Deadly Poison

4. Hi stranger...

1week later……

I woke up and lazed around in my bed, thinking about the week so far at the rehab. Today marks the beginning of the second week of this amazing experience.

I was going over all the events that occurred, good or bad they were shaping my personality and giving me a new perspective, from which to look at events and people in my life. This was something completely different from my sheltered and comfortable lifestyle. It was similar to Siddhartha setting out on his journey to explore the kingdom and observing the true nature of suffering; it opened his brain and made him undertake the journey of finding inner peace and becoming Gautama Buddha.

I am in no way comparing myself with a great thinker and spiritual giant like him, just finding out similarities in our journeys, after he was a young man when he quit royalty to become an ascetic.

I glanced at the clock and my mind was brought crashing down to the reality from its deep thought process. I had spent close to twenty minutes doing that! Shit I was going to be so late today. I quickly brushed my teeth, showered. I wore a white jumper and quickly combed my hair to make it look respectable.

I asked the maid to pack my breakfast; I will eat it during the journey. I asked Alex to drive me to the rehab centre as soon as possible.

I wished my supervisor, who was Dr.Lahm’s assistant a very good morning and he returned the courtesy.
Then he proceeded to explain today’s schedule.
“We don’t generally give this task to newbies like you but today all the other experts and volunteers are busy. You need to take care of this young man in the VIP area, he is same age as you and his name is Giovanni Romano. All the best”

“No problem sir, I will try my best” I said as I grabbed the report notepad and a pen and quickly proceeded to the specified ward.

On the way I was thinking about the patient’s name, it sounded familiar. Then it struck me, it was the surname of the man I had met in the mall’s parking lot, “so he is an influential person?” I asked this question to myself.

I opened the door and my jaws dropped. On the bed lay the same man I had seen saving the little injured puppy a week ago in the mall’s parking lot.  I knew it! This guy looked like a homeless person, rich or not he is still a junkie, my instincts were spot on!

He was dressed in hospital gown and he was in deep sleep, I guess the doctors must have given him sedatives to deal with the withdrawals and not cause any problems, sedatives help calm them down and get some sleep.

I checked his vitals and noted them down in my report pad. In order t do so I bent down and started feeling his pulse and heart rate. Suddenly the door opened behind me and a bearded tall man in a black Armani suit and brown leather shoes walked in. He looked angry and on seeing me bent near Giovanni shouted “What the hell are you doing here? Are you trying to kill my brother?”

I quickly backed off and said “you are mistaken I am here to check his vitals I work here you can see my id card” I said getting nervous by each passing second.

“I know the type, you gold-diggers always hovering over rich kids like my brother, were you trying to rape him? You pathetic lying bitch” he shouted.

I was shocked by his tone and language. I was so angry that I couldn’t hold it in anymore.
“Who do you think you are? Wearing fake Armani suit and cheap Chinese loafers doesn’t make you royalty!”
I stormed off before he could process what had hit him.

I went straight to my supervisor’s room and explained that I wasn’t feeling well and could I go home early, he allowed me to leave without any further questions, even though they were short on staff because of too many staff leaves that day.

I asked Alex to drive me home. On reaching home I found Adriano sitting on the sofa reading something on his phone. On seeing me his facial expressions changed from tense to really happy. “You are back home early?”
“You want to work all night and have no time to spend with your little sister and here you are chilling on the sofa and you have the audacity to ask me why I am home early” I was not specifically angry on him, but I was raging so I let him have it as well.

“Easy sister, chill! What’s wrong who upset you today?” He said trying to pacify me. I did not answer him and quietly moved to my room.

I lay on the bed for some time, “what an asshole, I was just doing my job and I don’t give a damn his brother deserves whatever is coming his way, considering how arrogant his older brother is, called me a gold digger ” I lay there fuming and cursing.

And then out of nowhere guilt struck me. After all Giovanni was almost as old as me and he was stuck in this dark mess and instead of helping him I was here trying to satisfy my ego. I should have called my supervisor and taken necessary action instead of leaving my duties in anger.

I hoped from the bottom of my heart that he was okay. Rest of the day went in a blur I did not have much appetite but to avoid rousing my brother’s suspicion I ate something and went to bed early. Although I spent most of the time tossing and turning out of guilt, sleep did come like a sweet relief.

I woke up the next morning, feeling a little less angry and wore a black pants and a formal blouse. I paired my outfit with black heels and tied my hair in a ponytail.

Then went down to have breakfast with my brother. I was seated on the dining table munching on a cinnamon toast and some coffee when the door opened and a man walked in……