The Wretched

Chapter 6

“What?!” Theodore screeched.

He started pacing around his kitchen with the phone against his ear, chocking back the tears that formed into his eyes.

“I’m sorry, Theo. I know he was very dear to you, but it was his time. I didn’t want to alarm you before, but now that he’s passed away I have to tell you” his mother spoke gently, soothingly.

“How could you not tell me my own grandfather was on his deathbed? No, you just had to wait until he died to tell me” Theodore spat out angrily.

“I didn’t want to bother you at work. Besides, I didn’t know myself until yesterday how bad his illness was” the woman sighed.

“I understand. I’m coming, mom. Bye!” the young doctor said sternly and hung up.

He instantly rushed to his bedroom, pulling out a suitcase from the closet and starting to throw necessities in it. Once he was done, he quickly zipped it up and rushed out of the apartment, remembering he has to lock it only when he was about to step into the lift.

“When you said you’re coming, I thought you meant you’ll get going this morning, not in the middle of the night!” the mother taunted her son, as he dragged his suitcase through the front door. “You drove all night! Across the state! After a long day of work! How can you do this to yourself?” she continued, noticing the bags under Theodore’s eyes.

“Hi, mom” he replied with a faint voice, ignoring his mother’s scolds.

Shaking her head in disapproval, his mother retreated to the kitchen of the house in order to make breakfast for her son, leaving Theodore to rest in the living room. His recovery, however, was cut short when his close relatives descended the stairs loudly to meet him.

“Uncle Theo! Uncle Theo!” two little boys tackled him down as soon as they entered the living room.

Despite the reason he showed up, Theodore smiled and gladly reunited with his family. “Chad! Kevin!” he exclaimed, hugging his nephews. “You’re growing up so fast!”

“Oh, my…you’re getting more handsome every time I see you!” an old woman said, approaching him and hugging him tightly.

“Granny! I missed you!” Theodore hugged her back, though he regretted it instantly.

His grandma’s old person smell kicked back into his mind that his grandfather passed away. Unlike during his conversation with his mother the night prior, he couldn’t hold back the hot droplets of salt water that wanted to get out of his teary channels. So he just sobbed on the old woman’s shoulder as she patted understandingly his back.

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” he finally managed to choke out between sobs.

Granny sighed, a grim expression plastered on her face. “I kept it from everyone, not just from you” she said silently. “It was his wish, you know. He wanted to keep you all unalarmed, in hopes he’ll get better. He was as stubborn as a mule, you know that”

“But…maybe I could’ve helped! I’m a doctor, for Pete’s sake!” Theodore whined, letting out a few more sobs.

“Honey, you are an autopsy technician. How could you have helped a dying diabetic patient?” Granny questioned.

“I’ve trained as a doctor for seven freaking years, and I am an endocrinology major!” he pouted. “There must’ve been something I could have done”

“Then what are you doing cutting open corpses?” the old woman questioned, half playfully, half seriously.

“I like solving cases like that. It keeps my brain going” the light brown haired man sighed.