His Memories of Her

9th

“Is that so?” Catherine said to him a little dubious about him although she does not feel  danger in his words, she is just a little unsure of what he wanted.

It is not like she needs to run away from Dr. Bailey all the time, or is it necessary to turn down the old man's offer of kindness. She just could not say yes right now because she has her research going on and needed to be submitted. The people in this hospital does not because this research of for the one she left in Japan. They are still scouting her just in case she suddenly wanted to go back, she knows that she do have a place to return to and she is sure enough that her brother would not be that against of the idea of her staying back in Japan as he knows very well the people that surrounded her when they were still there.

“Dr. Steven?” Henry called out to her for a couple of times now as she is lost in her own thoughts.

“Sorry.” Catherine said softly and apologetically.

“Are you OK?” Henry asked worriedly.

“Yeah, I am fine. I just have something in mind.

“Is it OK if I ask?” Henry said.

“I just suddenly felt bad saying no to Dr. Bailey’s invitation all the time knowing that nobody really wants to say yes.” Catherine said with sincerity in her voice and expression that Henry could see it clearly.

“Well, it is not necessarily bad, you know? I mean to be with the old man. It is just that whenever I say yes, it will always end up with just him and me which is really not a good thing to see considering that I am hoping to find someone.” Henry said with a little of agreeing in his tone.

“Someone?” Catherine said in wonder while looking at him curiously.

“You know, a date?” Henry said in joking tone followed with a short chuckle from him.

“Oh, I did not know. But is it not good to ask him if he knows someone? Given by his good reputation, he might know someone good enough to be introduced to you.” Catherine said.

“Of course he does. I know for sure he have some people he could set me up with. But….” Henry said.

“But?” Catherine said.

Henry looked at her with embarrassment for a moment then he turned the other way around. Catherine stare at him, waiting in anticipation for what will come next after the word but.

“It might be lame for a man in my age to say this, but I feel like I want to have this first meeting as an accident, you know without any intention of meeting someone at all and suddenly I just do.” Henry said with a little lower voice than his usual.

Catherine look at him for a moment before she smiled and said “I did not know that the famous neuro God here is a romanticist.” And a soft giggle from her.

“See? That is why I really should have not said the reason.” Henry said like a pouting kid.

“Sorry, it is just so unexpected but by everything you just said, it will never be accidentally as you have all the means, the purpose of not going out with him because you want to meet someone. So, the accidental way will never occur.” Catherine said pointing out something from what Henry have said all this time.

Henry turned his head hastily towards her and look at the smiling Catherine in front of him. He looked at her for a good amount of time and said to himself “I really will never be able to make an excuse when it comes to you.” And realizing that it is an unusual thought, or more like inappropriate towards the person he is talking about and the person in front of him.

“I guess you ate right, and maybe the right thing to say is that I want to once again find someone like how I met someone in the past.” Henry said with a solemn face looking towards Catherine who is wearing a wondering expression.

Henry's flashback

Another first day, the third first day I had in high-school. First day of first semester in my second year and just like what I did last semester. I woke up early to do my early morning before school routine and walk towards the school where I will meet my best friend halfway.

“Morning chick.” Michael said greeting me as soon as I appear in front of his house where he exited just now.

“Have I not told you yet that you should stop calling me that?” I said with an early frustration towards this idiotic friend of mine. He kept calling me this nickname which he got in a round about way from my name.

Henry that when you take the first three letters will say hen which is really a chicken in another term. He is a genius in this which I could not say anything anymore but he is an i***t that he calls me this name even in public and thanks to him, everyone in our class year have known me as the chicken.

The only thing that is going against it is that I am handsome enough to be famous with every girl in school is calling me this name when they should be the one to be called chicks. 

“No need sir, you have been telling me for the past ten years but what do I do, I have not found yet a new one to replace it. So, just sit tight and relax for I the awesome Michael will surely come for another one that will surpass it.” He said in joking tone as he threw his arm around my should and giving me a pat on it as we finally started walking towards the school.

“I will be going now.” A cute voice is what came when we pass this one house that has been vacant for five years and surprised me.

“Irene?” Michael exclaimed that when I follow his gaze as he stops walking, he is looking towards the source of the voice.

A petite girl which is pretty tall as she seems to be just few centimeters shorter than me and Michael when she came over with my eyes following her. Hazel nut brown eyes, raven black hair with literally white complexion and a little freckles on her cheek that goes over her small nose tall the way to her other cheek that made her look so cute specially with a smile she is wearing while talking with Michael.

I could not clearly hear what they are talking as I am busy enough looking at her and just observing her in every move she does. The blinking her eyes do, her smiles that would curve up from time to time and her habit of rubbing the tip of her nose and her heavenly cute, small and low voice that when she giggles is just so tickling in my ears.

“So how is it being back?” Michael said as we started walking, all three of them with her being in the middle of the both of us.

“Great although it has been a long time.” The girl named Irene replied. “And I did not know there are still people that I did not know.” She added looking at me. Although I did not really see it, I could feel it and on the edge of my sight, I just see a smile curving on her face.

It is even brighter than the sun rays hitting us even with just a little amount of her smile I could see, I really do know for a fact that it is even way brighter than the sun.

“Well, it is not like you have met everyone around here. You have been here for a while only, for a while that your parents lets you out of your house and worst is that when they passed away your brother brought you away from here. Thankfully that my brother knows him that I got to know you. And since you are here again, let me introduce to you. Chick. My one and only chick.” Michael said that to my wonder, I clearly heard everything he said that should have been vague by the fact that I am concentrating towards her.

“Chick? The chick you used to talk about a lot in the past?” Irene said, shock looking at him and then to me.

I look at Michael with dagger on my eyes, asking him through it of how and what he used to talked about me to her, or even I should be scared, embarrass or what based on hos her smile is curving differently on her face.

“The one and only.” Michael said answering her instead answering my dagger look at him and he even chuckle towards her who is also giggling together with him.

I like the sound of her giggles, but it is me who they are talking about, I know that is what should have been normal since I am bothered by it. But still, I could not, her giggling is more bothering to me now. And thoughts of just letting it go for now and take all out everything on Michael while struggling him to death, throwing out up everything.

“I am glad to finally meet you. Irene.” She said extending her hand to me which I quickly took and shake for a good amount of time that I did not notice I am until I hear Michael clearing his throat while Irene’s giggles also became louder.

“Sorry.” I said when I finally returned to reality. “I am glad meeting you too although I did not hear anything about you.” I added embarrassed.

“We are going to be late.” “Michael said that made us both aware that we have arrived at the school without even noticing that we did already.

“See you guys later.” She said bidding goodbye to both of us and run ahead of us towards to where she should be before the class starts completely.

“Did I surprise you? Or should I say did this surprised you?” Michael said as we both look at her vanishing from our sight.

“Both and because of that you have to prepare yourself later because I have a lot of things, I want from you for the first time in all these years we have been together.” I said before I walk away from him to go on my own way.

End of Flashback

“Dr. Altman?” Catherine called out to him once again, after so many tries, she did finally she got a blink from him.

“Sorry, where was I” Henry said apologetically.

“Your phone has been ringing.” Catherine said with a small smile on her face.

Henry looks at him for a minute lost before he took out his phone from his pocket and sees the double number of missed calls from his intern. He quickly unlocks his phone and dialed back the intern’s number while he gives Catherine a signal that he will comeback later before walking towards the door and exited after seeing Catherine nods to him.

Catherine looks at him in wonder, questions in her mind as he watches him exiting her office and become completely gone from her sight. And at the same time, having a somewhat worried expression on her face as she finally walks back towards her seat and threw herself on it looking up with questions in her head that seemed to be the answers are missing.

She looks around her office until her gaze fell on the picture frame on top of a shelf on her left and said “I will be waiting for you.” And went back to her documents where she engrossed herself with and luckily would be the whole day.