Death is a thief.
He takes the unwilling and leaves a whole in the lives of others.
Death is unforgiving.
He takes the big, the small, the guilty...and the innocent.
Death claims.
He takes to hell and rarely spits a soul back out.
Death will have your gut wrenching, your heart pacing and your mind collapsing. Death will show mercy and will take anyway, leaving the world around others to plunge into darkness. But even though Death could do so much...
He failed to take me.
I lived.
Something beeped in the distance, sounding off every second, matching the pace of my heart. It wasn't a sound I was familiar with. It was almost robotic, constant even; like it reminded me that I was alive. I counted the beats of my heart, thumping. It was all I could hear. My fingers moved slowly, down by my side. The feel of the fabric felt strange underneath my fingers. It didn't feel like my bed sheets.
Where was I?
I willed my eyes to open but I struggled, straining to lift them even just a little bit. I attempted numerous times to get my eyes to open, and after what felt like a millennia, they did.
Everything was dark. Pretty much exactly the way I felt.
My eyes opened to a dimly lit room. A hospital room. Knowing that I would have energy to move, I lay there on the hospital bed and recalled the last thing I remembered.
Crick had betrayed me. He actually betrayed me.
The beeping monitor quickened when the paced of my heart did too. The conscious effort I made to slow my heart led the monitor to resume to a normal paced of beeping. I sighed...and then cringed. My throat felt dry, it ached.
How long had I been confined to this bed? I hoped not long. Not one soul walked into my hospital room; not one person came to my side.
Damn. I was blind. How could I trust others when I couldn't even trust my family? When I couldn't even bear to be around them? It was my fault - my fault entirely.
My breathing sounded coarse, harsh, as if my voice had broken. I felt numb though; that was a good thing. I had lost a part of my sanity standing in that lobby, having their eyes on me - betraying me. I couldn't rely on them anymore. I wouldn't rely on them anymore. Out with old, but I wouldn't let anything new in - I couldn't. Trust would never be so easily gained anymore - it just wouldn't.
I became restless, just lying there, thinking about the one act that had my stomach spinning. Taking a deep breath in, I turned my head and braced myself for the onslaught of pain that I thought I would feel...but nothing came. Not one ounce of electrifying, mind hammering pain came. I blew out a soft sigh, thanking God for small mercies. With small, tiny movements, I began to get up, to sit up...but stopped when I noticed the IV line. I looked down at the needle stuck in my arm and followed it all the way to saline bag.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
I tugged gently at the wire poking out of my skin and winced just a little when it stung - but I would deal with that pain, so long as it wasn't killing me. The controller for the bed caught my eye; I grabbed it and pressed the button to lift the top half of the bed up slightly, so I could sit up and rest my back at the same time. I sat like that for a while, with the controller in my hand, my head against the pillow, the beeping of the monitor keeping me company.
When the sun started to rise, I turned to the window and watch the light creep in around the blinds - like I used to at home.
Home.
I should have stayed home.
I could feel my teeth begin to clatter, my eyes watering. I took deep breaths in, aware that the monitor had picked up pace - but nothing worked. I was working myself up!
Damn it! Why? Why did they do this? What was in it for them?
Calm down! Your heartbeat is too fast!
NO! What did I ever do to them to deserve this? I had been the best friend, best surrogate daughter! I was loving, kind, generous - or so I thought so! Was it financial gain? Is that what this was? Did the pack find out about my wealth and somehow persuade them to coerce me into a meeting?
Oh my god.
Did they know?
YOUR HEARTBEAT IS TOO FAST!
It was. The monitor had roared to life and now beeped so fast that I was struggling to keep up. I grit my teeth when an alarm overhead went off, sending footsteps out in the hall running.
Breathe.
I did that.
Just breathe - think of blue water. Blue Ocean taking you far, far away.
I did.
The door burst open, a line of blue rushed in. Nurses in uniform.
"Miss. Reynolds!"
Someone grabbed my face and pulled it away from the direction of the window. A light shone in when my lids were pulled up. I looked to them with distant eyes. Three other professionals checked the machines, the saline drip and my pulse. With frantic looks on their faces, they turned to each other quickly.
"What?" I whispered, drained of emotion.
The nurse with pink highlights in her hair checked the charts at the foot of my bed. She consulted with the others in the room but medical speak was out of my zone - it sounded gibberish to me.
"What is wrong?" I asked again, snappier, angrier. The nurse's head flew to the machine when the heart monitor raced again when I snapped. Concern filled her eyes.
She sighed heavily. "We'll get Dr. Jefferson in to speak to you. She's asked to speak to you the moment you wake."
"How long have I been out?"
Nurse pink hair looked to my chart again. "You were admitted two nights ago." She looked at me solemnly. "I won't say anymore until the doctor arrives, but Miss. Reynolds, we need for you to remain as calm as possible. You're in a stable condition at the moment, but we're very concerned about your health."
"What about my health?" I turned away from her to stare at the other two nurses who adjusted the drips and played with machinery.
"Janet, Christine, I'll wait here with Miss. Reynolds. Please look for Dr. Jefferson and inform her of Miss. Reynolds being awake." The two other nurses left quickly. I spared no second glance to them. "My name is Sophia-"
"Stop talking." I said quietly, turning away to look out of the window. "I don't want to know your name. I don't want to know how long you've been in nursing. I don't want to know about your kids or your husband and I don't want to know that you're sorry, because I bet you you're not. I want to know why I'm here - and then I want to leave."
Sophia walked around to the blinds and pulled them up, sending an encore of light into my hospital suite. I blinked, just a little, when the light made it hard to see.
"Fine. You're not sociable, I get it. But get this," she turned to face me, arms crossed over her chest, "I am sorry." Her somber eyes met my own, I held them there.
She was telling me something. She was warning me. She was sorry for me.
The door opened before I could ask her what was wrong. I turned sharply and braced myself for pain that didn't come. The woman who entered wore a white doctor's coat, stethoscope hanging around her neck, hair in a bun. The woman looked old, like the years of delivering bad news had caught up to her.
"Miss. Reynolds, I'm so happy you're awake." As much as I didn't want to hear it, she sounded sincere, caring. She walked around to take the chart from Sophia and dismissed her promptly. "I'm Dr. Jefferson, but you can call me Sue."
I stayed silent, willing her to speak quicker, faster.
"I assume that you have a lot of questions, and I'm prepared to answer any that you have." She paused.
"But?" I asked, watching her carefully.
"But I have to be honest with you first. I want my patients to feel that I am the best possible person for their individual case." She cleared her throat. "And understand that I feel I am the only doctor that can assist you in this time."
Her words sunk in, like a brick drowning in water.
"You know." I guessed. "You know about my heritage." I scoffed in disgust.
"Emma-"
I snapped.
"Miss. Reynolds! I am Miss. Reynolds to you!" The beeps of the monitor that had almost faded into the background picked up again. "Do not address me as anything other! I am not your friend! I am not your family!" I spat, bitterly.
Dr. Jefferson panicked and raced to the monitor. "Alright!" She said loudly, breathlessly, "I get! I get it! You have to calm, otherwise I'll have to sedate you!"
Anger and bitterness flooded through me, as if being carried through my arteries and my veins. I shook my head in bitter determination.
"No. Why the fuck should I calm down?" I yelled, the snarl coming out of nowhere. The monitor raced. The sound scared me.
Dr. Jefferson looked helpless and shot out two hands to grab my face and level them with her eyes. I watched her mouth as she spoke. "Miss. Reynolds, if you do not calm down, you will die!"
It was like a slap to the face; a slap that stung and pained me at the same time. Her hands dropped from my face when the beating of my heart lowered, slowing the erratic beeping down too.
"I know your history. I know what you are, or rather, what nature has intended for you. I need you to comply or I'll have no choice but to sedate you and I don't want to do that."
Die.
Death.
Morte.
If you do not calm down, you will die.
That was what it felt like, the pain. It felt like death. I was sure I had already died.
"Tell me." I whispered.
Dr. Jefferson, Sue, cleared her throat again and stood at the foot of my bed. "You were admitted into hospital at just after ten pm two days ago on the 19th of July. You were unconscious, non-responsive and your blood pressure had dropped to very dangerous levels." She paused, looking at me to make sure I was okay.
I wasn't really. I was unconscious for two days? It felt like only a minute. I nodded to her, telling her it was okay to continue.
"On top of your blood pressure dropping, you were bleeding heavily from the nose. On arrival, you were met by myself and an EMT team. Your father and Alan called me before you were taken in. I've worked with Alan closely on lots of cases over the last few years, so it was natural that I be here to help."
Breathe. Don't think of those cretins. Just breathe.
"Miss. Reynolds, you suffered a heart attack."
A what, now?
Like a freight train coming at me at full speed, I felt the impact on my emotions. However the need for me to be conscious and level headed kept my fragile heart in check.
"A heart attack." I repeated, out loud, as if saying the words would make it real.
Sue nodded. "Yes," she gulped. "However, once you were stabilized, I noticed the bruises on your abdomen, chest and pelvic area. I've worked in a hospital long enough to realize that the bruises on your body are not from abuse, though I doubt that you would ever have such problems."
"I don't know how they got there. One minute by body is blemish free and the next, my stomach is covered in them." I admitted quietly. Sue nodded and walked around to sit beside me on the bed.
"From experience, I could tell that there was something wrong; the colors of your bruises aren't right." She said, looking straight into my eyes as she talked. My mind absorbed all her words as if I were a sponge. The look on her face told me I wasn't going to get good news. "We took a blood test when your nose bleed eventually stopped," her tone had softened dramatically, as if preparing me for what was to come. "Your test results showed an increase of immature blood cells. The bruising you have because of that white blood count. It's what we call excessive bleeding - and when it has nowhere to go, it leaves bruises."
Sue took a deep breath in. I felt sorry for her. She lay a gentle hand on mine and as if she had healing properties, I took hold of her hand, willing myself to be strong - even if it was just to provide her with some comfort.
"Miss. Reynolds," Sue spoke quietly, calmly, "you have leukemia."
Nine months ago
It didn't matter that I had tried to stop crying - the rain had joined me in mourning, soaking me anyway. I had nothing to shelter me from the water that fell from the skies. I looked up and felt the cold water shower me. Even the heavens were in mourning.
I didn't tell anyone where I had gone. I just left. I wasn't strong enough to act brave. I couldn't look strangers in the eye and have them tell me that they were sorry - only for them to walk away, leaving me bereft.
They weren't sorry.
How could they be?
I was already awake this morning - I hadn't slept at all. How could I close my eyes when I knew that if I did, nothing would change? Why would I want to? Nothing was going to bring him back. Nothing. That hole in my heart had been bust open the moment they told me. I didn't see a way for me to come back from this - not at all.
Still. I got dressed. I made myself presentable.
And then I went to bury my fiancé.
I don't know how I stopped myself from crying. I don't know why I couldn't cry for him. I was devastated but I struggled to cry. I struggled to even talk. I only nodded and shook my head slightly when someone spoke directly to me.
I wanted the funeral to be small. I wanted for it to be just those who were closest to me and Marc present, just like I had envisioned our wedding to be.
Till death us to part.
But the turnout was overwhelming - thanks to Hilary. Against my wishes, a massive group of mourners intruded on my grief. Hilary buried Tom the day before. She was inconsolable on the day of Tom's funeral.
I buried Marc a few hours ago. Hilary was still inconsolable. Even though I sat as far away as possible from everyone I knew, I could still hear her cries. After people told me they were 'sorry for my loss' and shook my hands, they went to Hilary and hugged her, and brushed her tears away and consoled her.
I wasn't crying on the outside, but I was dying on the inside.
It was when we all went back to the Mary's house that I started to feel myself lose it - lose myself. From the moment we returned from the funeral, all I wanted to do was go back. Being apart from him was agonizing. The moment I actually slipped out unnoticed was when Hilary laughed at something someone had said. I looked at her from the couch I had not moved from since the beginning. The string that attached my heart to my chest ripped, sending my fragile heart crashing to the floor. How could she laugh so freely like that? I wished I was like her. Maybe I wouldn't feel like this tomorrow. Maybe I could laugh like a fricking hyena tomorrow too.
So now I was here. I stood in a black dress in the cemetery we left four hours ago in the middle of a bitterly cold October. And now the rain drenched me. My hair clung to my neck, to my face. I was cold. I was shivering and shaking....but all I could see was the earth.
Where Marc was buried.
I leaned down slowly and placed my hands on the earth, palms down, before I sat. My palms rubbed the disturbed soil, patting it down as if in comfort.
"Hey, Marc." I whispered, hoping that even through the earth that separated us, he could still hear me. "I don't know what I'm doing." I admitted.
It happened suddenly.
The water dam in my eyes broke, sending small tears streaming down my face - not that it matter. Thunder boomed overhead, matching my emotions.
"Remember last summer? I fell ill with period pains and called you whilst still in the office. You picked me up twenty after I made that call. You came up to my office and walked me out like the gentlemen you are." I sniffed, still whispering over the heavy rain. "You told me to walk around the apartment but I moaned that I was in pain and sat down on the couch, refusing to move. You laughed and told me I was a baby and went to go make me some food. Do you remember that you screamed bloody murder from the kitchen? I jumped and ran for you and screamed myself. Do you remember? You held up your right hand in a bloody towel and then held up your left hand with a finger in it. 'I cut my finger off!' - That's want you said to me. I cried. I broke down while trying to call an ambulance. But you were an ass and dropped the towel to show me that you hadn't cut your finger off. It was a joke.
You said 'at least you're walking around now'. I was angry with you, really angry. I cried thinking that you were in pain. I wouldn't talk to you for hours, still horrified that you thought it was funny. But you said sorry."
I inhaled and blew out again through my mouth.
"But jokes over; you can come out." My fingers dug into the earth and gripped a handful of earth. "I won't be angry with you, Marc. Just come out and we'll go home," I nodded slightly, as if affirming my words. "You can come out now, Marc. Please."
A handful of dirt was thrown aside. My fingers dug into the earth again.
Why was I still here, alone?
"Please," I begged, sobbing hysterically now, "please come out." My fingers dug into the earth faster now, trying to get to him as fast as I could. My hysterical crying broke through the loudness of the rain and the silence of the cemetery. "Please!" I stopped digging with my fingers when I felt my fingers ache. An earth shattering sob escaped me. "Please! Don't leave me here, all alone!" My hands flew up and dropped back down again, as if pounding the earth for Marc to hear me. I kept pounding and pounding, screaming for Marc to come back to me when -
"Em!" Two wet, steel like arms grabbed my shoulder, pulling me away from the grave I wanted so badly to dig. I let myself fall into the chest of person who comforted me. Sam. "I got you." A flurry of kisses landed on my head and forehead. "Sssh."
"He...left me! All alone!
"Sssh! I know. I know he did. I'm sorry."
The pain was too much. As I sat above the grave of my fiancé, wet, dirty and comforted in the arms of a friend, I had to face the facts.
Life was a bitch. Sometimes, it just wasn't worth living.
Present day
I stared at Sue for five minutes, my gaze alternating between her hands in mine and her gentle, wrinkled face.
Leukemia. Death. Marc.
I survived that day because of Sam.
Because of Sam, I was still here, still living, breathing. Without a doubt, the next funeral Hilary and Crick would have had to arrange would have been mine if it wasn't for Sam. My best friend. As much as my body hated living, hated seeing the sights of this world, I knew that I had to at least try.
I cleared my throat. "Tell me...how. Tell me how that is possible. Tell me what I need to do." I stopped and looked at her blue eyes. "Tell me why Alan asked you to help me when leukemia is something any doctor should know about."
Sue nodded. "I'll talk in the most basic of terms. If you have any questions, interrupt me at any time. If you want me to pause for a bit, squeeze my hands, okay?"
I nodded.
"I know about the wolves. I work very closely with them - the wolf community, I mean. When I got that call, Alan explained everything about you and Hayden. Now, from my knowledge and thirty year experience with wolves, I know that transition normally happens within a few months of a bond being established; sometimes it can take years for a female to transition safely.
Alan explained your circumstances. He tells me that they bond was accepted on the males side only a few months ago, though you, your wolf, had already accepted him as mate on the day you found him."
I knew all of this. I knew everything. It hurt to hear it again.
"Because you left, your bond became dormant. From what I know, a bond needs to be established with both mates standing in a one mile radius of each other. The male is still bound to you regardless of whether or not you are rejected. You both have to force your wolves out and they are the ones that reject each other. So-"
Oh God.
"Wait! Wait!" I breathed. "So you're telling me that, even though my..." I had a hard time bringing myself. I wanted to say it, to make sense of everything...but I couldn't.
Sue looked at me questioningly. "Wolf?" she offered.
I nodded. "Yes. That. But don't call it that," I shook my head in disgust. "Please refer to it as....as...an ego or something."
"Sure."
"So, because my...ego...accepted Hayden at first sight and he didn't - you're telling me that even though he rejected me, I'm still bound to him?"
"Yes."
"And the only way for me to break the bond is for me to transition into...an ego," I shuddered, causing Sue to look at me with extreme concern, "first, to break the bond?"
"That is the way to break the bond." Sue said quietly.
She's holding out.
"But?" I asked, looking at her with wide eyes. How much more could I be expected to take?
"You had a heart attack and your leukemia is sudden. Looking at blood sample results that you gave us the last time you were in hospital five months ago there were no traces of abnormalities in your blood. Hayden tells me that the bond was accepted by him on his part only nine weeks ago. That's nine years that your ego has been dormant. When an ego changes, DNA mutation occurs. Unfortunately, the male mate is the one that encourages a female mate to transition. Through the guidance and closeness of the bond, the female changes into an ego. In your case, as I understand, even though you have been apart from him for more than nine years, circumstances have changed and you find yourself having to be close to him. Is that right?"
I nodded. "Yeah."
"Because of the bond, your body started to force a change on you, one that nature had intended months, sometimes years, to take. Because you have lacked nine years' worth of bond with you mate, your body is physically forcing your DNA to mutate. The abnormal cell count is the consequence."
I breathed. In. out.
I understood what she told me. I did. But oh God!
"So basically," I blew out a breath through my mouth, swallowing the bile that threatened to rise up to my throat, "you're telling me that I'm dying because of my wolf. I had a heart attack because my body was being worked too hard, because of this transition. I have leukemia because my wolf is fucking with my blood. I have a cancer because of a bond that's supposed to be about love, nature and life?" I asked, unsure if I had surmised correctly.
Sue looked at me with regret and nodded before she whispered, "yes."
"Oh. Well. That's just..." I sighed bitterly, shaking my head furiously. I'm dying because of him. "Hayden is killing me slowly." I whispered unbelievingly. "Is there a cure?"
"I've done my research on this. I spent the better part of yesterday looking through medical records of other similar cases."
"How many have there been?"
"Four - over two hundred years." Sue bowed her head slightly, as if she didn't want to look at me anymore. "Two died shortly before they could even turn. Their bodies became so weak. They bruised and bled uncontrollably before they died. But the other two survived"
A hopeless breath escaped me as I looked at the doc in shock. "So, basically, I'm transitioning into a wolf because of a bond with a man that broke my heart, and the only way for me to break that bond is if he and I break it in our wolf forms...only, I have a fifty percent chance of survival before I turn because I have cancer because my wolf is forcing my human body to change unnaturally fast."
I shook my head uncontrollably. The beeping sound of the monitor rose a little. I opened my mouth to speak, but closed it again when no words formed. Was this a joke? I looked around the room, searching the corners and crevices, looking for signs of a camera.
"Miss. Reynolds, what are you looking for?" She asked, concern gripping her.
I looked at her with wide, unbelieving. "Am I...being...punk'd right now?" I mean...are you serious?" Her unwavering look of somberness told me she wasn't. "You are serious."
"I know that this is a lot to take in-"
"No shit, Sherlock!" I spat venomously. "Please, do not offer me condolences!" I breathed in and out, calming myself so that my heart rate didn't go up.
It did anyway.
"Miss. Reynolds, we have options, please." Sue tried to calm me down. "Treatment for the leukemia is your best bet. The cases before were years and years ago - in fact the last case was in the early 1900's. We have modern technology, we have..."
My ears shut down. I didn't want to listen anymore.
Calm down. Take a deep breath in and calm down. You have over two hundred thousand people with the jobs at risk if you don't look after yourself. You can't be selfish. You can't ever be that selfish.
No, I couldn't. I had responsibilities. I was the chairman, owner, of a large company with billions of dollars at stake. I had yet to donate money to charity.
I hated them. I hated being a part of them. It was their DNA that was killing me.
"What's the success rate of curing the cancer?"
"In adults, it is on average a 65% chance of survival. We can start treatment for you as soon as you need us to," Sue's hand squeezed. "I'm going to do my damn best to make sure you are one of those survivors."
"Do they know?" I whispered, turning away from her to look out of the window.
"Does who know?"
I turned back to Sue. "My family."
She shook her head. "I'm a doctor. You have no next of kin so I can't disclose anything to anyone unless you ask me too."
"Good. Please see that it stays that way." I bit my lip. "I need to be discharged."
"I don't think that's a good-"
"I'm the head of a billion dollar company! I need to sort my life out first before I can take time off!"
"Okay," Sue stood up, releasing my hands. "I won't argue with you. I can tell you that it is my advice that you stay here under watchful eye, but I can't force you. Give me twenty minutes to get your papers ready. I'll get someone to bring the phone to you so that you can make calls. In the meantime, please don't over exert yourself. Regardless of the leukemia, you need to remember that you have just had a heart attack."
I nodded silently.
She walked out of the hospital room and left me alone with my thoughts. How was I being so calm about this? I mean...I was really calm. Even the beeping of my heart monitor stayed even, never jumping at all. I had heart attack. My body was attacking itself. My blood was tainted. I knew.
Red blood would be the death of me.
I had a list formed in my head - the blacklist. It was the list that I put people on when I could no longer trust them. Added to that list now was:
Crick and his wife.
Eric, Angela and Mary.
Hilary.
Jolene.
Jolene knew. That was why she was edgy when I asked about Eric. She was now blacklisted. Instead of calling her like I usually did, I called Angie at front desk and asked for a town car to pick me up from the hospital. She was under instruction that my discharge from hospital be kept secret. I left the hospital at just past eight am that morning, feeling wobbly, ill and...Disgusting. I needed a shower. Sue told me that the last of my visitors, the traitors and the dogs, had left late at night and since visiting hours opened again at ten am, I missed any unwelcome visitors.
Sue wouldn't say a word about the cancer - or how to break the bond. If Hayden found out and decided that he did want to break the bond, I would have to force myself into transitioning - killing myself prematurely, if the cancer didn't get to me first.
I took the longest shower known to man, woman, child...dog. I worked the stress away and forgot the worries I had already faced. I need to sort out my priorities for the next few days.
The agenda:
#1: Sort out affairs at work
#2: Eat my body weight in ice-cream and chocolate.
#3: Cut them al off. No one is to be trusted.
#4: Visit Marc.
The heel of the Prada's I wore clicked and clacked on the marble floors of the building I owned. The designer shoes went with the black pencil skirt and black blouse I wore. I knew word had already spread. I read it in the newspaper on my way here. I was very rarely seen in the public eye. The picture that accompanied the article was one of me attending a gala for Women's day.
Chairman Em Reynolds hospitalized after fit.
It was disgusting and the journalism diabolical. They had referred to it as a fit. It was heart attack, assholes.
Security Guard Travis looked at me in shock when I passed the desk without signing in. in fact, although it was only eleven am, it was still pretty quiet in the lobby and the few people that were in the lobby stood to do a double take at me.
Mind over matter.
That's what Marc used to say when I need to get something unpleasant done. 'If you hate it, bite your tongue and think of something better when you're doing it'.
I was the only one in the elevator on the ride up to my floor. I always acted pleasant around people. Today, I was pissed off and in a dangerous mood. When the doors opened to my level, I walked out and stopped, taking a look around me to make sure everything was normal. When I confirmed that the rest of my world as still standing, unlike my personal life, I walked out onto the office floor and hunted down Janine from HR.
I was replacing the people on the blacklist.
I walked into the HR's office unannounced. The men and women held their breath and stared, shocked. I knew why. They were currently in a game of paper basketball.
"When you're done being childish in my office, on my time, you can do what you're paid for." I spoke, glaring at Janine - HR Manager.
"Yes, Miss. Reynolds."
"I have a few requests. I need a new assistant. Find me one ASAP and place Jolene with someone else - I hear that Joel in recruitment needs one."
Janine wrote down my requests furiously while a few others cleaned up the mess they had made quickly.
"I need a new driver, again, ASAP. Crick is to be placed somewhere else within the business." I watched Janine's scrawny hands write on the pad.
"And lastly, Eric. I no longer need him as advisory. Ask him to return to his position at the executive's desk immediately. All three are to have the same salary as they are on now. Review their contracts and make sure they have no detriment to their personal lives."
But of course, if they so wished, they could wreak havoc on mine. It's not like I could stop them anyway.
"Please find them now and make sure they do not disturb me in the office. Please ask someone from security to sit outside my office, behind my new assistant's desk. I am not to be disturbed." I turned to leave but stopped, catching Janine make rude gestures behind my back. "You like your job, right?"
Janine nodded. "Yes, Miss. Re-"
I stopped her. "Then why the fuck wouldn't you wait until I was out the door first before cursing me behind my back? In fact, you know what? Don't answer that." I turned to leave. "I have enough frustrations in my life right now and I don't need a man/stroke woman with bad facial hair in HR pissing me off today."
I couldn't afford to get angry. I couldn't afford another heart attack.
I worked through the day, until I could stand it no more. After being holed up in my office for more than six hours, only speaking when my new assistant, George, brought me food, I went home. I talked with Ed, the bellboy again, when he accompanied me on my elevator ride up. I found out he was a history student, making a living whilst helping his mom raise a few bucks. Education could be classed as charity, right? I'd pay off his school fees and set him up.
I went straight to bed after getting home - my second actual night in my home. I fell asleep before my head even hit the pillow.
And dreamed of the Mighty White She-Wolf all night long.