Anderson's POV
The sound of the alarm clock jolted me out of a tired sleep, and with a groan, I immediately turned it off, resting back to continue my sleep.
Slowly, images of my intimacy with Sonia last night began to creep into my head, and my eyes shut open at their own accord, to look at her, but her bedside was empty, and every trace of her was gone.
Strange!
I made to get out of bed but grabbed the cover cloth once I felt cold air on my bare skin, which reminded me of my naked state.
I wrapped the cloth around me, and stepped out of the bed, in search of her.
"Sonia," I called, once I got close to the bathroom, but there was no response or sign of her.
I went back to the bed, in search of my phone, and only then did I notice the written note on the bedside table.
Had the best night last night. Hope to see more of you.
I felt a smile tugging at the corner of my lips as I read the content of the paper, and killed it immediately, tossing the sheet of paper away.
She left already. I said with a sad sigh within me and went back to bed.
********
I woke up for the second time this morning. This time it was to my phone, ringing nonstop.
With sleepy eyes, I answered the call, restoring decorum to the room.
"Hello," I said into the phone, without checking to see who the caller was.
"Anderson." Came Dr Sofia's voice from the other end.
"Sofia," I replied, throwing all formalities to the wind.
"You didn't call in at the hospital today." She pointed out.
"I'm off-duty today, remember?" I replied, my face twisted in disgust still.
"Yeah, but you do check in during your off-duty days." She added.
"Not today, I'm suffering from a slight headache at the moment," I informed her.
"The more reason you should check in at the hospital, is so we can have the headache checked," Sofia said convincingly, and I rolled my eyes.
"There's no need for that, all I need is a lot of rest," I assured her, while I secretly wished the call would end soon.
"Okay then, take care of yourself." Sofia finally said from the other end, and I couldn't be more grateful.
"Thanks for checking up on me," I said with a sneer, and the call disconnected right after.
I rolled out of bed and headed straight to my closet. If I am spending the whole day off work, I need to utilize every second.
I was pleased to find the belt and blindfold from last night hanging in their place.
I stepped out of the closet after wrapping my towel around my naked waist, and headed straight to the bathroom to get my day started.
Sonia's undergarments were hanging loosely on the line. Somehow I knew it was no mistake but a ploy to return to the house.
I smiled inwardly at her pettiness, as they were unnecessary.
After spending some time with Sonia last night, I knew I would always invite her over.
Forcing my gaze away from her panties, I applied some mouthwash to my toothbrush and proceeded to clean my teeth.
Once I was done cleaning my teeth, I took off the towel from around my waist and hung it on the line, purposely, close to the panties.
My bath was quick, contrary to my initial plan, as I needed to fix breakfast and calm my now rumbling stomach.
I pulled at the edge of the towel, and dragged, suddenly wanting to go out of the bathroom.
While I pulled at the towel, the panties fell off the line, and a mischievous smile crossed my lips.
With an unusual carefulness, I picked up the panties and examined it instead, running my hands ever slowly over the tiny rope, and imagining it on Sonia.
When I felt both hardness and hotness between my thighs, I retrieved the panties immediately and stepped out of the bathroom.
I went straight into the closet and selected a stay-at-home Ash clash-colored and a pair of blue trousers.
I headed towards the exit, and my eyes caught my reflection in the mirror. I felt odd to be in clothes other than suits which had become a part of me for a long time now.
Another rumble in my stomach prompted me to the kitchen to fix breakfast.
I decided on my way to the kitchen, to make tea, as it would be the easiest meal to prepare.
In the kitchen, I searched and searched for the mug which I usually use, but I didn't find it.
I decided against calling Sonia to ask her and opted instead for another meal.
Even though there were several other mugs on the shelf, I couldn't bring myself to use them as I had grown so attached to the one whose whereabouts were still a mystery.
Out of frustration, I tried to completely turn off the toaster which strangely was partially on.
When a red light from the toaster continued to blink, I was forced to check inside it, and there, some slices of bread were tantalizingly pressed against scrambled eggs.
Without thinking twice, I strolled to a corner of the kitchen where the microwave was located and opened it.
"Ah!" I said aloud, once I saw the mug inside the microwave.
Again, I felt my heart melt softly towards Sonia, and I wondered just how early she must have woken up to prepare breakfast.
In a few minutes, I was wolfing down the grilled bread, and scooping the hot creamy chocolate down my throat.
Each bite I took of the bread brought flashes of images from last night.
Just as I poured the last of the chocolate down my throat, my phone rang.
It was Mr Crawford.
I answered the call on the second ring, and Crawford's panicked voice came in from the other end.
"He is awake. And he is acting funny. Can you hurry to the hospital?" Mr Crawford said in a single breath.
For the first time since I knew him, I felt a tinge of panic in his voice, and I could bet the situation was beyond his control.
In one single movement, I placed the mug and the saucer in the sink and went straight to my bedroom upstairs in long strides.
While I got out of the casual wear and changed into a suit, my phone continued to ring nonstop, but it was pointless to answer as there was nothing I could do from this end.
I did the only thing I could do which was to hurry, and the next few minutes saw me driving out of my electric gate, at a breakneck speed.
I had no idea what I would meet at MEDCORP but I hoped that for the sake of my reputation, I would be able to handle it.
The car made a screeching sound as I promptly applied the brakes, bringing the car to a stop just in time to avoid a collision with a car coming from the opposite direction.
I kicked the car into motion again, resuming my journey at the same breakneck speed.
Crawford's call came in just then, and I couldn't help the groan that escaped my mouth.
"I'm close already," I said into the phone, without giving Crawford the chance to speak.
I retrieved the phone into my pocket, just as I honked at the gate of MEDCORP.
The gate swung open the next instant, giving room for me to drive in.
Once I stepped out of my car, I was signaled over by a young male doctor whose physique seemed familiar.
I walked straight to him, maintaining my haste, and expecting him to lead the way inside but he didn't.
I looked up at him for the first time to have a proper look at him, and the realization hit me.
"Hello, Dr Anderson." The unmistakable voice of Dr Gilbert called out to me. If he was surprised to see me within the walls of MEDCORP, he didn't show it.
"Ah, Dr Gilbert," I called out fondly, gesturing at him to lead the way.
I couldn't afford to spend half a minute wrongly.
Dr Gilbert, as if sensing my haste, led the way through the hallway at once, while I followed closely behind him, with my eyes darting around in search of the well-built man who should be waiting for me.
As expected, Mr Crawford was waiting at the reception for me. His frequent gazes towards the direction of the private elevator were the act that showed just how unsettled he was.
Once Dr Gilbert sighted him, he motioned me forward, while he headed towards an adjoining door, back to his station of duty.
With long strides, I headed towards Mr Crawford, who now was walking towards the elevator, leaving me to follow behind.
For the first time since I received Crawford's call, I allowed my mind to roam, without exercising any control over it.
In my head, the image of Stuart rolling vigorously inside the medical tank was displayed. I imagined injecting him with another dose of it but shuddered at the thought.
Another dose may lead to his real death as he already had too much of the drug in his system.
OhThe sound of the door brought me back to reality, as Mr Crawford led the way into the hall-like ward.
Contrary to my imagination, Stuart was placed on a chair filled with a rope. With how tired he looked, I could tell he had been screaming.
The sight of Stuart sitting helplessly, and dozing off, caused a bitter taste in my mouth.
"What the hell did you bound him up for?" I heard myself ask the next instant in a surprisingly loud voice.
Stuart, who had been dozing off, jerked at once. Once his eyes caught mine, his face lightened up immediately.
"Dad!" Stuart called, waving faintly at me.