THIRTY EIGHT

Derek

The doctor arrived about an hour later, to find that his ward was nowhere to be seen. I didn’t care, though, and stayed silent as Melissa and Simon talked about her.

She looked much better, I thought, seeing how she looked happier and full of life in the past two days than the previous week. Perhaps this rest had done her some good.

“Alisha must be very tired,” my mother remarked to the doctor who nodded. “The maid only saw her later this morning and she looked exhausted. So I think we should let her rest.”

“I’ll check on her later,” Doctor Simon commented but I cut in.

“Actually she is on an errand,” I stated. “And it will be long before she returns.”

The doctor and my mother looked aghast at my statement, much like I expected. They treated her like she was made of glass, I thought angrily.

“But she needs some rest! Derek, why did you do that? The poor girl must be so tired,” my mother declared.

“There was work that needed to be done and she was available,” I shrugged, not in t