Three

Ben smiled and stopped his car in front of the hospital. He was glad his brother gave him a job here. Although he was wealthy with his own hospitals established in different countries, he still wanted to work as a Doctor in the only hospital that ever existed in Zades.

He had gotten a little place to call his home in the estate just after his brother's. He did not want to be a burden on his brother, knowing very well he had always been at his brother's neck when they were kids. That was why when his brother gave him an offer to stay with him, he politely declined.

Mike loved his new house though. It radiated homeliness and immense comfort. Although he got it due to his affluence, it was totally worth it. He wanted to live by himself and work independently. It was not a problem since he had lived on his own for seven years.

He smiled as he got out of his car, taking in on the appearance of the hospital. It looked a lot better than it had looked seven years ago.

The hospital corridor is stuffy and the air has an undertone of bleach. The walls are magnolia and are scraped in places from the hundreds of trolleys that have bumped into them. The pictures on the walls are cheap benign prints of uplifting scenes and above the double doors are large blue plastic signs with the areas of the hospital that lie ahead.

The hallway has as much personality as the rest of the hospital. The floor is slate grey and the walls dove. Above the ceiling is made from those polystyrene squares laid on a grid-like frame. There are commercial prints on the wall, tasteful in the dull kind of way. Above every door I pass is a large plastic sign, dark with white lettering- no fancy fonts, just bold and all-caps. It's so new and spotless Mike felt like the whole building must have just gotten beamed here from some-place dirt is outlawed.

"Mike" Someone called and he turned to meet the figure of his brother who was already on his white coat.

"Good morning Ben" Mike greeted.

"I guess i can show you your office?"

"Sure"

*

He had seen four patients on his first day and it had been a success. He had summoned the next person who he had learned was Mrs Brownwell and her daughter

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in" He ushered them in.

He looked up and his smile which he always used to welcome his patients suddenly disappeared.

Standing in front of him was Susanna. He gulped as he looked at her.

The woman whom he had played.

The woman whom he had not cared about but pretended he cared.

The woman he had taken her innocence from without protection and in a drunken state.

The woman that had made him feel so guilty all these years.

The woman that always made him so scared of touching any other woman.

The woman he had planned to see and make up with.

She was the one standing right there, in front of him with a child.

"Susanna?" He called softly as he slowly got up, trying to sound all formal and not to scare her away.

"Mike?" She had said in a whisper, her eyes not leaving his.

He noticed the way her hands started shaking and the twinkle in her eyes. He felt a lump in his throat when he saw unshed tears begging to be spilled.

"Come take a seat Susanna, its been quite a long time" Mike said, trying to put on a smile despite how nervous he was.

"Y....you are back?" Susanna asked as she tightened her hold on her daughter whom she was carrying on her hips.

"Yes, I am back. Is..is that your daughter?" He asked, his eyes finding the little girl's who looked at him.

"Yes" She whispered, her eyes still not leaving his frame. To say Susanna was shocked was an understatement. The man she loved was here, right in this room with her. Her baby daddy was here and for the first time in a long while, her heart skipped a beat.

But then she remembered what he had done to her. All he agony he had put her through. A wave of anger swept through her, and the love which were quite evident in her eyes before turned to anger. He was the last person she wanted to see. He ruined her.

He ruined her life.

And now he was just back?

"Come here little girl" He called as Susanna reluctantly dropped Hannah who slowly walked to Mike.

Mike carried her and made her sit on his lap, removing her hair from her face.

"Take a seat Susanna" He said, and Susanna sat down, not still taking his eyes off him.

"Is there a problem?" Mike asked, tilting his head to the side.

The resemblance between Hannah and Mike was remarkable. It will not be hard to tell he was her father, and that was the last thing she wanted. Hannah was a Brownwell and she wanted it to remain that way.

Susanna turned her head away, trying to control the anger that had surfaced.

"I must say Susanna, you have a very beautiful girl. What is your name baby?"

"Hannah" the little girl whispered as she looked at the man who carried her.

"A beautiful name for a beautiful girl. So why did you bring her here to the hospital?" He asked Susanna who still was not looking at him.

"Fever, she has fever" Susanna said in a croaked voice, blinded the tears that were threatening to fall.

"Eiiish! You really have a fever. I think these drugs will be good for her. Get them from the Pharmacy and give it to her daily" He said and then got his pen and wrote something on a paper. He folded it and gave it to Susanna who took the paper without a word.

"Promise me you will be fine by tomorrow" Mike said as he cuppled Hannah's cheek.

"Promise" She whispered and smiled at him.

Mike kissed her on the forehead and dropped her on the floor, leaving her to walk to her mother who got up and carried her on her waist.

"Susanna I'm sorry"

Susanna met his gaze and this time, her tears were visible. Her eyes portray hurt and

deep sadness.

"What are you doing here?" She asked and cleaned the tears from her eyes. The last thing she wanted to do was show Mike how weak she was. She needed to show him she was not the weak girl he had used seven years ago.

But it was too late as Mike had already seen her tears. His heart softened and somehow, he did not want to see her cry. He felt the need take her in his arms and hug her while she cried her hearts out. For some reason he wanted to be there for her

"I'm back Susanna to atone for my past mistakes. I know what i had done to you and I'm very sorry. Barely looking at you, i know i had hurt you quite a lot"

"I don't care Mike. You disappeared and now you appear. Please go back to where you had come from and stay there. Seeing your face makes me remember everything that i have fought hard to forget"

"Susanna......."

"There is clearly no words to describe how much i hate you Mike Harrison, i hate you to the brim. You are the worst thing that has ever happened to me and fuck the hell i don't mind saying it on your face"

"I hate you"

Mike sighed as he looked at Susanna with confusion. Mere looking at her eyes, it seemed he had hurt her so much.

So deeply much.

He had given her a scar that will never heal.

And it won't be very easy for her to forgive him.

She opened the door and left, not after looking at him with pain.

Throughout that day he thought about her.

He thought about Susanna.