Open Heart: Second Year {On Halt}

Chapter 21- Locked In

It was a cloudless day and the dazzling sun graced the clear blue sky. The morning air was supposed to be fresh with its wintry gush but today, it was contaminated with plumes of vehicular exhaust along with toxic pollutants from ships in the bay. The inert trees without their expanse of green seemed to agree that the world was truly dying, each day—every day. While people protested and organized strikes for green peace, no such qualm was seen to solve this problem in the near future....which could deliberately erase that future.

And also while people tried to adjust to this new world of lead-laden obnoxious pudding, if you peered closely, you could see a tiny doctor barging through the doors of Edenbrook— heading straight towards the infamous southern wing. She might me small, but today her anger made loaded mighty. Every nurse and intern, and even some senior residents on her vehement path purposefully skidded away rather than facing the wrath of gods she was bringing along with her.

That's me folks.

I bend into the almost-completed section, and aimed straight at the guards who were in front of a lit office. They blocked the passage of course and I spat in their face, "Let me at him or else I will dissect every organ of your body and throw them in the lava pools of Mt. Etna!"

They were taken by surprise at my outburst, almost staggering a step back. My breath was heaving in and out like a drilling machine accompanied by rage which was churning inside me. I went on them again when the door opened and a shiny faced Declan Nash poked his head out.

"That's okay guys. She's harmless."

Harmless!? I'll show you that.

I pushed past the burly guards, noticing that I was only at their elbow level. Still, I pffed into Declan's posh office and whirled my head at him.

"You have exactly seven seconds before I slam your head in your polished desk and relish on your brain matter!"

"First of all, gross." Declan wrinkled his nose, "Clam down, Charlotte. No need of ma—"

I almost jumped on him, "How dare you! You released a prisoner on early bail? How much did you pay for him? And why the hell?"

"Jesus. You doctors are like gossiping housewives." Declan's face twisted, "Our VP decided that he was more useful to us outside rather than behind the bars."

"Do you know what he was in for?!" I screamed, almost feeling that the lights overhead would explode from the sudden onslaught of catastrophic vexation coursing out in my brain waves.

Declan watched me for a second, his swaggering posture hinting that he was going to play it smooth upon me. The biggety in his eyes almost made me render my first statement of bashing his brain true. But I knew, inside the shield of my anger—an uncertain fear was rising. About Landry.

Then he sighed, sliding a finger on his desk before adjusting the tie on his expensive grey colored suit, "Can we please sit and have at least a productive conversation without me calling my guards inside for protection."

A wicked smile rose in my face, "I thought I was harmless."

"You are far from that." He gritted his white teeth, "I will never make that mistake twice with you. Please sit."

I pulled the chair rather too hard and plopped my supposedly harmless form in the plush settee. Everything of his office spoke of richness and exorbitant taste. And for the record, Ethan's office was still far off the scale than Declan's—and million times more comfortable. This one felt as if little puppies and kitties were brought in to torture.

Declan spread his hands, "Look. I know this matter is of personal reason for you. But there is absolutely nothing for you to worry. Dr. Landry Olsen poses no certain harm, and in fact I have instructed him to stay far away from you or else face ramification." He gave me a brief smile, "I truly care for you."