Twelve Nights

Chapter 2: Day One

I stood in the lift for severak seconds, replaying what he'd just said to me moments ago, seeing if there was any possible way that I was hearing it compeltely wrong.

But I hadn't, there was nothing else that he could have said that I could have misheard as Mr Butler saying that he was dying. Just nothing.

"Sarah, would you be a dime and drive me home? Apparently I'm not well enough to be allowed to drive anymore." Mr Butler called back to me, not bothering to wait for me as he marched off out the reception doors and then out into the carpark.

I blinked and then shook my head in disbelief, could it be possible? Surely it couldn't be, he must mean that his business is dying metaphorically or something like that, he can't seriously be dying.

I walked after him, finding him stood beside the passenger side door of my old beat up cadillac, waiting for me to unlock the car doors.

"What was that?" I asked him as I placed the key in the lock and pulled the door open, sliding into the drivers seat.

"The nurse would not let me leave, I do not wish to die in hospital, there is far too much to do for that." He muttered as he closed the door so that I could start driving.

I didn't, I just sat in the car staring at him as if I'd missed half of the story, he sure as hell was not telling me everything I needed to know to be able to find this joke funny or whatever. 

"What do you mean die?" I looked at him, slumping my hands over the steering wheel.

It was still early in the morning and the remenants of the evening still remained, the morning light was still masked with a dark fog. The nights dew still littered the grass and the air felt humid and thick against my skin.

My eyes and my head wasn't far off doing the same, it was giving me a migraine to think logically about what Gerad was saying, it couldn't possibly be true, he was a healthy looking man.

"Sarah, a lot has happened in the few days that you have been off and I do not wish to go into it now. However, I will allow you some facts so that you can help me over the next few days. Fact number one, I am dying and do not have long left. Fact number two, business as usual for as long as we can sustain it-"

"Mr Butler how can you say that! If you are dying, which I really am struggling to believe, then you should be resting and trying to get better! Your money and your business can not help you when you're dead!" I yelled over his same tone voice.

"Fact number three, I do not wish for a fuss which means I do not wish for anybody to know of my up and coming death-"

"But Mr Butler, you need your family and your friends-" 

"Fact number four-"

"Gerad just listen!" I cried.

He stopped talking and just blinked several times, there were few people in the world that could talk to Gerad Butler like that and get away with it, I could gladly say that I was one of those people even if I didn't like it.

"Sarah..." his voice trailed off and I thought I heard a waver when he spoke. I expected tears, I expected to have to pull him into a hug and tell him that it was all going to work itself out.

"Gerad, it's-" I began before he held up a finger to make me stop talking.

"Sarah, what I have to show for my life is my business. I refuse to lay in a bed whilst the healthy rob me of everything I have worked so hard for. I expect you to help me to do this." he said unemotionally, no tears no nothing.

"As your secretary?" I gasped, this was by far one of the worst things that he had asked from me.

"No Sarah, as a friend."