The retching sound continues to grow louder than ever over the whoosh of running water.
I slowly turn off the tap. The water halts but the retching doesn't.
It sounded like somebody's suffering. The retching was slightly strained and weak, as it came from someone old. Could someone be sick?
I take a cautious step forward, my heart pounding hard in my ear as I follow the trail of the horrific sound. My footsteps are muffled against the grass below.
Good
I finally catch the sight of dim light from behind a thick banyan tree trunk situated a little farther away from the road.
I keep trotting forward until my feet hit a twig.
Crunch!
A very brittle crunchy twig indeed. Shit.
My head snaps up toward the dim light again. My eyes meet dreary, hollow ones. An old man stand a few feet away from me hunched over a bush, and now staring at me like a ghost. His cheekbones were hollowed out as if all the life inside him had rotten.
His skin was sickly pale, and his chest was heaving as if his lungs were greedily gulping up all the air that he could as if breathing for the first time....or the last.
He leaned heavily against a tree beside him clutching his stomach in pain with his shoulders slumped.
He looked desperate, terrifyingly so and maybe.....even a little scared.
Then, in an instant, he winced again, he clutches his stomach tight and grimaces as if he were in gut wrenching pain-literally. He sharply bends over the bush again and vomits.
Instinct makes me run toward him. The breeze hits my face like a splash of ice-cold water.
I came to a stop a step away from the old man who was still retching, and wincing.
"Are you okay?", I ask concerned
The old man tenses but doesn't answer. He continues grimacing in pain clutching his stomach.
I swivel my head in all directions to check for any sources of clean drinking water or help. But I find none.
The old man coughs loudly. My eyebrows frown, as he doubles over again. I squint my eyes to get a better view of what's going on.
My hands turn cold, as the greenish-yellow tint of the barf comes into view under the dim light. The vile and pungent odour hits next, I instinctively step back covering my nose.
It was ugly, but also undeniably true that the old man was heavily sick.
I need to get him help
"Wait here, let me bring help", I mutter under my breath and sprint away, my eyes still transfixed on the dying old man.
Bump!
Crash!
"Ouch", I yelp while I'm sent straight sprawling to the humbling ground, damp with mud and wet grass. I rub my shoulder fiercely trying to ease out the muscle.
I look up at the thing I bumped into, half-expecting a rough and angry banyan tree trunk but instead my eyes land on weirdly warm eyes, the kind that makes you forget all your defences.
The man who I bumped into was wearing a white coat, with black glasses, he seemed to also hold something like a little blue pouch in his hand.
His other hand held a smartphone with its flashlight on. Though, it was pointed to the ground now and was practically useless.
In the paltry amount of light that fell on his physique, he was indeed very nicely built.
"I'm sorry miss", he says quickly as he throws his hand offering to life me up.
I turn my head swiftly annoyed, and in a single motion, I stand up, dusting out the mud and dust from my pants. "You should watch where you're going", I say firmly.
He smiled nodding his head at me, it was rather more a sneer, the kind that makes your skin crawl and your gut wrench.
Then his gaze shifts to something behind me. My brows furrow as I follow his faze.
The old man.
Right, I need to get help quick, no distractions now Genny. Focus
As I prepare to start sprinting again, the the guy with the white coat moves straight toward the retching shadow.
"I am doctor", he yells
What? He was a—
I sigh a breath of relief as the realisation washes over me. Thank gods
I could barely catch what he was telling the old man. Then doctor, quickly untied his navy blue pouch and pulled out something, similar to a rectangular box.
He quickly shook the box and retrieved a few tablets.
He then pulls out a tiny water bottle from his pouch to hand it over to the old man. The old man looks at him gratefully and gulps down the medication.
Within seconds, the old man is breathing properly again. He gulps down the rest of the water bottle greedily and returns it to the doctor.
The doctor nods warmly at the old man and leads him to a a sturdy rock nearby. He carefully sets him down on the rock.
The old man surprisingly looked much better in a matter of seconds.
I don't get it
"Was that some kind of magical potion?", I mutter
A low chuckle escapes the doctor making me flinch. I turn aside not wanting to make eye contact.
Shit. Did I just say that out loud?
"Yes. you did", he utters and I flinch again
Can he hear my thoughts?
"No", he retorts
"Excuse me?", my voice comes out slightly high pitched
"No, I can't hear your thoughts young miss"
"Hmm", I agree
"What?!", my brain catching up much later, "But, y-you just did!", I say pointing an accusing finger at him
"Well, Its written all over your face", he exclaims
I really should stop wearing my heart out on my sleeve and stop being so impulsive and stupid too and—
My thoughts automatically come to a halt when I my eyes catch something odd... on the rectangular box that was held by the doctor.
The box was just like any other at first sight, a normal box of pills, but it there was something more...
A pair of wings with a sceptre piercing through. Both enclosed in a white circle.
Purpose. Power. Protection
Lucien's future empire
The logo of Nexacore Pharmaceuticals