Colided

Chapter 4

It had been two days since she saw her father last, so she decided to go to the lab. When she got there, she wouldn't be let in by the Sultan. He told her that her father couldn't see her. It was agony for her. She knew he was lying, and it was because of him and the council.

"I promise you will get to see him soon."

"When?"

"When he has the cure."

"You can't keep me from seeing him!" 

"He needs time alone to concentrate."

"He needs to eat and sleep in his home!"

"He's working harder and can't have distractions."

"I'm his daughter." She told him between greeted teeth.

"Alyssa, sometimes we must make sacrifices for the better good. Let me take you home. That way, you're not alone. We can dine together, and I can look out for you while he's busy."

"I don't wanna hear it. That is the last thing I need. Thanks for nothing."

She turned around, having the last words, and left him there.

On her way back home, she saw a familiar figure at her doorstep.

"Hey!"

"What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see you." The man grinned.

It was one for her many suitors, Ambrose. Ambrose is every ladies dream guy, except hers. He felt insecure in the past but not with her. The ladies that hovered around him only wanted to boost his ego. He always wore a stud on his left ear. It shone especially at the reflection of the sunlight. The first time she saw it on him, she had the wrong impression of him. As she got to know him, she found out he wasn't a gangster as she had thought. He was cool and good at conversations and made her laugh, but that didn't convince her heart she was in love with him.

"You're seeing me." She tried not to sound sarcastic.

"I just got back from the city. I missed you, Alyssa." He strategized in his mind to make conversation.

"You traveled? With all that is going on?"

Instantly she took steps back from him and went around him to go to her door.

"Wait! I kept myself safe, trust me." He tried going over to her.

"For both our sakes, just please step back."

He nodded, retreating a few steps. He didn't want to give up that easily, even if distanced, having the chance to be close to her.

"I hope you had a safe trip."

"I did. I actually bought this for you on my way back."

For the first time, she saw the beautiful flowers and box of chocolates he got for her. They looked expensive.

"Thanks, but you can't show up here without letting me know you're coming."

He thought of himself above rejection, but Alyssa kept proving him wrong.

"I wanted it to be a surprise."

"Thanks for the flowers, but I can't accept them."

"Why?" He had a hurt expression on his face.

"I don't want to lead you on by accepting it. What I said the last time-"

"I know what you said, but this is just a gift. I understand you're not going to accept my proposal." He showed emotion-filled eyes as he offers her the flowers and chocolates once more. Many times, he had visited her, and her answer remained the same. At first, he thought she was playing hard to get, but the truth is she doesn't want to fall in love with anyone at a time like this, and her mind is made up.

She hesitated before collecting them.

"Can we catch up for a while until you eat those?" He pointed at the chocolates.

"I don't think that's a good idea." She needed to keep people at a distance, especially her persistent suitors. Her life and her fathers were more important. She needed to be safe rather than sorry later.

"Alright then. I will get going. Enjoy."

"Thanks for these."

"My proposal will always be on." He said as she opened the door and closed it hurriedly behind her.

Like her father would say, there was no perfect man. She was not going to settle for less either. She contemplated her choice of collecting his gift of flowers and chocolates. She had never eaten chocolates before. She tore at the paper box of chocolates and took a bite. It had good taste. A guilty feeling tore at her heart.

Was she too extreme with how she treated him? To picky? Demanding? Unrealistic?

Right now, she was going to settle for distancing herself as her father asked as she didn't want to contact the dreadful disease. I hope I'm not considered a gold digger by accepting this. She thought to herself. If I had not received his gifts, I would make him feel bad. What if he came back demanding all the gifts he had given her?

She smelt the flowers and inhaled the delicious fragrance that oozed out of them. Carefully, she placed it in a tin of water by her window sill. She continued reading another of her mother's books and fell asleep again.

It was a cold night, and the gusts of wind were felt inside their home. Her father arrived late, barely with his eyes open. He placed a blanket to cover her from the cold and kissed her temple.

After turning on the radio as he did every right, to hear the news running through the world. He could feel depressed by listening to bad news before going to sleep, but it has a different effect. It fuels him to work harder. Being a doctor was a huge responsibility nowadays. Every human being depends on them to survive, and that holds a heavyweight on his shoulders. There are too few doctors in the world left alive, and every single one of them has their hands full. He decided to change to station 94.5, where doctors from different parts of the world could record findings and play it for the whole day. The station had the ability to play all their messages by tunning them in the order they came in.

"- e is doctor Darren from Somalia. The country is at 80% of contagion and is ground zero. If we do not stop this spread, we will all die in less than 12 months. Sharing our work and research is vital to humanity's survival. We need help from other doctors. If you are listening, please come to our Commonwealth research center. Helping each other now is our only hope."

He hurried to his room and started packing a bag with essentials. He looked up to see Alyssa leaning against the wall.

"Father? I thought you were in the lab."

"There is no use of being in the lab."

"Don't ever do that again. No one would let me see you! I was worried sick about you, father!"

"I need to go to Somalia at this minute."

"What? Why!"

"I can get some doctors to help us." His face is set in hard lines.

"Are you serious? No! You just got back! The virus is rampant in the city!"

"Every single person alive depends on it."

"The world can rot for all I care if it means I don't get to see you. This feels like the end of days, and I never know when I will get to see you last."

"Alyssa, the council will throw us out next month. I can't let them do that. This is our home."

Alyssa gasped at this sudden revelation and placed a hand on his shoulders.

"We don't have to prove to them we deserve to be here. I would rather get out of here and go anywhere than let them control your wellbeing one more second. I would rather leave with you searching for a new life as long as we have the chance to. As long as you don't have to leave me."

"My child, you are so much like your mother. But I have to take care of you. It's what parents do. Everywhere, everyone is sick. At least here it's home, and we can take our chances while I fight to beat this."

"And children are supposed to take care of their parents when they get older. You've taught me enough about medicine. I'm not a child anymore, and I can help us support each other. I can work with you if you let me."

"That would expose you more to this illness. I can't leave the world to die, and I can't do this on my own. Everyone keeps dying, and I've run out of options."

"I'm scared for you! I see what the pressure is doing to you! Let's go anywhere together! And if we die together, then so what's so bad about that? We would join mother."

"Don't speak like that."

"Please, don't go."

"I can't lose you too, Alyssa! I won't! I would rather dedicate my life to this disease as long as there is a chance to save you from it."

Tears started running down her cheeks, and she started sobbing.

He sighed strongly and walked to her.

"It will be alright." He said while he hugged her.

"How can you know that? Going is not the right thing to do right now."

"I don't have a choice. I can't find a cure in the next month we will have to leave. I'm running out of time as this illness hurts my pride. I'm meant to save lives, not watch them leave my patient's bodies."

"What about the council? Or the Sultan?"

"Stall them for me."

"But-."

"I can't fold my hands and let these people call the shots. I have to run risks and make decisions for the better good. I will not watch our world go extinct. I can c***k this. I know I can, but I need help."

It was then Alyssa took notice of the small traveling bag in her father's hands and his small purse containing his shillings.

"Then let me come with you."

"No. I won't endanger your life. Take care of things here for me. I have enough tinctures for a few days in the lab. Early every morning, give them to the infected. Take one too, as always."

"Alright, but promise me you will take care of yourself and return safely," Alyssa was sad to see her father leave, afraid he may get sick. She only hoped his travel would not be in vain.

As if reading her thoughts, he voiced out.

"I have a good feeling about this. I promise all will be well."

"I believe in you, father."

"Take mother's book with you."

He gave her a questioning look.

"That way, you will have a part of us with you while you're gone." She insisted.

"I'll be back before you know it."

"I want to walk you off, okay?"

She looked at him until his figure disappeared from the distance.