Until The End

CHAPTER 5 - JOB LETTERS

The loud clattering noises emerging from the living room of the apartment woke Nadia up from her sweet slumber. Mind still muddled with sleep, she reached for her clock at the bedside table and pulled it close to her eyes, blinking rapidly for the numbers to start making sense. Once they did, she placed the clock back and pulled the covers over her head. It was only 4:30 in the morning. She still had 2 more hours to sleep.

There was another wave of clattering noises before the sound of an espresso machine filled her apartment. Nadia opened her eyes with a jerk, sleep being no more a priority.

Ghosts? Was her first thought.

Then thinking someone might have had broken into her apartment, Nadia threw the covers away and jumped out of the bed. She opened the bedroom door cautiously and peeked outside. The living room was empty. The noise was arising from the kitchen.

The smell of freshly brewed coffee filled up her nostrils and Nadia tiptoed towards the kitchen, intending to catch the intruder herself. She was only halfway when Derek's head popped out of the kitchen window.

"Yo traitor. Sup?" He asked and pulled his head back in without waiting for a reply.

Nadia pressed her lips together and clenched her fists with irritation. Striding inside her kitchen, she glared at him.

Her laptop was open and placed on the small table with the screen facing Derek, who was heartily enjoying the french toasts that he had cooked only moments ago. "It's 4:30 in the morning!" Nadia groaned.

Derek took another bite of the toast and placed it on the plate. He showed his palm to Nadia, gesturing her to wait while he gulped down the food. Nadia, who had grown accustomed to his antics, pulled out a chair, folded her hands across her chest and waited for him to explain why he was cooking breakfast at her place so early in the morning. Not to mention using the laptop that she clearly remembered was secured by a password.

"So, the cops asked me why was I even at that place and I'm like, the manager is my friend dude, he asked me to delete some files and I did. Then they kept repeating stupid questions till 4 in the morning. Can you believe it? That's like 11 hours altogether! But, the worst part wasn't that. It was me going to my apartment with a headache and realizing I was out of coffee beans. So, I came here knowing this is the one place which will never run out of coffee" Derek kept blabbering but, instead of Nadia, he was talking to someone through the laptop.

Nadia heard a familiar giggle coming from the laptop and quickly turned the device towards her.

"Dad? Why are you up so early?" Her expressions softened instantly and her voice filled with concern as she looked at the old man lying on the hospital bed.

Several machines were set up around his bed to monitor his condition at all times. A drip was attached to his left hand that allowed a constant flow of the fluid from the IV bag, hung on the stand. Two nurses stood next to the bed, one injecting medicine into the bag while the other noted the readings, from the machines, on her notepad.

"Calm down, bud. My insomnia ain't back. This is just a regular check-up" he chuckled and smiled wider for Nadia when she kept staring at him with worry in her eyes.

"I don't trust you one bit, dad. Not after all the complains I received from Dr Zane last week."

"Don't worry, Nadia" the nurse said while bending a little to fit her head in the frame, "Ralph is doing a lot better since you scolded him at your visit, last week."

"Yes. He's been on his best behaviour ever since. Even Dr Zane was impressed when Ralph took his medicines with no protest" the other nurse said with a pleasant smile on her face.