His Memories of Her

25th

“Are you going now?” Henry’s intern said to him after they finished, they night rounds right after their surgery that took almost most of their days’ time leaving them with no time on their watch but to punch out as soon as they fulfilled their hour quota of the day which they really are thankful because the day went great since the surgery went well and just have to wait till the patient wakes up.

“Yeah, I need to be somewhere tonight.” Henry said before he entered his office.

“A date?” his intern said grinning like he caught him doing something he should not be doing.

“How I wis h it is.” Henry said after a sigh with trace of disappointment in his tone.

“Just how long have you been alone?” His intern asks suddenly.

Henry looked at him for a moment before he said “We are not friends to be having this kind of talk.” With stern trace both in his face and voice.

“I am sorry.” The intern said looking down, avoiding the piercing gaze he has been given by Henry.

“Well, but it would not hurt to let you know. It has been ten years.” Henry said.

The intern turned his head suddenly that he winces in pain to look at Henry with disbelief. He looks at him not sure to believe what Henry just said or take it as a joke like the usual thing he does.

“Is it that unbelievable?” Henry said after taking a look to his intern who went silent that he wondered why so he looks at him.

“Did you think that I will be having girls left and right?” Henry added with feign trace of disappointment.

“No! It is not like I thought of you to be someone like that, but I also never thought that you are not that this much, to the point that you really do not have anyone right now. The serious you, I just selfishly thought that you have someone keeping right now.” The intern said defensively.

“Oh, then I am glad. I do not have anyone but I might have someone I am currently interested about right now.” Henry said with a smile on his face.

“You hear that Dr. Stevens? Dr. Altman is interested in someone. The first time I heard this in 2 years of being his intern.” Henry’s intern said to the passing Catherine.

Henry turned his head wincing in his mind of mind and almost bump his face to his own door when he tries to shut it down. Henry looked at Catherine in surprised.

“Is that so? I guess that is something that will bring chaos in this hospital.” Catherine said in joking tone while smiling cleverly.

“Right? How about you? Which side will you join in to?” The intern said.

“What do you mean?” Catherine said stopping completely and standing in front of Henry’s door as she felt like this discussion would go on longer.

“I mean the side of the people who will be in chaos, or the people like me who would celebrate it? One less rival as of my reason to celebrate it.” The intern said with a triumph smile. While Henry looks at her with full of anticipation on whatever would be her answer to this question.

“Oh, is that it is about? I guess, both?” Catherine said that surprised the intern and Henry and at the same time wonders while looking back at Catherine who is wearing a mischievous smile on her face while leaning on to the wall.

“Both? Why?” The intern said way ahead before Henry could say it himself.

“Yeah both. I might join the chaos side if he invests too much of his time to his girlfriend or to this girl he is interested about and neglect his work. And because of that I would not see another scene just like this morning. And joining the celebrating side is just simply because, he will be too busy to ask me to have a drink with him and Dr. Bailey.” He said after straightening up herself and started to walk away from them leaving Henry and his intern speechless by her.

“She gave us the most unexpected reasons.” The intern said to Henry who is just simply speechless and in daze staring at Catherine’s back for all sort of reasons.

“Specially the one that he has been asking her to go and have a drink.” The intern said with a smirk on his face.

Henry turns his head and looks at his interns mocking smile on his face looking at him and only by then he realized that it is about something his intern just said “Close your mouth. Zip it until you die or else, I will make you brain dead at this very instant.” as he understood the knowing look his intern gave him.

His intern looks at him frightened. He gulped down while his eyes changed their looks into something like they are saying “We got it sir.” As he nods to Henry who nods back before he turned his back and entered his office and closing the door on his Intern’s face.

 “Is it that much of a bother of me asking her to drinks? I mean, I could not think of any other way to ask her out. We are adults so I could not ask her to go to library or just simply ask to go around the city. If ever I ask her to lunch it would be too much of an obvious that I like her if I do that or lunch. Drinking after work as work buddies is certainly the simplest and not that obvious way to do.” Henry said as he walks towards his desk to prepare for punching out.

“Henboy, still taking too long?” The man said from the other end of the call that he just answered.

“No, I am just about to go out of my office.” Henry said.

“Is that so? Then I will just see you at the usual bar you guys from the hospital hangs out.” The man from the other end said.

“Oh, we are meeting there?” Henry said in surprise.

“Is it bad? She said here will be fine.” The man said.

“Said? I thought she is with you?” Henry said in another wondering manner.

“I made her come late since I still have a lot of things to tell you before she comes.” The man said.

Henry stopped from his track of opening his door and just look at it before he said “Do I have to be so cautious of my actions and words?” letting out a pained smile which he could see by his own reflection.

“No, it is just that we have to make our story same, you knew how smart ass she is, even though she lost her memory, some of it, she is still the same.” The man said chuckling a little bit, an awkward one.

“Oh, that is true, she will find out as soon as we start talking. Well then, I will go over as soon as possible.” Henry said while smiling genuinely to the thought of remembering her in the past and a chance to see her still the same aside from the fact that she could not remember him.

“Well then, just come I will stay here.” The man said.

Henry said OK before he hung up the call and take a deep sigh before he twisted his door’s knob to open it and get out of his own office.

“Good work for today Dr. Altman.” A voice he knows very well came around. He looks towards the direction where the voice came from.

“Dr. Stevens. Same for you is it not?” He said with a smile, a happy one like the conversation before he could fully get out of his office did not happen, or it is not a dark subject.

“Thank you. Take care of going home.” Catherine said giving him a smile before she started to walk away from him.

“You too, but still let me accompany you at least until where I could.” Henry said trying to catch up with her.

“Oh, I am not really going home yet, I still have plans for tonight.” She said as they walk side by side towards the elevator.

“Are you going out for a drink?” Henry said with sudden turn of tone in his voice.

Catherine looked at him as they enter the elevator with questioning way and said “Is it bad? Or do I have to ask someone’s permission to do what I want?”

Henry looked at her shock, surprised by the tone of her voice and the fact that what she said is true, he is nobody to ask something like that in the first place. He looks away and gulp down his embarrassment before he said “Sorry. I was out of the line. Then I hope you have a good time tonight.” And waited for her to exits the elevator first and walk behind her.

 Catherine continued to walk so is Henry out of the hospital and even of its vicinity and they did not notice that they have been walking side by side of each other until they both make a turn towards the bar in the dead-end alley which is really famous to the hospital staffs.

“Are you drinking here tonight?” Henry said with surprise, reaching half away from the bar’s doorstep.

“Are you too?” Catherine said in surprise.

Henry nods while they keep taking their steps nearing to the bar as he said “I am, though I am meeting with a man though.

Catherine looks at him before she giggles and said “I am so sorry to hear that.” And look away.

Henry looks at her and smile without even knowing why he feels happy knowing he made him giggle though it was an exchange for his dignity.

“There he is!” are the words that surprised them both. It surprised them because they said it at the same time, perfectly in sync after a moment of opening the bar’s door and search for the people they are meeting with.

They look at each other and smile before they both said again perfectly in sync “See you tomorrow.” And walk towards the opposite directions.

 “Sorry, did I make you wait long?” Henry said greeting the man he is supposed to meet with, the brother of Irene who seems to be surprised by his sudden greeting as he takes the seat in front of him.

“Oh, no, it is fine, I also had fun waiting.” The man said smiling.