Doug, Fanny, Natalie: characters from the manga.

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CHAPTER 3: After Rockford

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Around a year later... In New York…

Terry was running late to his rehearsal. He just had a commercial photo shoot for Rolex that took longer than planned. After the day Terry thought he saw Candy in Rockford, he had been working seriously. The hard work paid off, his career was rocketing up and he's a well known actor now.

Without even having time to breath, he took off his suit and stormed into his private office.

"Good morning Terrence," greeted his personal assistance at the door.

"Morning, Gertrude," replied Terry. "I am late. No phone calls. No guests!"

Without waiting for Gertrude to answer, Terry had rushed into the changing room. The costume designer dressed him up then he had a team of makeup artist working on his appearance. It wasn't long before Gertrude came and knocked at the door.

"I said no interruption," said Terry without turning, reading the script at the same time.

"Including from Candy?" asked Gertrude softly.

Terry looked up and smiled. "Candy?" They just talked this morning. He laughed gleefully in silence. "Well then... "

Gertrude winked.

Terry glanced at the clock. "Would you tell everyone that I'll be late," said Terry as he picked up the phone next to him. He nodded curtly for everyone to leave the room.

"I will, Terrence," said Gertrude before she closed the door behind her.

"Freckles?" said Terry.

"Hi Terry! I know you're busy, don't get mad at Gertrude. Albert said he invited you to his daughter's christening and you will come. Is that true?"

"Yup, I will come." Terry smiled to himself hearing Candy yell excitedly. "But perhaps a week or two after the christening."

"Great! But why so late?"

"I have a new show to do. Already signed the contract," explained Terry.

"Oh Terry, that's great. Albert is so happy to have his old friend comes for a visit!"

"Albert never mentioned that he had a girlfriend. Last week suddenly he showed up in my office, invited me to lunch. Then he told me that he's all married and had a daughter. What kind of friend is that?" Terry snorted.

Candy laughed. "That's Albert… Quiet and private. Glad that you can make the time to come here, though!"

"Of course! I won't miss the world to meet Albert's new family. What is his daughter's name again?"

"Jen. His wife is Ira. She is a year older than us in St. Paul."

"Great! We can have more gossips to laugh at about sister Gray!"

"No kidding!" Candy giggled. "We'll talk again later!"

"You bet!" Terry was smiling when they hung up. Candy always spiced up his day.

The rest of the day moved smoothly. Terry did rehearsal, it ran longer than expected, but he didn't mind it at all. He loved acting. When he was back in the office, it was already dark and late. Gertrude greeted him.

"Hi Terrence," said Gertrude, standing at Terry's opened door. "I have booked a train ticket for your incoming Chicago visit." She reached out on an envelope and gave it to Terry. "It'll be on Thursday afternoon in your favorite compartment."

"Super," said Terry.

"The Chicago Broadway director called. He asked if you have read through the contract and decided if you wanted to move there. He's so eager to have you join them."

"I'll do that soon."

"You could visit him in Chicago. Let him show you around. Maybe that helps you decide," murmured Gertrude. "Just a thought."

"A fine thought actually," praised Terry generously. "I'm seriously considering moving to Chicago."

"Your fans here will hate that!" Gertrude laid a pile of paper on Terry's desk. "And here is today's mail. Is there anything else you need?"

"That would be all for today. Thanks Gertrude."

"Good night!" Gertrude said and left the office.

Terry picked up the tickets and stared at the word Chicago. How many times he had gone there but always missed Candy. This time he would meet her! He then scooped his pile of letter to put them in his suitcase and take them home but one name on the top envelope stopped him.

Mrs. Marlow?

Terry picked up the letter and examined it. It's not her handwriting. He felt strange. Putting all his stuff back on the table, he tore the envelope open…

oOo

In Chicago…

Candy knelt beside her patient's cot in the hospital corridor. The hospital was swamped with sick patients that they didn't have enough bed inside the wards. Cots were put in the hallways even that all were fully occupied with some patients lay on the floor. She pulled the thermometer to read his temperature. He's as roasted as he looked. A miracle had to happen for him to see tomorrow's sunrise. Candy took off his wet clothes, changed it with dry ones and covered him with piles of warm blanket to make the much needed sweat.

"He didn't look good," whispered Natalie who came to replace Candy's shift. "We have dozens more patients today, I heard."

"It increases every day," sighed Candy. She called her patient's name softly, encouraging him to drink and finish his water.

"Are you done with this row?" asked Natalie.

"Only up to number eight." Candy made notes on her clipboard and gave it to Natalie.

"You can go, I take over," said Natalie.

Candy lingered for a while longer to double check if she missed anyone. It's so easy to overlook someone in such an overcrowded narrow corridor. Not until she made sure that no one was forgotten that she took her leave. She took off her mask, gloves, and white jacket. Carefully she scrubbed her hands and arms with a disinfectant soap before she left the hospital.

Annie and Patty were already waiting for her in her apartment. Candy took one clean shower with soap before she welcomed them in the table for dinner. Their conversation started with random topics commonly spoken among the best of friends.

"Guess what? Terry will come a few weeks after Jen's christening," Candy said after they finished their dessert.

Annie's ears pricked. "You're talking again with Terry?" She prompted.

"Why not? I am in touch with all of my friends. Tom, Jimmy, Fanny, Doug, ... anyone including Terry," replied Candy lightly.

"You're not in touch with Neal," quipped Annie.

"Neal is not my friend," returned Candy dryly.

Patty chuckled watching the two. "Archie said Neal might come to the christening too."

Candy groaned. They laughed.

"Doug is the rare one. He has been with the Leagans long before you got there," said Annie.

"Yup." Candy passed grapes to her friends.

"Who's Doug?" asked Patty.

"The chef in the Leagan mansion. We met him last week when we had lunch with mom and Aunt Sarah, " explained Annie.

"We went to his wedding in their cottage. The one you said was lovely… They have a lot of vegetation in the garden..."

"Ah! I remember… That wedding was the loveliest I've ever attended. Yeah, I like Dough. His wife is adorable, too," said Patty. She peeled some grapes and swallowed them. "He's one of the nicest and most patient men I have ever met."

"Obviously if her can stand that family," Candy pooh-poohed.

"Back to Terry," cut Annie, impatiently. "I always wonder if Terry saw you in Rockford."

"Yeah, me too. Don't know though. I never ask," replied Candy.

"We all know how you felt about him," said Annie candidly. "You still like him?"

Terry was obviously the best compared to her other current male friends. But after what happened how could she answer such a question? She was in love with her prince of the hill, Anthony, then Terry but it was Neal who proposed!

"Just do one thing a step at the time. Enjoy what we have and count our blessing every day," said Candy, philosophically.

They heard a knock at the door.

"Your order arrived, Ms. Candice," the servant said. She entered carrying a cute little white basket with a big white ribbon tied around it.

"Thanks, Beth. Look what I bought for Jen, girls. My gift for her christening." Inside the basket there's a little cross, illustrated bible, a set of baby white little towels, and a card.

"Cute! Nice!" said Annie and Patty. For a while the two of them were admiring the basket and its content. They flipped the pages of the bible with interest.

"Will you marry Terry?" asked Annie. She put the book back in the basket and rearranged everything nicely.

"He needs to ask me first," snapped Candy.

"So stiff! Don't you see how hysterical his fans are around him? You have to be quick before one girl stole him from you!"

"Look, Annie, I'm going meet Terry first then decide." Candy set the basket aside and picked up a newspaper. "I have to! I'm grown up and not living in fairy tale land anymore. I'm sure he is too. Seriously, there are many more important things to worry about. This influenza for example." Candy pointed to the large headline about influence virus in today's paper. "Spanish Flu: Deadlier than the World War…"

"Or here." Patty picked another page and read the article aloud. "'Orphans from Bristol Bay.' Look, so many children become orphans. They lost their parents from that disease!" She pointed to the photo under the title.

"Oh my God!" Candy stood up and paced to stand next to her friend. "So many of them."

"Poor poor kids," murmured Annie.

They forgot about Terry entirely. Candy and Annie instantly thought of Pony's home. They felt lucky that the flu spared the Pony's home. They just went to visit there last week and Ms. Pony, Sr. Lane and all the children were doing fine.

"Yeah, it's awful," said Patty, her eyes fixed on the newspaper. "And here again. This is in Sweden."

The two girls shuddered looking at fuzzy picture on the front page where everyone wore masks.

"They started to enforce us to wear masks too in our hospital," said Candy.

Annie looked at the small advertisement on the side. "Be a nurse!" she read and looked inquiringly at Candy. "Is your hospital in shortage of nurses?"

"Yes, severely. We have already lost many nurses and doctors because of the war and now this virus came claiming more life." Candy sighed, shaking her head. The danger seemed closer than ever. She thought it'd get better with time. It's not!

"It's so dangerous for you Candy," whispered Patty. "Aunt Elroy said Albert will evacuate with his whole family to a private island. You should go with them."

Annie nodded. "Archie is very worried too about this," said Annie. She rubbed her pregnant belly. "He wants to take us to a private island in the pacific ocean. That place had no single influenza incident reported. It's highly quarantined area we need to get permission to enter. He's also considering St. Helena. According to his parents, they have no case of influenza there either."

"Archie is very nice to you," said Candy. She squeezed her pregnant friend's hands.

"He is," said Annie. Her eyes were brimming with tears of joy.

"Go with them Candy. It's too scary to work in the hospital at this time," encouraged Patty.

"Yes. Come with me Candy," begged Annie. "I'm so worried about you."

Candy shrugged. "It's a nurse's job to take care of the sick."

"But you can work in a safer location, say those islands in the pacific ocean," argued Patty.

Candy leaned back in her chair and exhaled. "Well…"

Before Candy could continue, the phone rang.

"Excuse me." Candy got up to answer the phone.

"Yes it's Candy here. Oh hi Jimmy. How are - What? No!" Candy's face turned very pale. Annie and Patty held their breath watching her. "What happened? Oh no... dear me... It's terrible terrible… No No! Poor Sr. Lane... the children. Nasty influenza! What about Ms. Pony….?" Candy sobbed. "No.. no… This is very sad. Yes, we are alright. Thanks Jimmy for letting me know. Yeah, I'll be fine. Take care."

Crying, Candy slowly put down the phone. She looked at her friends to say something before she choked, couldn't speak, and put her face in her palms, crying.

"What happens?" burst Annie, looking at Candy in terror.

-To be continued-

NOTE: Those stuffs in the newspaper are HISTORICALLY real. The orphans, medical staffs shortage, life lost, etc. Also: To let patients drink LOTS of water and make them sweat.

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Thanks for reading, my friends. Without your support, this won't be as fun.

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Neal will come soon. Very soon :( Please be patient. I try to be exciting later.

THANK YOU!