RESEMBLANCE
"How is she?" A young woman came in running asking Samuels. I stood and waited for the door to the emergency room to open while they talked.
The fallen woman was wearing a V-neck cotton shirt and shorts. Her red hair was loosely tied and splayed on the floor. Another splash of red-tinted the tiled room, blood—that was the scene that greeted me every time I close my eyes.
This isn't how I imagined things to go when I agreed to meet them. I pinched the bridge of my nose. My pants and suit were smeared with blood. I stripped my suit jacket off and folded it on my arm.
I forgot to mention that the woman woke as she lay on my lap. Her light blue eyes fluttered open and she gripped my hand. She gazed upon me but never said a word until her eyes closed again.
A rare combination.
The two of them sprung up the moment the door opened. It was Samuels who spoke first. "Can we see her now? Is it bad?"
"We checked her for signs of concussion or contusion and other than the lacerations caused by the broken glasses on her right hand, she's fine. But we have to keep her overnight, given her previous troubles, just a little precaution." The doctor excused himself and left us to follow the other nurses wheeling the conscious redhead to a private hospital room.
We stood to the side while they got her settled. Once gone, Samuels ran and got into the woman's face. "What the fuck were you doing?"
"You promised you'd stay on the bed, Sam. Had I known, I wouldn't have gone out!" The young woman added.
It's like two grown women were berating an unruly kid. The kid just happened to be the beautiful redhead.
They kept on going after the woman who just sat there with a goofy grin on her face.
Her head whipped up to me as I neared the bed. I could now again see the unusual eyes look to me.
Samuels asked, "Sammie?"
"Who's that?" Lifting her wounded hand, she pointed a finger at me.
Samuels and the other girl turned to me then back to the redhead. "You see her?"
"Of course she does." I stopped at the foot of the bed directly facing the redhead. "What kind of question was that?"
"The kind they ask when a blind woman suddenly says she could see." The redhead said.
Blind woman?
"You got your sight back?" Samuels asked.
"Not really." Her smile turned to a frown. "It's foggy but at least now there's light."
A blind woman designed the building?
"I'll go talk to the doctor," Samuels said. "Lizzie, don't leave her this time." She ordered the younger woman.
"They already told him about this." The redhead said. "The attending physician called him immediately after I asked that he inform Dr. Lopez. He'll come to check in with me later. He says it's a good sign."
I just stood there trying to take in the information. I was broken from my reverie when a bandaged hand was offered in greeting.
"Architect Samantha O'Callaghan," the redhead made the introduction herself.
Before I could speak, Samuels spoke. "She's Penelope, Mrs. Selena Henderson's daughter." The words were hurried but forced from her mouth.
Her brow shot up as she shook my hand in turn, "Mrs. Henderson's?"
"A pleasure to meet you, Ms. O'Callaghan," I just held her hand carefully.
"I wish I could say 'it was nice to see you.'" She let go of my hand and gave me a genuine smile. "But, I believe we could have met at a better time and it would have been technically incorrect given that I couldn't see you clearly at the moment."
"Sam," Samuels put a hand on her shoulder.
The redhead only gave the hand on her a gentle squeeze. "So, what brought you here?" She continued.
You.
"I don't know if it's the appropriate time for this." I fidgeted. "My mother wanted you to come back and oversee the planning stage of the project."
"I already told you she can't!" Samuels cut in. "She's—"
"Leticia!" The redhead interrupted.
"I guess we have no choice but cancel the deal." My mother would be having my ass for this. "It's a no go then."
What else can I do? I can't force a blind woman to work.
Though I wondered how she managed to design for the headquarters in the first place.
I was about to leave when she called me back. "Wait!"
Dismay was painted all over her face and I immediately understood why that was there.
"Rest assured, your company will still get to work on the headquarters," I added to allay her fears.
"If you have no prior commitments, can I ask you to stay and let us talk this through?" Gone was the trace of the frail woman from before. The woman in front of me exuded confidence.
Frailty mixed in with strength.
She reminded me of someone I know.
I nodded forgetting that she couldn't see. Thinking that I don't agree, she asked again. "Will you, Ms. Hen—"
"Ms. Henderson." Samuels once again butted in. "Penelope Henderson agreed."
Henderson?
She knew my name in full but she purposely called me using a different surname.
What are you playing at, Samuels?
"Great. Thank you." Ms. O'Callaghan said. "Tisha, could you please get something to eat for lunch?"
"Lizzie could get us food." Samuels referred to the young woman. "I'll join you guys."
"No." The redhead said. "You two get us that food and leave us to talk in private."
"Sam..." Samuels sighed. "I am part of the team."
"I know." The redhead nodded. "But, I am your superior so do as I say." She was firm in her words but not degrading.
Samuel reluctantly acquiesced.
"Is there anything you prefer to eat, Ms. Penelope?" The redhead turned her attention back to me.
"I'll go with your choice," I said.
Considering the traffic and lunch hour struggle, she settled for whatever the nearest restaurants offered. She must already be so hungry.
And I was still thirsty. I never got to have that drink and add carrying her running towards the car.
My throat was parched.
Not minding my manners, I walked to the mini-fridge hoping to get lucky in finding it stacked with bottled water.
Yes!
I took one, opened it and drank. The muscles of my throat rejoiced as it was watered down.
That did it.
I am never letting myself go on without drinking water.
I almost choked when I heard her words before Samuels and the girl, Lizzie, left.
When the door closed and another bottle in hand, I stepped closer to the bed but I stayed out of her line of vision—observing her.
She said she wanted hot chocolate with rice crispies.
How could she like the same things my ex-girlfriend does?
How could two different people make me feel like they're one and the same?
Why do I see her in you?
"Pin," she started but stopped. My grip tightened on the bottle.
She also calls me as she did?