THE DANGEROUS AFFAIRS

Lugard's POV

Life as a poor and jobless bachelor is one no one ever wishes for himself. I stood in front of the building I had just stepped out of. That was the third interview I had been called to that week. The same stale news all the time.

"We would get back to you," they would say as they bared their colored teeth to me, but they never called back. Not even a single one of them. It wouldn't be out of place to say I was tired of life and had no reason to be alive. I wasn't one who believed in taking one's life, so you had nothing to worry about.

I trudged along the road, dragging my feet as much as I could. A thousand thoughts crossed my mind, and I wasn't even looking. The next thing I heard was the loud honk of a car. I turned and tried to escape, but it was too late. The car came right to where I stood and cleared me off the road.

All went blank, and I could see nothing. I couldn't feel myself as well. People had gathered quickly around me and were trying to help me. There were almost a dozen of them, and they looked quite concerned.

How I managed to know these people or see them remained a mystery to me. I could make no sense of it. I was sure of one thing, and that was the fact that I was unconscious while all of this happened.

I was certain my spirit was the one who took details of all these.

The door of the car that had hit me flung open. A young woman rushed out. She couldn't have been older than twenty-five, but she looked quite beautiful and smart. She was tense, and it was written all over her face.

"Oh my goodness! This is crazy!" Faintly, I heard her say as she stared at me. I remained unconscious at her feet, and my breath staggered as well.

"We need to rush him to the hospital immediately," I heard another person say with a shaky voice.

My body was taken into her car, and a concerned man and woman walked from the crowd, after which the young lady began the drive to the hospital. The air was tense and filled with anxiety. Soon, we arrived at the hospital, where a wheelchair was waiting. My body was extracted from her car and placed on it.

"Please make sure he gets the best medical care there is to offer," she said to the doctors and nurses who took me in.

* * * * * *

Two days later,.

My eyes flew open, and this time, I couldn't just see around me; I could feel myself. I was conscious and alive. I tried to smile but couldn't as the pain ate deeper into me. My eyes traveled around and were greeted by the nice aesthetics that covered the room. I was in awe and couldn't contain my surprise.

"How can a hospital room be as beautiful as this?" I wondered aloud and didn't notice when the door came open.

"Good morning, Mr. lugard." I heard someone call my name, and only then did I turn my head to see who it was. A nurse. My face fell in disappointment. It definitely wasn't who I thought it would be. Wait, how did they know my name? Right, my files.

"Where's the lady who brought me here?" I asked in a thick baritone voice. My face was an embodiment of frown, and I awaited words from her.

She ogled at me, confused. "Woman? What woman are you talking about?"

"The woman who brought me here in her car yesterday?" I was starting to get agitated and could barely keep my cool.

"I'm sorry, but I have no idea who you are talking about. What's her name?"

It snapped within me that I didn't even know the name of the person who had brought me there. I went mute, and my mouth pouted awkwardly.

The door creaked again, and in walked another nurse. She looked just as beautiful as the other nurse, but definitely not as nice. "What's going on here?" she thundered, immediately proving me right. My eyes moved between the both of them, but not a single word came out of my mouth.

The young nurse turned towards her, heaving a sigh of relief. "He's been asking about a certain woman who brought him here yesterday, but I have no idea who it was. I was off work, so there's no way I could have known."

The nurse who just arrived glanced at the document in her hand and smiled. Her smile was suspicious and seemed quite odd. My brows furrowed as I awaited words from her. "He was brought here by Ma'am Lucia Montes," she announced.

I was flabbergasted and couldn't believe my ears. I batted my eyelids three times to be sure I wasn't imagining things. As if that wasn't enough, I pinched my lower arms as well. The pain stung deep, and I didn't realize it when I screeched.

"Did you just say Lucia... Montes?" I doubted if I had ever stuttered my entire life before that moment.

"Yes! Is there any problem, sir?" The nurse's brows creased a bit. She seemed dissatisfied and couldn't contain it.

"Wait, are you sure there isn't a mistake here? How is it possible I was brought in by the same Lucia Montes that we all know?"

"Well, I have no idea what happened, but her name is on the records. If you don't mind, we would like to be excused." They sauntered out of the ward, leaving me to my thoughts.

Could it be that they were wrong with their reports? Well, there was no way such a large hospital would make such a costly mistake. I had to wait for the doctor's arrival. Only he would be able to clear the air.