FORGOTTEN HEART

Chapter 3: The Doctor's Secret

MIRA POV

The face of Konstantin is altered upon seeing the man. The coldness of all his eyes is translated to something. Fear. I have never heard of the ability of the strong man to appear fearful. It causes me the motion that I am standing on the ground shaking.

No, no, says Konstantin.

"Yes, now. We need to talk. Alone," the man in the suit says. He is looking at me with a full, worrying eye. Like he feels sorry for me. Like he knows something bad.

Konstantin doesn't move. The male character walks out and I can see that his hands are trembling. He is perspiring despite the coldness of the house. Something is very wrong.

Konstantin tells me to go to bed, Mira. His voice is tight. Controlled. As though he has something to restrain.

I want to argue. I want to demand answers. But there is something in his look that tells me not. I slowly nod my head and look over at the bed. I rested on the blankets despite the pains on my ribs. I can hear their footsteps on their way down the stairs.

I waited for a few minutes. I can hear the sound of my heart like I am hearing it in my ears. Then I get up. My ribs are crying out to me and I do not notice. I go to the door and open ajar. The hallway is empty and dark. I come to the stairs holding the wall to avoid falling.

Sounds of some people are heard down the hall. I move quietly. Very subtly, so that I scarcely know whether to breathe or not. I creep closer to the door. It's slightly open. I can peep at them with the c***k.

Konstantin sits in an enormous chair. The suit man is on his feet. He looks like he might be sick. His face is gray.

I could not continue with this, the man says. I wake up every day and I reflect on the things I did. Every day I think about her. It's eating me alive."

"You signed a contract. You promised not to tell anybody," Konstantin tells him. His voice is dangerous. Like a knife.

"I know what I agreed to. But I was wrong. You were wrong. What you had me do was wrong, says the man. His voice cracks. "She's suffering, Konstantin. She is in pain, and she does not even know the cause of that pain.

My hands go cold. I have no idea what he is talking about. What did this man do to me? What does Konstantin know?

"The money was enough. A sufficient amount, Kreplin, says Konstantin.

There is no sum of money that can be enough of this. I'm a doctor. I took an oath. I was meant to assist people and not harm them, the man says. He's crying now. His face is streaming down with tears. "She needs to know the truth."

Konstantin can stand up very quickly. His chair falls backward. You just tell her anything and you regret it all your life. I promise you that," he says.

The doctor steps back. He looks terrified. However, he also appears, as if he made his choice. As though he had finally made the right decision even though he is afraid of it.

I'm telling her, the doctor tells her. "I'm telling her everything."

Konstantin moves toward him. I think he's going to hurt him. However the physician raises his hands.

I will go to the police William, touch me. And this time I shall present them with the real truth about everything, says the doctor.

They stare at each other. The room is quiet to an extent that I can even hear my clock on the wall ticking.

Then Konstantin steps back. He arranges his hair with a hand. He looks broken. It was a crackle in him, as though he were cracking.

"Get out," he says quietly.

The doctor nods. He walks toward the door. I panic. He's going to see me. I spin about and go sprawling up the stairs. My bones are aching to an extent that I wish to scream but I do not. I go to the bedroom and slip under the blankets just when I hear people walking down the hall.

The doctor walks past. I hold my breath. I spend time until I hear the front door open and close. Then I wait longer. My whole body is shaking.

What was he talking about? What did they do to me? But what does the doctor know that Konstantin does not want me to know?

I get out of bed again. On this occasion I look through the room. I open drawers. I look in the closet. Nothing. Everything is empty. There is no one really living, as it is. Similar to this room but window dressing.

Then I see it. There is a little night table-drawer. It's shallow and easy to miss. I open it and my heart stops.

There's a key inside. Small and silver. And this is followed by a note in handwriting of which I know. My handwriting.

It says: "Open the box. Remember."

I pick up the key with shaking hands. I look around the room. Where is the box? I start searching again. I look under the bed. Behind the curtains. In the back of the closet.

Finally, I found it. A rather small chest of wood hidden beneath the bed frame. My hands are trembling as I insert the key in the lock and open it. The lid opens.

Inside are letters. Dozens of them. And everything in my own handwriting. Each of them was to Konstantin.

I pick it and begin to read the first one. Those are the words which I do not remember writing. But the love in them is real. So real it makes me cry.

I read about a man I loved. About kisses and promises. Of some future which we were going to construct. About how safe he made me feel.

Nonetheless I recall none of this. I don't remember loving him. I don't remember any of it.

I hear footsteps coming back up the stairs. Heavy and fast. Angry.

Konstantin's voice calls out from the hallway.

"Mira? What are you doing?"

And I realize he's about to find me holding the letters. The letters that prove he's been lying to me the whole time.