Chapter 20 - Progress
941 Words
Andrew didn't expect this reaction but realized that Lucy thought her visitor was her stepmother or stepsister. He rushed to her side and hugged her through the sheets.
“Lucy, don't panic,” he whispered soothingly as he patted her back. “It isn't anyone from your family, but it's a woman named Emily. If you don't want to see her, I will tell her to go.”
Andrew comforted Lucy as if she was a little kid, and at the same time, felt immense pity for her. After all, she was trapped in such a sad situation through no fault of her own. He felt hatred for the woman called Louise for the first time, as Rosa told him the name of Lucy's stepmother.
Lucy stopped trembling at the name, “Emily.” “Let me go. I'm fine,” she told him.
Andrew released her but still observed her carefully.
“This woman is named Emily?”
He nodded. Andrew noticed that Lucy didn't look scared anymore and instead appeared indifferent with a touch of sadness.
Lucy narrowed her eyes. “Did you see what she looks like?”
“Long red hair, Lambert eyes, fair skin...” Sensual body, Andrew added in his mind.
A bitter smile materialized on Lucy's face, and it confused him. Judging from her reaction, it seemed that Emily was telling the truth about who she was. Lucy still didn't seem overjoyed to learn that her friend was here, which meant that there was a lot of history that Andrew wasn't aware of.
“Damn... I thought it was her,” Lucy said with a frustrated sigh. “I never expected that she would find me here. Did she come here just to make fun of me?”
“I can't say either way, but did you want me to send her off? I can just tell her you aren't feeling well,” Andrew suggested tentatively.
“No... If I send her away, she will just come back again. Might as well get this show over with,” Lucy grumbled.
Andrew was worried that Emily might actually do more harm than good for Lucy. Just as he thought about driving Emily away, a long-lost system alert sounded in his mind.
Task: Clear up the misunderstanding between Emily and Lucy and have them reconcile. Reward: a Healing Card.
Based on this information alone, it seemed that a misunderstanding was the cause of Lucy's animosity towards Emily. Andrew believed what the system told him because the system would never lie. Now he had to come up with a plan on how to fix things. But he couldn't ask Lucy outright about what was wrong, so he had to start with Emily.
Andrew took a deep breath. “Okay. I'll get her all signed in and bring her to you.” He then took his leave and closed the door behind him.
What Andrew didn't see was how Lucy's composure faltered after he left. Her frigid exterior melted, and she began to cry. No one knew how much it hurt her to be estranged from her only friend.
When Andrew returned to the lobby, Emily had finished all of her paperwork. Since she couldn't go see Lucy without his signature, she anxiously awaited his return.
Emily trotted over to Andrew the moment she saw him. “Dr. Morrow, how is she? Can I see her?” she questioned.
Andrew believed that Emily's anxiety was genuine and that she truly wanted to see her friend because she was worried about her. With that being the case, he believed that it would be easier to accomplish his mission. “Yes, you can see her. But, I would like to speak with you first.”
“With me? What about?” Emily asked, surprised.
“Not here. Follow me.” Although there weren't many people in the lobby, there was still a chance that someone could eavesdrop. Andrew didn't want anyone to hear about Lucy's family affairs without her permission.
Emily followed Andrew into the stairwell and thought it was a strange place to talk. But, she believed that Andrew had a good reason for wanting privacy.
Andrew stopped and turned around. “What exactly happened between you and Lucy?” he inquired.
“Well, I already told you that I strayed from her because of the rumors, but we never stopped being friends,” Emily said slowly, uncertain of where this was going.
He took a deep breath. "To be honest, apart from being Lucy's attending doctor, I am also her friend. I told Lucy that you came to see her.”
“You did?” Emily squeaked. “What did she say?”
Andrew proceeded to tell Emily everything that led to Lucy being in a mental hospital. He also included Lucy's reaction to the news that Emily was here. When he was finished, he saw how Emily started to quietly sob.
“I'm so sorry for her,” she cried. “I had no idea...”
“This isn't the time to feel sorry. If you want to see Lucy I need you to tell me what happened between you two; otherwise, I won't be able to help you. Since I'm also her friend, I don't want her to get hurt again,” Andrew said seriously.
"You... you really want to help me?" There was a glimmer of hope in Emily's misty eyes.
"Of course!" Andrew nodded firmly. “But only if you tell me everything.”
“Alright, I'll tell you,” Emily said resolutely. She then moved closer to Andrew to talk in hushed tones.
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