones became weak for a moment, and, as a result, he fell backwards. Although, he was already sitting on the floor and, as such, didn't and couldn't fall far.

However, Jeremiah placed his left forearm behind himself and his right palm beside his body, using both to barely prevent his entire back from touching the floor.

Jeremiah looked up and saw the bodyguard staring down at him with a no-nonsense expression. A sight that eliminated any idea of this being a joke or prank being played on him.

Panting, Jeremiah stared at the back of the aged gentleman's head, and knowing what it meant, he understood the gravity of what was being asked of him.

"Umm, I don't know what to tell you, sir, but I can't help you," Jeremiah said, hoping again that the man would listen.

"Doctor Michael, all a mortal man, like myself, can do is offer to grant any wish you have on behalf of his master in exchange for your help. With that reiterated, I beg you to please consider", the aged gentleman said.

Jeremiah blinked rapidly.

Was the man refusing to believe what he was telling him because he didn't want to? Jeremiah wondered.

Thinking about it, refusing to believe that Jeremiah wasn't this mysterious Doctor Michael made a lot of sense, because if he was the aged gentleman's only hope, then Jeremiah was basically ripping it apart by denying the identity.

'How on earth do I get this guy to believe what I'm saying and accept that I'm not this doctor he's looking for? I mean, what the hell? I've already denied twice, and he still thinks I'm lying', Jeremiah thought as he stared at how desperate the aged gentleman was being.

Knowing what he did about the rich and influential, which was a knowledge he absorbed by watching the Prescott family, what the aged gentleman in front of him was doing was in all honesty a taboo.

An elder should never lower and show the back of their head to their younger, even if it was to ask for something and Jeremiah felt guilty looking at it.

'Since he called me a doctor, it must mean that whatever help he's desperate for has something to do with health. He also made mention that the one needing aid is his master, so that person must be in a life-or-death situation right now. Since there's no way I can possibly be of any help, I guess that there's only one thing I can do in this situation', Jeremiah thought, then took a deep calming breath and released it in a silent sigh.

He gulped, then slowly sat upright.

Jeremiah said "Alright sir. I've heard your insistent pleading and I have reconsidered. I'll take a look at the person you want me to and if it's a situation I can be of help to, then I will. All I ask is for you to not get your hopes up because it might be beyond what I'm capable of."

Jeremiah was lying. He was no doctor, so what help could he be in this situation?

None.

He just said what he did because it was the only way he could think of to get the aged gentleman off his case.

He wanted to make it seem like he had tried his best because he didn't know what would happen to him if he continued to decline the man's plea.

Suddenly, the aged gentleman raised his head and Jeremiah saw the look of appreciation the man had for what he had just said.

"Thank you very much, doctor Michael. What you just offered is all I could have asked for, and I give you my word that if you take a look and discern that you can't be of any help to my master, your safety back to the prison cell you were liberated from is guaranteed", the aged gentleman said.

Internally, Jeremiah sighed in relief.

He was just wondering what was going to happen to him when he eventually told the man that he couldn't help his master and cure him of whatever ails him.

Turns out he had been worrying about nothing because there were no consequences for not being able to do anything.

"Okay, sir. I'll hold you to your word", Jeremiah said, and the aged gentleman smiled.

"Shall we go then?" The aged gentleman asked Jeremiah, and the emancipated inmate nodded.

The aged gentleman looked at the security guard behind Jeremiah and the man in a suit rushed to both their sides.

"It's time to go," the aged gentleman said, stretching his hand, and the bodyguards quickly took it.

The bodyguard helped him up while Jeremiah sat on the floor, watching just how subservient the bodyguard was to the aged gentleman's wishes.

Looking down at him, the man asked "Do you also need assistance, Doctor Michael?"

Jeremiah shook his head.

"No need. I just zoned out for a moment", Jeremiah said, then stood up on his own.

He already had a recent experience with receiving help from someone who offered to help him stand up, and it was very bad. He didn't want the risk of something like that happening again.

Jeremiah looked at his ass and dusted it. He fixed his uniform a bit before looking at the two men in front of him and giving them the signal that he was ready to leave.

The aged gentleman started leading Jeremiah toward one of the only two doors in the room, and it was the one that had always been in front of Jeremiah.

The second door was the one directly opposite, which was behind Jeremiah.

Jeremiah glanced at the door behind him as he continued his forward gait, wondering if that was how he came into the room.

It seemed like it was, but he wasn't going to know the answer to that question unless he asked, but he had an even more important question he wanted an answer to.

"Sorry for asking this question because it seems like you're a very important person—"

The aged gentleman smirked, interrupting Jeremiah's question.

"You should never apologize for something as important as asking a question, Doctor Michael. Please go ahead and ask whatever is on your mind"

Jeremiah cleared his throat and asked, "What is your name, and if you don't mind, who is this person I'm supposed to be helping?"

The man replied with two names that blew Jeremiah's mind.

He said "My name is William .J. Fox and the man who urgently needs your help is my master, Mr. Gordon Folly"

Immediately, Jeremiah's eyes widened.

"Wait, Mr. Gordon Folly?! The Mr. Gordon Folly?! You mean the richest man in the whole of Beethoven?!" Jeremiah exclaimed.