Intertwined fate

Chapter 10

...

A new, sunny day once again arrived at the old mansion, with the fresh rays of light dancing through the window, and the birds chirping as if they were having delightful conversations. A calm day indeed, yet Theodore sleeps soundly in his bed... until he is completely ruined by the alarm clock on the nightstand.

"Rang...Rang...RANG...RANG"

"What now?" Theodore frowned while groggily swinging his hand to turn off the clock. Unfortunately, the force was a bit too much that eventually ended up sending the clock to the ground and splattering all around...

"Ugh, I'm going to need a new one..."

Fighting his own battle to wake up, he attained victory. Theodore slowly sits up with his eyes still shut, rubbing his forehead, then lets out a loud yawn.

After quite some time, he decided to prepare for the day.

Leaving his beloved bed behind, he moves to the bathroom. Brushing teeth, taking a shower. The same as usual. Then, while arranging today's plan in his mind, Theodore put on his usual clothes lazily. He has never been a morning person, as he does the morning routine automatically, like being programmed. "Is it already 7:30 a.m.? Better go soon," says Theodore, who proceeds to the main dining room at a faster pace.

...

"Morning, Lily, great to see you." Theodore takes his seat, reaching out to the newspaper pile on the table. Within a few minutes, a plate of eggs and bacon with freshly baked bread had been placed before him. "I hope you will like it," Lily said as she poured a cup of warm tea for him, then continued her unfinished work with the bread.

A simple meal that was no doubt delicious enough for Theodore to focus all of his attention on the savory taste of the egg yolk and the enticing aroma of the homemade bread. Lily sneakily lets out a smile as she watches him while humming a song. As the time went by, several nurses appeared to join the breakfast, filling the dining room with laughter and chatter. The conversation topic revolved around two newcomers and their appearances. A fiery debate about who is cooler started with Luke, who is currently on top as what they described as "warm sunshine." Alderic, on the other hand, has been labeled "annoying" since the unwelcome debut of the dog. The competition concluded then,with Luke as the absolute winner. All of a sudden, he popped up out of nowhere in the room, clearly confused by what had happened, as many people snickered while looking at him. As if he had sensed a threat, Luke quickly grabbed a piece of bread and, as fast as the speed of light, disappeared behind the door. A faint red can be seen on his cheeks.

"I-I have some matters to take care of. See you!" It seems everyone enjoyed the full display of the flustered Luke.

"Do you mind taking this to our recent guest?" Lily passed a plate to Theodore as she noticed he was about to leave. "He will miss breakfast, and we won't allow that to happen as doctors, right?"

Theodore was startled for a second. Certain memories from the day before came to mind. "You really left me no choice, Lily." Theodore sighs.

Holding the tray in his hands, Theodore slowly approaches someone's room. Why do I even have to be nervous? Wake up Theodore, act normal. Theodore thinks to himself as he knocks on the door. After three knocks, the door still remains silent, as if no one is present. Just when Theodore was about to be thankful that he could escape, a tall figure suddenly appears. Alderic yawned lazily, leaning against the door, "Morning, Dr. I fancy seeing you." Alderic shows up in such an amusing state. His unkempt hair glows softly under the warm light. His half-awake eyes tried their best to capture Theodore's view. There's something more. Theodore cannot comprehend himself and notices his eyes darting down. He thought Alderic had quite an ideal physique. His arms' muscles are clearly defined, yet several deep scars can be seen, and on his chest lies a fatal slash. All of these somehow make Theodore unable to dart his eyes away. Instead, they continue their journey, reaching Alderic's heaving abdomen. Indeed sculpture-like, firm yet ripe. It's not just the alluring appearance, Theodore can also sense the strength underlying those abs. The heartbeats took quite a trip. Alderic shot a teasing look, as if the predator were looking at its prey, "Enjoy the view? You can take a look whenever you want, just ask me nicely, and perhaps. " Alderic winked, "I will give you a treat." Theodore straightened his back, his gaze fixed on the other's eyes, his usual neutral emotion intact. The breakfast tray caught his attention. The corner of Alderic's lips curled into a smile. "If I knew this place had this special service, I would have come here sooner." Slamming the door, Theodore assertively walks away. Left behind, Alderic starts his day by chasing his breakfast after choosing the wrong option.

...

Rummaging through the report counter, Cecil can't help but wonder who has switched on the deadly mode of her tutor. Theodore, who appears normal on the outside with papers in his hands, but living with him for a few years had taught Cecil that there must be a volcano exploding beneath that calm, concentrated person. Cecil can feel a shiver down her spine. Was he mad because I messed up the ingredients? Or because I overslept? Cecil thinks to herself as she stares at the void intensely. Oh, wait... Cecil was sweating... Did he find out I messed up the laundry and turned his shirt pink?... Numerous questions and excuses immediately ran through her mind.

"Cecil, about this conditio-." Theodore puts his hand on Cecil's shoulder. Cecil jumped, then held her hand in defense mode, "I am sorry. I don't intend to dye your shirt. I was just procrastinating because the pie Lily made was so good. Really if you try it, you will understand why. " A puzzled look is painted on his face as Cecil continues her story about the poor shirt. The magnificent journey of the shirt only ends when Theodore lets out a chuckle, allowing Cecil to fully relieve. Finally pleased to see the goal has been achieved, Cecil takes her to leave with a wide smile, "You should try wearing it, pink might suit you." Theodore, finally having a moment of peace, feels like he has been through thousands of years.

But the day did not end that fast.

"You are doing great, the condition is improving. With this speed, you might recover sooner than we expected." Theodore reported to a patient, gently patting his shoulder. He then placed a cup of water on the nightstand and said, "Remember to drink plenty of fluids as well. Well then, I will let you rest." As Theodore is on his way to the next patient, a faint scream can be heard from the backyard. Theodore dashed to the window, only to discover that the source of the scream was none other than his recent dear visitor, Alderic. Alderic runs for his life around the yard, screaming, while the doorkeeper's dog, which is usually friendly, now chases him joyfully. "I am not your lunch!" Alderic screams and tries to lurk around the bushes like the dog, with no intention of stopping. A nurse approaches Theodore and concernedly asks, "Should we do something to help him?" Theodore rubs his eyes, "No need, he likes running." Then continues the usual work.

"Excuse me, Dr., but I have something I need to show you," a nurse enters the room. What is this again?

Theodore quickened his pace, but what welcomed Theodore was the "urgent matter" the nurse mentioned. Luke, the culprit, chopped down significant areas of the forest for wood and kept chopping restlessly. Luke is sweating profusely with the ax in his hand, clearly unaware of what he is doing as a group of nurses giggles near the front door. Theodore stepped forward and patted his shoulder. "Luke," He sighed, "I appreciate your efforts, but that's enough wood till next year, and I don't want to see you chop down the whole forest." Luke finally woke up from his thoughts. "Oh," he looked at the chopped wood around him, "I'm sorry," he awkwardly nodded.

The day continued with Alderic still being chased by the doorkeeper's dog. Luke, who wishes to be forgiven for his actions, assists Lily in the kitchen with enough food for several weeks, and Cecil proudly brags about her pink shirt story and holds classes on how to escape Theodore's rage 101, which she assumed Alderic would surely need.

...

After finishing all the work and attending the "special meeting" with Luke and Alderic, Theodore thinks it's best to take a break. Theo knows that the best place to wind down must be on the rooftop, and fortunately for him, no one can find such a place since, being the person who grew up here, only he knows the way. After making sure no one was following him, he then climbed the ladder and unlatched the trap door. Welcoming him is the sight of the sun slowly falling, giving the sign of a day that is going to end. More and more stars from above stepped out of a peaceful sleep to shine bright with their kindness, and thankfully Theodore has found a perfect place to witness such a euphoric transition. Observe those last rays of warmth slowly fading away on the horizon, making a place for a serene night.

Theodore got lost in his thoughts. "Today was quite a day." He chuckled while remembering all those events. He seemed to have opportunities to grow a closer bond with two recent guests. The breeze runs through his hair, bringing along the fresh scent of the forest. From there, he can hear the faint sounds of the mansion, the laughter, the singing, putting his heart at ease.

I wish every day, though chaotic, will always be full of joy like this...