Love Redux: Fated to the Handsome Doctor

That’s how Lara finally met Andre. At this moment, only Andre could soothe the turmoil in her heart.

For hours, Lara waited in the ER. Yet, there was no word from the doctor. Andre faithfully stood by Lara’s side; fortunately, his shift had just ended perfectly.

“How long do patients usually stay in the ER, Ndre?” Lara inquired, eager to know why she hadn’t received any news about Seno, her husband’s, condition.

Andre replied gently, attempting to provide some comfort to Lara’s restless demeanor. “The time in the ER varies, Lara. It all depends on the patient’s condition and the evaluation process conducted by the medical team. Don’t worry, they’ll inform us as soon as there’s any progress.”

Lara took a deep breath, trying to relax her tense muscles. Her eyes stared blankly at the ceiling, attempting to quell the anxiety gripping her heart. Andre remained by her side, offering a calming presence.

Moments later, Melati appeared, puzzled by the presence of another man beside her employer.

“Ma’am…” Melati called softly.

“Yes,” Lara responded, her voice equally weak.

“Here’s your tea,” she said then. Lara accepted the glass, her hand trembling slightly. With great effort, she sipped the warm tea to calm her nerves. “Thank you, Mela.”

Melati nodded, still eyeing the man beside Lara with questioning glances.

“Ah, this is Doctor Andre, my friend,” Lara said, sensitive to Melati’s reaction.

“Oh, nice to meet you, Doctor,” Melati greeted, bowing her head.

“Yes, nice to meet you, Miss,” the doctor responded with a faint smile.

Unexpectedly, a nurse emerged from the ER. Lara and Andre immediately approached, hoping for good news about Seno’s condition.

“Mrs. Lara?” the nurse asked amiably.

Lara nodded anxiously. “Yes, I’m here, Nurse. How’s my husband’s condition?”

The nurse smiled, cautiously providing information. “Firstly, I want to inform you that your husband is currently in intensive care. The doctors are conducting further evaluations to better understand his condition.”

Lara felt her heart pounding. “What happened to him?”

The nurse then explained, “When he arrived at the ER, your husband was unconscious. The medical team is working to understand the cause and provide appropriate treatment. We’ll inform you if there’s any significant progress.”

Andre tried to reassure Lara by patting her shoulder. Lara nodded and waited for news with a lighter heart, for the sake of her husband.

“You must stay calm, Lara. The best medical team is taking care of him. The most important thing now is to give them time to do their best.”

Lara tried to calm herself, though her worries still ran deep. “Thank you, Andre. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

Andre smiled softly. “Don’t hesitate to ask for help if you need anything. I’m here for you.”

Lara smiled at Andre’s sincerity, but not Miriam, who was still eavesdropping on their conversation. With a flushed face, containing her anger, Miriam left without a word.

Questions, statements, taunts, demands-none could she utter. Miriam just shed tears as she walked away to her room. Her unrequited love for Lara’s husband was truly painful, she felt. Miriam truly despised Lara.

***

That night, Lara decided to return home. The hospital promised to inform her if anything happened to the patient undergoing treatment.

When Lara was gone, a group of men in black suits crowded the ER corridor with firm steps. Their demeanor resembled henchmen of an important figure escorting their leader.

“He’s here, Madam!” said one burly man boldly.

“Take him away!” ordered the woman called ‘Madam’ with a cold expression, as cold as the ice block that never melts in the North Pole.

“Roger!” The burly man then entered the ER and took care of everything. Without violence, without a trace, and without fierce resistance, he successfully took Seno out of the room to be treated in their special facility.

It seemed that Seno had complications from the drug he was developing himself. Madam X had to act swiftly if she didn’t want to expose the corruption of their organization.

***

“Have you taken care of everything?” asked Madam X coldly, while in her car. Seno was in another vehicle, like an ambulance, with complete equipment and medical personnel monitoring his progress.

“The CCTV recordings have been erased. I’ve sent the transfer report to higher facilities. The hospital owner is our associate, Madam. Everything is safe,” replied the big man with a brief report after checking the documents on his tablet.

“Good. Let’s go to headquarters now!”

“Yes, Madam!”

The group of men in black suits and Seno, who was unconscious, disappeared into the darkness of the night. Lara would never know that her husband had been transferred to a secret facility. She wouldn’t be able to find any trace of Seno anywhere.

Its location was perfectly hidden.

***

Upon arriving home, Lara felt an unfamiliar sense of unease disturbing her peace. What’s happening? Was it common for women in the late trimester of pregnancy to hallucinate?

“Ma’am…” Melati called from the kitchen. The girl was preparing dinner for her employer. However, Lara’s face suddenly turned pale. It seemed she was not feeling well.

Lara tried to ignore the strange feeling enveloping her mind. She treated it as a result of the anxiety and fatigue she had been experiencing lately. Nevertheless, as Lara approached the kitchen, the unpleasant feeling grew stronger, as if something serious was happening without her knowledge.

“Ma’am, what’s wrong?” Melati asked with concern as Lara entered the kitchen.

Lara touched her swollen belly. It must be the effect of pregnancy hormones. Lara felt a heaviness in her heart. Dark thoughts were clouding her peace. “I don’t know, Mela. I feel strange, like something’s not right.”

Melati looked at Lara with concern. “Perhaps you need to rest for a while. Dinner is almost ready; I’ll bring it to your room later, Ma’am.”

Lara agreed. She felt that her body indeed needed rest. Lara walked to her room, trying to push away the worries that continued to haunt her. Melati followed behind, ensuring that Lara reached her room safely.

After seeing Lara rest, Melati returned to the kitchen to finish preparing dinner. In her heart, Melati also felt uneasy. However, it was not something to be exaggerated. What was the connection between intuition and reality? Melati wasn’t even part of this family. She was just an outsider employed here.

Melati shouldn’t add to her employer’s worries.

“Ma’am, dinner is ready,” Melati said, knocking on the door. However, Lara didn’t respond.

“Ma’am?”