Chapter Ten

MITCHELL POV

I furrowed my brows and squinted, pulled my head forward a bit. "You say what?"

He brought out a file and placed it on the desk. "Here it is," he pushed the file towards me. "Check it out for yourself. You will see the breakdown of the cost."

I took the file and opened it to see the list. The figures on the paper made my eyes and mouth open wide. Cassandra snatched the file from my hand and looked at it. She let out a deep breath and gave a faint smile. She dropped the file and passed it to the doctor.

"Doctor, you know this is very expensive. We can't afford it. Even if we have to do three more jobs for two years, we can't raise such an amount of money," I said.

"I know. This amount can only be easily shouldered by wealthy folks, but you can get to some financial health providers like some NGOs that support health care for the less privileged. That's why it was advised to the public for everyone to go for a health insurance scheme. If you don't want to do it for yourself, do it for your loved ones," the doctor said.

I took in a deep breath and let it out, my eyes were down to the desk. I didn't know what to say, I felt weak inside me. Cassandra placed her hand over my shoulder, and said to the doctor, "Thank you for the information, we will find a way to handle that. Have a nice day, Doctor."

"You're welcome. Have you pleasant night too."

Cassandra held my hands and we walked out from the doctor's office. Outside the office I turned to Cassandra and saw the calmness on her face, she wasn't as worried as I was. I felt irritated. I took my eyes away from her, the burning bitterness in my heart caused a weakening feeling inside me.

"Mitchell, it's okay. We will do something about it," she said touching my shoulder. I shook my shoulder and shoved off her hand.

"Mitchell, what's the matter with you?"

"What's the matter with me? It's you! You speak like everything happening here seems okay and normal to you. You saw the bills down there and it doesn't break you when you know there is no possible way we can get such an amount of me."

"You know what? I understand. Because it isn't your mommy lying there on the sickbed."

"What are you saying, Mitchell?! Are you..." She swallowed her words, shut her eyes, and pressed her lips together. She clenched her fist tightly, then she breathed out.

"Do you think I will be here if I don't care? Look around you think and ask yourself if there has ever been anyone here to stand by you aside from me?"

"Answer me, Mitchel. How many shoulders have you cried on? Have there been any time that you have to call before I'll be there for you?"

I lowered my head in shame and guilt, my brows thickened and raised, and her questions hit me hard, like a hard slap on my back.

"I know you are grieving, I know you are hurt. But don't you ever again try to talk down on me or make me feel like I do not care about what you're going through."

I kept silent for a while, I didn't know what to say. We stood in the lobby for some minutes without saying a word to each other.

Then my phone rang, I picked it out from my left pant pocket, it was Denise. "Hey, girl."

"Where are you? Have you gone back home?"

"No, I'm still here, I just went to see the doctor, I will be there soon. How is mom doing?"

"Well, she's still awake, although I can hear her belly rumbling."

"What are you telling your sister?!" I heard my mother's voice from the background. "Don't listen to her, Mitchell. I'm fine over here."

I smiled, and my eyes were almost getting tears but I pressed my eyelids and rubbed my eyes dry. "I'm going to get something now for you both to eat."

I cut the call, and then I turned to Cassandra who leaned on the wall with her hands folded, looking up to the roof. Her face was stern, she didn't look happy at all. I moved closer to her slowly, my hands met at my thighs, and my fingers locked each other.

"I'm sorry, Cassandra. I didn't mean to say those words to you, I was not myself. I can take those words back if I could. You are the only friend I had, please forgive me."

She didn't look at me, I moved closer hugged her from behind, and rested my head on her back. She held my hand, "I wasn't happy with your words, but... You are my best friend and I have to forgive you. But never say such things to me again."

"I swear, I will never say such words for you again."

We hugged and she joined me at the grocery store where I got some food for Mom and Denise. When we got back before we entered the room where Mother lay I called Cassandra back.

"Please, I need your help here. Denise needs to be in school and I can't leave my mother here, I also don't want Denise to spend the night alone in my house."

"So, you want to spend the night with your mom here, while Denise spends the night with me, right?"

"What a sharp-minded friend I have here!"

"But the problem is that I was about to invite a guy over," Cassandra said looking away. "But..." She breathed out. "I'm controlling myself for the night for Denise," she rolled her eyes.

"Naughty girl," I laughed.

Just then, my phone beeped, and a message dropped. I opened it up and read, and what I saw was unexpected.

Mitchell Lawson. This is Jonathan Martins, your boss. I would like you to come with me to see the lawyer. Time is shifted, no more in the morning. I will you meet by 2 pm.