Past Is Past

The red light outside the operation theatre turned off.

Crystals strode out of the operation room with George, her assistant doctor.

"After transferring him to the ICU, make sure to check his BP time to time and about breathing, if he needs the breathing tube, don't remove it." She told George, removing the surgical mask from her face.

"Call me if..." She paused and stopped removing the mask when someone showed up in front of her. She knew him. He is Rayan's father. He is Richard Parker!

"Doctor. How is he? How is my son?" Richard Parker asked her with a sense of worriedness on his face.

Taking out a silent breath, She glanced at him straight. "The operation went well. He'll be fine." Then She pointed George beside her. "You can ask him if you have any question. Excuse me please." She excused herself and quickly made her way to the elevator.

Though She was fine in the operation room, now her heart was thumping unevenly again.

She came to her office and calmed herself down at first before she told Mickhel to send the patients in. It continued for a few hours and then ended, leaving her between the piles of thoughts and possibilities.

She rested her head on the headboard with the massive traffic in her mind. She heard someone coming into the room but didn't bother to see.

Why did his mother choose me? Did she know about me from before? Or just because I'm good at this? About him, how did he get shot by the gun? How will he react when he'll know I was the one who healed his wound? And his mother! She is the CEO of this hospital! I really didn't know. If I had known this, I wouldn't have applied for this hospital. Never!

"I heard our CEO's son was admitted here?"

Crystal turned her head to the door, hearing the familiar voice. It was Alex. "The surgery was given to me." She let out a sarcastic smile.

Alex didn't react, he slumped down on the chair in front of her. "Because you're the best our CEO knows it." He said with a grin.

"Do you know who is he?" She asked, raising her brows.

"No..." Alex shook his head.

Crystal pursed her lips and stood up. "I'll meet you up with him tomorrow. I need to go now. Anne is alone."

"Okay. Let's go." With that, Alex also stood up.

"Are you going with me?" She clenched her jaw.

Alex sneered. "Can I?"

Crystal shook her head as she narrowed her eyes at him. "NO." She stressed the word.

Alex threw her a glare. "I'll just escort you to the parking lot, witch." He said, stepping out of the office with her.

---

"Mom." Anne ran to her mother when she saw her coming in. "Anne missed you." She wrapped her tiny arms around Crystal and gave her a kiss on her cheek.

Crystal chuckled as she pulled away and creased her cheeks. "Mom missed Anne more. Did you eat?"

Anne pouted her lips and shook her head. "I will eat with Mom."

"Okay. Mom will get freshen up first, then let's eat together. Okay?" Crystal queried.

"Okay. Mom." Anne nodded her head.

"Okay. Mom is going up to her room. Bye." Crystal said to her little princess before she climbed up to her room.

Anne and Crystal ate dinner together, then they chatted for a while. She told her what funny happened in her school today to make her laugh.

Yeah, that's my little princess. She always found a way to make me laugh.

Crystal glanced down at her daughter who was now cuddling her. She said she wants to sleep with her mother today.

"Mom. Uncle said you don't want to forget Dad. Why don't you want to forget him? You said he doesn't love us." Anne gazed up at Crystal.

So the conversation that we had in the morning was playing in her mind until now. And why can't I forget him?

Crystal bit her lower lip and averted her gaze from her, trying to hide the tears that were flowing through her eyes. "Because he is the person who gave me Anne. Anne is the most precious gift of my life. And I told you the one he doesn't love is me, not you. He doesn't even know about your existence. Mom was so angry with him. So I didn't tell him about you." She tried to make her daughter understand.

Anne's brows furrowed a little. "Mom. Do you love Dad?"

A helpless sigh escaped her lips. "Anne, Mom is tired. Let's sleep." I don't want to answer this question because I don't know the answer. Do I still love him? I can't deny I missed him. But love? I really don't know.

----

Rayan's POV...

I opened my eyes in the morning when I felt someone squeezing my hand gently. I turned my face and saw my one and only sister sitting beside me.

"Goldfish." My face curled up with a wide weak smile. Lily, my most favourite person in this world. She lives abroad with her husband. I missed her!

Lily was already looking so mad. She gave me a murderous glare. "What are you? A superman? You should have moved with others, stupid." She gently hit on his arm.

Though the pain was gone, I still felt weak. Super weak.

"How are you feeling?" Lily asked worriedly.

My gaze dropped at my stomach before looking at my beloved sister again. "I'm just hungry. They fed me liquid foods. The saline is filling my tank, you know how I feel."

Lily laughed. "Get well soon. I will cook for you."

"I don't think I'll be able to eat those FOODS." I teased her, stressing the last word.

Lily scowled. "I'm now good at this. You will regret saying this. By the way..." She paused and I knew she was going to ask me something about what I'm not even prepared to talk.

"Why are you not asking about Mom and dad?" She asked as her face softened.

"Do I need to ask? Mom and dad are busy with their works. That's why they're not here. Am I still a kid? I'm not that kid anymore. I don't need them here." I said confidently, trying to suppressing the sadness on my face with a smile.

Lily shook her head, disagreeing with me. "You're a grown-up man but you're still a kid. The difference is you've just learned to give up a long ago. You are giving up on everything. Because you think you can't change anything."

My eyes reddened and breath became shallow as I tried to gulp the pain away. She always said the right things. I can't protest. I've learned to give up a long ago. I gave up on everything a long ago. Yes, because I can't change anything.

My parents are always busy with their works even when their children are suffering. They just know how to impel their opinions on their children. I was tired of trying, tired of making them understand.

Lily chuckled because I didn't protest now. "I heard a beautiful surgeon performed your surgery." She changed the topic.

I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't know. I need to see her, to know that."

"She is coming."  Lily whispered before she got up from the chair and stood about two feet away from my bed.

I turned my head to the entrance slightly to see but couldn't see the doctor. I glared at my sister. "Prank?" Lily shook her head, her eyes fixed at the entrance.

Okay, I will not fall for this trick. I stared at the ceiling.

But well, it wasn't a prank. I heard someone's footsteps floating nearer and the moment I felt the doctor appeared closer to my bed, I turned my face to take a glimpse of her. And literally froze in my position. my heartbeat increased to irregular beat from the normal rate.

Is she for real? The same pair of intoxicating eyes, the same pink lips, the same tiny pointy nose. That breathtaking beautiful woman. It's her!

She is a doctor now. The last time when I saw her she was studying at Medical School. Suddenly a pang of pain hit my heart hard, I felt hundreds of bricks crashed on my head.

But... Lies? Whenever I asked Mr Joon about her, he said she wasn't here. He said she left this country and living abroad. He even told me she was married. I let out a painful laugh. I was betrayed all these while.

I tried to speak but words were stuck in my throat. Her face was expressionless. It's obvious that she prepared herself before coming here.

"His BP is 90/50. The pain was gone after receiving the injection." The young man who standing beside her clarified everything to her.

The nurse came to her and my reports to her. She glanced at the direction where my saline bottle was placed and then looked back at the reports.

I really couldn't stand it anymore, I want to hear her voice. The voice that I wanted to hear it for many years. "Crystal!" I uttered softly, gulping away the nervousness, unable to avert my gaze from the woman who is standing in front of me after all these years.

Crystal who was reading the reports looked down at me, still expressionless. Her cold eyes sent me shivers to my entire body. I tried to find the same gaze but couldn't. They were cold as ices. Was there really nothing left in those eyes for me?

"Should I be happy? The heir... no no..  The CEO of the Empire group recalls my name. After seven years." Her voice was calm, and I felt all my body's weight settled on my heart.

This woman is making me weaker. I missed this woman so damn much. Tears were pooling in my eyes. Guiltiness, nervousness, happiness clouded in my mind. "You counted the time? Still not over me?" I said, staring into her eyes.

Crystal's face turned pale, she rolled her eyes at the nurse and the young doctor who was now looking at me with ghostly expression. A line appeared on her forehead as she parted her perfect lips, finding something out to say.

"Rayan Parker." Someone's voice chimed in. And I knew this voice, it's familiar.

I got another shock when that person came here and stood beside Crystal. Looking at his expression, I'm sure he didn't expect me here as well.

"You're still with her. Alex" I let out a weak laugh, but it hurt my stomach. The pain is back again. Was it really my stomach that is in pain? Or was it my heart?

Alex sighed. "Isn't it normal? We are together since childhood."

My sister was staring at me all these while, came beside me and held my hand tightly, giving me strength.

You would think I'd be okay with it because it has been a long time. That it wouldn't feel like a rusty eggbeater to the heart when I saw them together again today.

You would think I would stop subjecting myself to the torture of seeing the girl I loved with another guy.

You would be wrong on all counts.

I gave my sister funny-it's-not-actually-funny chuckle, and my breath came out like smoke.

Crystal glanced at Alex before looking at me again. "We're getting married."

The world went silent, and I heard the tick-tick of the clock on the wall beside us. It sounded like the ticking of a bomb, which was ironic, considering all the pieces of me that I had been holding together by sheer force of will had just been blown to bits.

I schooled my features as best as I could even though I felt like I might suffocate at any moment. I took a breath, tried to fill my lungs.

Beat

Beat

Beat

Man, what the hell with these beats!!

"Crystal we...." Alex was going to say something but stopped as Crystal looked at him.

"That's great." I pushed my character, pushed myself back into action. I smiled and made a face that I hoped look congratulatory.

It really was just like acting, bad acting anyway. Like when the words didn't feel natural in my mouth and my mind stayed separate from what I was saying no matter how hard I tried to stay in character.

Crystal nodded. "Yes." She took the pen from the nurse and write something on the prescription. Then she turned to the nurse who was also looking shocked. Maybe it's shocking for them too. Maybe it's the first they heard this. "I have an operation this afternoon. Tell George to meet me. And here is his prescription." She handed the papers to the nurse.

The nurse got herself together and nodded obediently. "Okay."

Crystal took a glance at me before holding Alex's hand and walking out of the ICU with him. My eyes ached, my entire body shivered.

"So, you're okay with this?" Lily looked pale, she was worried about me.

It was so obvious but I didn't allow myself to pause my acting before I replied to her, "Of course! She needs someone in her life now. The past is the past."