Chapter 29 - I want to write my will (1/2)

Ian had just finished his afternoon coffee and was walking back towards the general ward on the first floor when he heard someone sobbing. Initially, he felt it to be his imagination. But when the sobs became loud, he turned around looking for the voice. He walked in the direction of the voice slowly. It was coming from the staircase at the fire escape. The door was ajar, so he clearly heard the cries as soon as he was near it. He peeked in, looking for the person who was crying. His heart melted when he saw a little girl crying with her hands covering her face. She was sitting on the third step and her back was towards the door, so she could not see Ian approaching her.

Ian sat beside her. Yet, she did not realize his presence. It was only when he spoke that she moved back startled.​​

”Hey,” Ian spoke in a soothing voice.

The girl remained quiet. Ian took in her appearance. She looked around six or seven. Her brown hair was in a pigtail with a purple bow at the top. She was wearing a matching purple dress, with cute princess shoes. Her big, brown eyes were filled with tears and she had a running nose.

”Hey. Little girl. What happened?” He asked again. His voice soft, making sure not to scare her.

Tears fell from the girl's eyes and she was rubbing her cheeks every time this happened. Ian took out his handkerchief and gave it to her. The girl first looked at the kerchief, then at Ian and then at the kerchief again. Ian raised his kerchief and gave her an assuring smile. The girl reluctantly took it from his hand and started to wipe her cheeks.

After a few minutes, when Ian was sure that the girl had calmed down. He spoke again.

”What are you doing here little girl? Have you come with someone?”

The tears that had stopped, started flowing again listening to Ian's words. Ian panicked looking at her cry again. So, he picked her up and placed her on his lap. He then rubbed her back while he wiped her face with his hands. He hushed her and waited for her to calm down.

”It's my grandpa. He is sick.” This time the girl started the conversation. Ian patted her back while he positioned her in his l_a_p in such a way as to clearly see her face.

”My grandpa is sick. He is the only one I have.” The girl's voice broke.

”It's okay. It's okay, sweetheart. Everything will be alright. Your grandpa will be fine.”

”Are you sure about that? My grandpa was bleeding from his mouth. I am scared.” She held onto Ian's neck tightly and buried her face in his c_h_e_s_t.

”Let me check okay. Can you tell me where your grandpa is?” Ian said standing up, carrying her in his arms. The girl nodded.

Ian carried the girl with him and walked on the corridor.

”Now tell me where your grandpa is,” Ian asked gently. The girl motioned him to put her down which Ian did. She then held his hand and pulled him towards the ward on the left.

Ian walked with her. However he was scared. The left division on the first floor was meant for cancer patients. And his intuition became true when the girl opened the second door in that division. The girl then left his hand and ran towards her grandfather who was lying unconscious on the bed. An attending doctor and two nurses were treating him. The attending doctor saw the girl and bent down to talk to her while Ian took a look at the patient's medical chart.

”Little princess, don't cry. Your grandfather is just tired. So, he is sleeping. Okay. Now be a good girl and stop crying.” The lady doctor said tucking some of the girl's hair behind her ears.

”But I saw him bleeding. And why are there so many pipes attached to his hands.” The girl asked looking back and forth between Ian and the lady doctor.

The lady doctor could not give any answer to the child's question. How could she say that her grandfather was suffering from cancer and he was in the second stage? The worst part was, the girl did not have anybody else other than her grandfather and she did not know anything about her parents. The lady doctor looked at Ian and pleaded him to help her. Ian sighed. He too was helpless. Yet, he had to assure the girl and prevent her from crying again. So he picked her up and made her sit on the sofa next to the bed.

”Sweetheart, your grandpa is fine. But he is a little sick. There are so many pipes going in and out of him because we want to keep him healthy. What do doctors give you when you are sick or down with fever?”

”Injection.” The girl replied at once.

”Yes. But the injections they give you is small because you are small. But your grandpa is big, so he will be given big injections. And these pipes are just for that.” The little girl nodded in understanding, making both the doctors and the nurses in the ward sigh in relief.

”Now sweetheart, tell me. Have you come with anybody else?” The girl nodded and pointed towards the door. Ian held her hand and walked outside.

”There I have come with the bodyguard uncle.” The girl spoke as soon as she saw a man darting towards them. He was a middle-aged man around forty or so. His face was tanned and he was quite muscular. He wearing a dark blue suit and there was an earpiece in his right ear.

The man hastened his footsteps as soon as he saw the girl. ”Are you alright, Violet?”

”Yes Uncle John. This big brother took care of me.”