Chapter 5:
Passing by once again through the hallway, the rooms seemed to already be dimly light. Meaning that the operations or treatments that the Doctor saw before had now ended. And the ones being treated are now sleeping peacefully, though still being kept alive by miniature to full-body contraptions. The Doctor just sighed in exhaustion. How long can their lives afford them to live? How much more medication will they go through just to wake up tomorrow for a cure?
These thoughts had haunted him so. An unusual spiral of emotions it had been for the Doctor. Truly, it was odd. But seeing how many countless patients there are in this large facility, there is a supposed need for a cure now. Especially if more were to come to Rhodes Island; that would start to be out of hand on its own.
Down a few more rooms, past clear glass panes and a few more sleeping infected, the Doctor eventually reached his office. The light closed just like as it was when he was still dozing off an hour ago. However, he was confused. Where did Amiya go now? Reluctantly, he entered his office, making no sound if there were anything inside that would be disturbed. He felt his way through, being shone the way by a faint white light across the far right of his office. Past the sofa, the low rectangular table, and some objects lying around on the floor, he arrived on his table. But as he did, he realized something. The papers that were once scattered from where he stood were now gone, and the messy paper on his desk is now properly stacked together. On his desk stood not many mounds of paperwork, unlike before.
But the question still stands, has Amiya gone back to her dorm?, he thought. Checking back on his sofa, he only felt the softness of the cushion. Thinking if she would have thought of sleeping instead there. But then knowing her, she isn't exactly as immodest to suddenly sleep on someone's sofa. And so instead, while he slowly moved back to his desk, he slowly moved down his hand near his desk and felt something silky and fine, just like hair. Moving up his hands a bit to the left, he felt something furry that seemed like it was a celery with fur.
He sighed, "This isn't the kind of sleep I was talking about, Amiya. But either way, thanks a lot".
He then proceeded to move off the chair a bit, grabbing her hands and scooping her up from the chair. The Doctor then carried her on his two arms, her back facing down while she still slept. She isn't that heavy, he thought. Slowly, he walked towards the sofa and carefully began to lower her down on it. Her head laid down on the sofa's arm, tilting a bit to the right as she positions herself to sleep. The Doctor placed her arms down just beside her waist and her two legs just next to each other. Having a feeling that something's missing, he then took one plump pillow that sat on the individual sofas right near the rectangular table, and carefully squeezed it between Amiya's head and the sofa's arm. As for one last thing, the Doctor entered his personal room, built on the other side of his office. It was only separated by a thick wall and an opaque glass door. In it, he approached one of his closets and picked up from his own clothing a fuzzy blanket.
Walking back to Amiya, he unfolded it and placed it over her sleeping figure. She seemed to react from a sudden warmth that enveloped her but then she suddenly felt at ease, grinning contently.
Satisfied, the Doctor decided to take some rest and call it a day. But he stopped to look by his office's doorway when a voice said, "Never thought I'd see Amiya snuggled easily on your sofa".
Surprised but relieved that she was nowhere, he began, "Dr. Kal'tsit, I'm glad that you're here, this mission-"
"Shh", she cut him off, placing her finger near her mouth then pointed towards Amiya who was sleeping.
"Oh, right", he whispered.
"We'll talk outside your office", she replied softly, taking her to leave and just standing by the Doctor's office wall.
The Doctor then looked down at Amiya and then softly pat her head. Hardly making her move and flinch while she slept. After fixing up the blanket he placed over her, he slowly walked towards the door so as not to trip over or bump into anything on his way. And in not more than a minute, he slowly closed the door behind him as he is now face-to-face with a greenish-white hair woman in lime clothing, that probably looked at him irritatingly. Just him, for that matter.
Towards other people, Kal'tsit didn't seem to be in a more annoying mood than how she looks at the Doctor. There would be hints of her grinning a bit, but she usually puts up a more serious expression, like that of a pre-occupied professional. Nevertheless, the Doctor could still feel her intimidation even if she isn't exactly mad at him.
So to break the tension, he cleared his throat, and began again, "Dr. Kal'tsit, I was just about to go see you actually".
"Be grateful I even came here in person", she replied. "I got impatient of waiting so I here I am now".
"Sorry about that", he mumbled a bit quietly.
"Never mind", she told him. "But taking care of my student is an apology I can accept".
"Re-really?", he babbled like a desperate person.
However, she brushed it off and turned away to look and stare at the empty hallway. "Anyway, your task tomorrow is a Cargo Escort. It seems that Miss Swire has already informed you the gist of it but not the whole picture of the operation."
The Doctor nodded in agreement.
Kal'tsit then explained to him the full plan of tomorrow's Cargo Escort. She continues, "You'll be delivering about five hundred grand worth of Lungmen dollars from a bank here in Lungmen to another bank in Kazdel. The trip isn't that far but assuming that Reunion is up against you during your 'road trip', it might be a bit of a ride for you and your team".
"Do I plan out my squad or is it already arranged for me?", the Doctor asked midway.
"Just let me finish first", she frowned. "But yes, you will be planning out your squad for this mission. All I have to say is that you can't bring up to more than eight operators since you can't fit all twelve in an already large armored car."
Inside the Doctor's thoughts, he started to feel motivated and energized. But now, he has to pick and choose from his squad who will be included in this delivery mission. Although eight operators might already sound like it's already a solid team, it's still a handful on who's to be chosen.
"Don't get too excited", she warned, not even guessing if she knew he was. "As much as this operation might sound like the past ones, there's no knowing what Reunion might have up against their sleeve or maybe even something else more worse than Reunion."
"Whatever it is, rest assured that I won't make this operation a failure", he declared to her, sounding a bit more positive than her warning him.
"Hmph. Do as you wish, as long as it does go well", she concluded in a calmer tone. Kal'tsit then excused herself and she began to walk away from the opposite direction of where the Doctor passed through.
"Oh, I forgot", she stopped, grabbing the Doctor's attention.
"What is it?"
"Amiya's pre-occupied tomorrow so you can't include her in the mission".
"And... you decided that just now or...?", he mumbled.
"And if I did?", she looked back at him with her sharp eyes gazing at him.
"Not to worry, Dr. Kal'tsit. It's fine either way".
And just as the Doctor had finished, he heard the sound of heels clicking on the floor. 'Well, there she goes', he thought. She could have had a bit of humor from time to time but realizing that she was Dr. Kal'tsit, it seems that humor is not in her dictionary.
With a sigh, he went back into his office and closed the door behind him. He viewed everything inside the room before he thought of moving an inch. The dimly light wall-light near the door to his personal room, the air conditioner filling the coldness of the room, and his mellow assistant sleeping soundly. There isn't more than what he could have wanted. But he realized that his days were slowly approaching something. Something that he hopes wouldn't have had to happen. But with all the tension that that time would give, he'd want to take a breather for now. For the least, a time spent with his squad and even with the people working in Rhodes Island.
And so the Doctor slowly walked towards his desk and then gently sat on his office chair. He is faced by his room again, still cool and dark. He felt the flowing winds coming out from the air conditioner and started to feel a bit more drowsy. He coughed, puffing out a small cloud of visible air, then closed his eyes.
Just like before, he rested once again. His head leaning back, resting on the office chair's head support, while his two arms on both the chair's arms. Since Amiya slept on the sofa, this is the only comfortable kind of bed he had in his room. Besides, it was a gift from Kal'tsit when he was renovating his office.
