The Billionaire's Fragile Bride

33. WHAT DO YOU WANT?

Chapter dedication goes to Amaka_ue and SolMarie9

"Your wife is fine, Mr Barlowe." The Doctor said clearly without an ounce of doubt in his voice.

Callan was relieved. Thank God he had that discussion with Rosa, thank God the thoughts of seeing Orla crossed his mind, thank God he hurried home to see his wife, thank God he didn't hold back. He didn't want to think about what would have happened if he was later.

"What happened to her?" Callan asked the Doctor.

"Fatigue, an extreme case of fatigue." The Doctor adjusted his glasses so that they sat at the bridge of his crooked nose. "What has she been up to that got her so exhausted?"

Callan sighed. It was fine that it was just fatigue, maybe not just, but it was something curable. He guiltily stared at the Doctor and shook his head painfully. "Nothing, she's not been doing a lot. Except that, she's been brooding over her dead cat."

"Her dead cat?" 

"That used to be her best friend," Callan interjected, massaging his fingers against his chin. He was stressed and it was just a matter of time before he collapsed just as Orla did.

"Oh, I see. She's grieving. It hurts when you lose a best friend. But it shouldn't get to this," the Doctor shot Callan a sceptical glance. "I mean she's your wife, what have you done or have you been doing to help her get out of that state?"

"I got her a new cat, but she rejected it."

"And what else did you do?" He further asked but Callan stilled for a brief moment. There was nothing he did after Orla rejected the new cat he got her.

"What else was I supposed to do?" He knew that wasn't right, but he was frustrated. He was guilty and everyone had been pointing that out to him since the day began. First, it was Rosa and now the Doctor. "What else was I supposed to do?" He was new to all these.

No one told him getting married would mean he had to be responsible for someone else. He loathed marriage, but it happened when he couldn't deter it and now everyone was blaming him for his actions.

"Care for her, soothe her. Make sure she eats, she hasn't eaten for a while, an added factor to the fatigue. Have you been so busy you have little time for your wife?" The Doctor asked him, eyes not leaving Callan. 

Callan looked so confused and unhappy, but he didn't know what was going on and he wished he could help but he knew not what was happening in his home and he was just a Doctor, not a marriage counsellor.

"Can I see my wife?" He demanded.

"Sure, she woke up about an hour again. She has gotten enough rest and the Nurses have fed her, you can see her now." He responded, smiling. He scribbled down a note and passed it across to Callan. "I don't know what's happening in your home, but I do know that you have a beautiful wife and taking care of her should be of utmost interest to you, Mr Barlowe."

"Doctor, can I see her now?" Callan asked again, ignoring the Doctor's small talk.

"Sure, let's go." He led the way out of his office to the room Orla was admitted in. "Call on me if you need something, I will leave you here." The Doctor patted Callan's shoulder and turned to the other path of the hallway, other patients needed him as well.

Callan walked gently, his feet barely touched the floor as he stepped in. He glimpsed Orla leaning next to the window, eyes fixed on the dim moon. She was so engrossed with watching the moon she didn't know that he was close, so close to her until she turned to grasp a bottle of water from the table and then, she saw him; tall and graceful, his beautiful eyes boring Into her hers.