The Ultimate Assassin

7

Inside the ward, Sara had fallen asleep slumped over the edge of the bed, her textbook having slipped to the floor. Dad was watching her, a warm, affectionate smile on his weathered face. At the sound of the door opening, he glanced up. Seeing Xavier, he quickly pressed a finger to his lips, gesturing for quiet.

Catching his meaning, Xavier stepped inside lightly, closing the door without a sound. He tiptoed over to the bed and whispered, "Dad, feeling any better?"

The old man nodded. "I'm fine. Xavier... where have you been these past eight years? Have you been keeping well?"

Xavier fell silent for a moment before replying, "Let's not talk about that right now, Dad. I brought some oats. Have a bite to eat."

Knowing the boy didn't want to drag up the past, Dad didn't press the issue. He glanced at the sleeping Sara and sighed heavily. "She's a poor thing, this one. Her parents were killed in a car crash, but she never saw a penny in compensation. The insurers claimed her parents were entirely at fault for the accident. Absolute rubbish."

Xavier looked at the young girl, then turned back to his adoptive father. "You've worked yourself to the bone these past few years, Dad. Now that I'm back, you can stop all this hard labour. It's time you enjoyed a proper retirement." He began pulling the takeaway boxes out of the plastic carrier bag. "By the way, have Eldest Brother and Third Brother not been back to see you?"

"They have," Dad replied. "But they've got their own families to look after now. I'd only be a burden if I moved in with them. Besides, I couldn't bear to leave all my old neighbours behind."

Xavier’s eyes reddened. Such was the boundless heart of a parent. Even though none of them were his flesh and blood, Dad had sacrificed everything to raise them. To this ragtag group of orphans, he was undoubtedly the greatest man alive. Handing over a carton of food, Xavier said firmly, "Whatever you say, I'm not letting you go back out there to scrape a living. From now on, I'm taking care of you."

The old man didn't take the food. He looked at Sara instead. "Give it to Sara. I haven't got much of an appetite. The poor lass hasn't had any dinner tonight. Bless her, she thought I hadn't noticed." He gently patted her head and called out softly, "Sara... Sara, wake up."

Sara slowly stirred, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Dad, you're awake? Do you need some water? I'll pour you a glass."

He shook his head gently. "No, sweetheart. Your Brother brought some food back. Have something to eat."

Only then did Sara notice Xavier standing there. "Brother," she greeted him, before quickly turning back. "I'm not hungry, Dad. You have it."

"I bought two portions," Xavier interjected. "One for each of you. Sara, eat up and then head home to get some proper sleep. I'll stay with Dad tonight."

"No, Brother. You go back and rest. I'll look after him," she insisted.

Xavier smiled softly. "Don't be silly. Dad and I haven't seen each other in eight years; we've got a lot of catching up to do. You don't want to get in the way of our chat, do you?"

Defeated, Sara offered a sweet smile. "Alright then."

After finishing her meal, she said her goodbyes to Dad and headed out. Xavier walked her to the hospital gates. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a couple of red hundred-Won notes and handed them over. "It's not safe out here this late. Grab a taxi home."

"It's fine, Brother, I've got money," she refused.

"Silly girl, there's no need to be polite with me." Chuckling, Xavier gave her no chance to argue. He flagged down a cab, bundled her into the back seat, and told the driver to head to the shantytown. Only after the taxi had disappeared down the road did he turn and walk back inside.

"Xavier, I'm perfectly fine. I don't need a babysitter. You should head home too," Dad said as Xavier walked back into the ward.

Xavier just smiled. "We haven't had a proper sit-down chat in a long time, Dad. It's a rare chance. Let's make the most of it."

"It's a shame we haven't got any booze, then," the old man sighed.

Like a magician pulling a rabbit from a hat, Xavier produced a bottle of strong liquor from his jacket pocket. The two exchanged a knowing grin; some things didn't need saying.

Xavier couldn't remember exactly when he'd drifted off. He and Dad had stayed up late into the night, talking and drinking. Since the old man was still recovering, Xavier had polished off most of the liquor himself. He normally had a brilliant tolerance, but the alcohol had hit him quickly last night. Perhaps it wasn't the drink that intoxicated him, but the overwhelming surge of emotions.

When he woke the next morning, he was surprised to find a white doctor's coat draped over his shoulders. He had no idea who had put it there. Glancing up, he saw Dad was still fast asleep. Smiling faintly, Xavier quietly stood up and slipped out of the room.

After freshening up, he filled a basin with warm water and headed back to the ward. As he walked down the corridor, a nurse approached from the opposite direction. Stopping right in front of him, she offered a soft smile. "You're awake? Did you sleep well?"

Startled, Xavier looked at her and gave a slightly bewildered nod. "Yeah, slept fine, thanks."

"Could I have my coat back, then?" she asked.

Xavier was entirely baffled for a second before he remembered the white coat he'd woken up with. Had this nurse been the one to cover him? He took a closer look at her. She had a sweet, round face, flawless porcelain skin, and a radiantly pure, innocent smile.

In all her years, Lilly had never seen a grown man weep with such raw, devastating sorrow as Xavier had last night. During her usual rounds, she had spotted him drinking and chatting with the old patient. Her initial reaction had been absolute fury; she was ready to storm in and give him a severe telling-off for drinking on a hospital ward.

But the moment she saw him crying like a lost child, her heart completely melted. There was something in his eyes, a deep, buried well of agony. It was obvious this was a man burdened by a heavy past. She knew eavesdropping was wrong, yet she hadn't been able to tear herself away, quietly listening from the corridor as he poured his heart out through his tears until he finally passed out. Once he was asleep, she had fetched a white coat to keep him warm. Looking down at his handsome face, she had found herself inexplicably drawn to him, even reaching out to gently trace the faint scar on his cheek. She was absolutely certain there was a profound story behind this man.

Snapping out of his daze, Xavier chuckled awkwardly. "The coat's in the room. Hang on a tick, I'll go grab it for you."

"I need to do my ward rounds anyway. I'll walk with you," Lilly replied cheerfully.

Never in his life had Xavier felt so tenderly looked after by a woman. Yet, standing before this sweet, petite nurse, he felt an unfamiliar sense of being cared for. For a fleeting moment, the hardened mercenary was as docile as a well-behaved child. Mumbling a soft "Alright, then," he obediently followed her down the corridor.