His Memories of Her

47th

Henry's Pov

I just could not seem to shake off the idea that she is avoiding me. I do not even know what happened, but one thing for sure is I made her uncomfortable. Thinking like this for almost five days today is what seems to be bugging me the most. Thinking the way she suddenly left the other day is off, I mean it is not like her to suddenly change her plans since she always prioritizes her first plan than the one suddenly popped out.

“Good morning Henry.” Dr. Bailey whom I greeted me right now as we meet in the front parking lot said and stopped me from the thoughts I have since I woke up this morning.

“Good morning Dr. Bailey.” I said back as we walk together inside entering the usual door for patients.

“How did that go?” he suddenly said.

I look at him lost which he surely understand and said “I mean the meeting with Dr. Altman, the past.”

“Oh, about that. It went well, I guess.” I simply said feeling like it is something that I could not run away until I get to ask her.

“You guess? What do you mean?” he said as we walk towards the elevator.

“Well, the night was great, I mean I get to tell her some of the happenings in the past until I could not anymore.” I said after sighing while we wait for the elevator.

“Oh, then, give yourself sometime. I am sure she is also waiting for you and I am sure once you get to tell her, she would understand why you felt that hard to come and tell her the rest.” He said with a comforting smile and a pat on my shoulder.

I look at him and smiles as well and was about to open my mouth when we both hear “Dings!” from the elevator which finally came.

“Uncle Bailey!” a child's voice came as soon as the elevator opens half way.

“Ryu!” the old man next to me said with excitement in his tone.

“How are you?” the boy said whom caught my attention as soon as the elevator open up fully.

‘I feel like I know this little guy.’ I said looking at this young boy who is on the same level as my eyesight, smiling and looking so excited.

“I did not know you will be coming.” Dr. Bailey said.

“You know why? It is because this gorgeous lady, Mommy Cath failed to arrive late, so she did not make it like our deal so I have to punish her and by that, I will be sticking to her annoyingly today, for the whole day.” The young man said whom surprised me to how fluent he talks like he is a grown up. After looking at him and listening to him until he finishes talking, only then I shift my gaze to the woman who is carrying him into her arm following his finger which pointed to her.

“I did not notice. Good morning Dr. Stevens.” I said finally found the words to say.

“Good morning Dr. Altman.” She said back smiling to me.

“So, that is why you came without your parents?” Dr. Bailey said before filling the elevator with his laughter.

“Uhhhmmm. And I also came to check on someone.” The young man said. I could not shake the feeling that I have seen him before and I just could not point it with my finger so I am staring at him even though he does not look to the other direction of where he is looking right now, to where Dr. Bailey is.

“Oh, would you mind telling me the name? Maybe I could help. I know everyone in this hospital.” Dr. Bailey said.

“I only know his name, and some details that I heard from daddy when he was talking with mommy.” The young man said.

“Oh, then tell me everything.” Dr. Bailey said.

With their conversation, the ride in the elevator seems to be long. But I like watching this child conversing like he is one of us.

“Daddy said that he is a great man, he is best in what he do but I do not know yet what he does, I am sure he is not good as mommy Cath since no one can be as good as her. And he loves mommy Cath more than anyone else and daddy is OK with him since he is such a caring and kind person.” The young man said that surprised me and unknowingly made me nervous.

Nervous of who is that person trying to get this woman whom I shifted my gaze into wearing an awkward expression, seemingly uncomfortable with the conversation which is happening right now making me feel more and more curious about the person this young man is talking about.

“Oh, I have one person in mind, but I need to make sure so I need his name.” Dr. Bailey said after listening to him attentively and wears a smile like he knows the person they are talking about.

“Can you lean so I could whisper his name? I am not sure if he is around, if he is one of these men we are with.” The young man said.

I feel like my brain is screaming silently saying “No! Do not whisper it. Do not do that! I also need to know!”

“Oh, ok.” Dr. Bailey said as he leans closer to the young man who also pulls Irene away from me and towards Dr. Bailey.

He put both his small hand around his small mouth onto Dr. Bailey’s ears and started whispering. He is so good at whispering that I also hear a murmurs, and feel that my body is inclining closer to them.

“Oh! Well, your daddy is Right. He is a great man. Ask your mommy Cath to introduce him to you. I am very sure you will like him.” Dr. Bailey said.

I feel a sudden danger. So dangerous that I feel like I want to ask as well. But found my self in pinch as I could not bring myself into.

The elevator suddenly dings just like what has been happening every floors, meaning that if no one would get in, someone will get off and this time it is Dr. Bailey’s turn.

“See you around later Ryu, Dr. Stevens and Dr. Henry Altman.” Dr. Bailey said with a smile making me look away from the kid and shift towards him before completely getting off the elevator.

“See you later.” I said, we both said at the same time. Me and Catherine that surprised me enough to make me look at her and sees that the kid is also looking at me.

“Excuse me sir, your name is Henry?” the kid said making me look at him and focuses on him.

I smiled and said “Yes, can I do something for you, young man?”

“Yes, if you it is OK for you to answer another question for me. I did not get to ask you when we first met.” He said that amuses me even more. He is so respectful and so smooth talking.

“When we first met? Sure what is it?” I simply said.

“When I got lost, you were the one who came and saved me. Can you tell me in what department are you?” he said that surprised me.

“Oh, so that is why I felt like I have seen you before. And that is not a problem, I am head of neuro.” I said finally remembered the day I first met Catherine again and the reason that made me gone rude with her.

“So, you works with brains. I am so sorry if I did not greeted you earlier, I did not notice you and only Uncle Bailey.” He said bowing to me apologetically.

I look at Catherine who has been quiet all this time, she is looking away with a nervous kind of expression. I do not know why and thinking of easing her even a bit, I opened my mouth and said to her “So, your brother’s wife is Asian, Japanese to be exact.” With a smile on my face.

“huh? Yeah yeah, she is. Making Ryu a half.” She said after recovering from being lost in her thoughts.

“He is such a great kid, is he not?” I said patting the young man's hair.

He looks exactly like his father in all of his western features and I could guess that the rest are all from her mom, like his eyes.

“Thank you sir, but can I just call you Uncle Henry? Sir is a bit stiff.” He said that surprises me once again. To be thinking it like that is not something in his age would do.

“The pleasure is all mine. You can call me anything you want.” I said feeling so happy that it seems like I have gotten close to this kid.

“Then, nice meeting you Uncle Henry.” He said with cute smile extending his short arm and small hand waiting for mine to shake it as a sign of our acquitances.

I took it and sake it softly while smiling back to him and said “Nice meeting you and hope we could get along great.”

He smiles to me and nod until the elevator dings once again and Catherine takes one step forward, letting me know that she, they need to get off to this floor. Which I need to as well. The elevator doors opens and so I let them get off first before I did. We bid our goodbyes for now and hope to see each other again later in front of the elevator before we walk towards the separate directions as I needed to directly go towards the pediatric wing.

Meanwhile

“Ryu'san? Why are you being such a talker?” Catherine said, talking to young man by calling him in a way Japanese people calls the older person in respectful way.

“Why Cath'san? I did not say anything even though I found out that he is the man daddy is talking about.” Ryu said with both of his hands on his waist as he watches Catherine who is changing in front of him into her scrubs.

“But you have talked too much. And what is with that Uncle? You guys are not even that close for you to be calling him like that.” Catherine said.

It is like she is having a discussion with someone who is on the same age as her when it fact it is a young boy who is only five years old.

“But I could not call him as Oniichan can I? It is the most respectful way of calling him that I know.” Ryu said finally meeting her eyes and quickly attacks her with her pity eyes.

“Well, oniichan is too much, that is really something and yes you could not. But please just please do not let him know that you know anything about him.” Catherine said as he sits in front of the sitting Ryu on her office couch. Behaving like a kid who is afraid of a doctor.

“Well, I guess I should not. I should not add anything anymore from what I just said in the elevator.” Ryu said nodding in agreement with his auntie who smiles at him.

“And I do not think I have anything left to say since I have said pretty everything earlier.” Ryu added in teasing and clever tone.

Catherine’s eyes went wide and gasp as it seems that she just realize that what Ryu said is true. That it happened, that he have said pretty much everything, enough to make the other person to know that the kid, he knows everything.

“But, there is one thing I have not said yet.” Ryu added another thing.

“What is it?” Catherine said, exclaimed frantically.

“His name. Only uncle Bailey knows.” Ryu said cupping his aunties cheek.

“And he seems the dense type, the exact same type like you. So I do not think you have anything to worry about.” Ryubsaid before chuckling.

“Type? What kind of type?” Catherine said who seems to be pretty nervous enough not to feel that her nephew is making a clever remark.

“The dense, the type that if you do not spell it so their eyes could see, they would not get a single thing. So I guess, as long as he does not know the name of the person we are talking about earlier then I guess you will be just fine.” Ryu said frustratedly after sighing and doing his signature posture, the arms cross on her chess and big tummy.