~//Chapter song- Rest\\~
~// by- Sabu\\~

"Mom, how long we need to stay here?" Cora's soft voice broke Hailey's constant gazing at the window glass.

"Soon baby, as soon as your friend says that you can go to school.' Hailey assured Cora by pampering her head.

"Yes, and if you want it to happen soon you have to rest and take lots of rest only." Said Meril as she entered the room.

"Aunt Meril!" Cora squealed with joy to see Meril.

'Awww... My butterfly!" Meril bent to her bed and hugged Cora warmly, " so, how's my butterfly feeling today?"

"Not so good. As it's raining and my mom is missing to be at work while I'm missing my friend. I think he can't come today because of this weather." Cora complained making a grumpy face.

"Cora, I'm enjoying this weather as because of this I got an excuse to be with my baby." Hailey intervene between their talk to clean the blame on her, "and about your friend, he is a doctor. He must be coming to visit his patients." Added Hailey.

"Mom! I'm not his patient. I'm his friend." Cora reminded her mother about her special relationship with the doctor.

"Hey Cora, how are you doing girl!" Dr. Luke greeted Cora with a bright smile.

"I'm not good Dr. Scott. If I were doing well I wouldn't be here at your hospital. Don't you think so?" Cora exhaled and turned her face away, "Is he not coming today?" She added disheartened.

"Umm... I doubt as heavy downpour has been forecasted. If he had come. He might have stuck here for the whole night you know." Dr. Luke Scott replied checking few papers clipped by her bedside regarding her reaction to the medicines given to her by them in the last few days.

"I can understand," Cora murmured sadly gazing out at the window.

Clouds were getting darker, it might rain coming whole night.

"Seems like someone is missing me." His voice came as he entered the room.

"Arthur!" Cora squealed with joy and stood up on her bed to jump on him but before she could Hailey reached and held her from her waist.

"Cora relax!" Hailey chid at her.

"Ops! Seems like you forgot what I forbade you to do." He exclaimed with a teasing smile and came to sit by her bedside.

As he took the stool to sit, Hailey withdrew and stepped away to stand by the window, back to gaze out of it.

Her psyche was full of thoughts, all dark and gloomy while her heart was storming just like the weather.

"Cora doesn't show but she gets tired very quickly. She is a kid that's why her willpower keeps her going. But I will suggest going for surgery as soon as possible." Dr. Miller's voice echoed in her head.

"Sorry dear, I can arrange this little amount only. I have talked with the owner of our mall he denied any advance. I'm sorry." Her manager's voice followed by.

"Hailey relax, we are trying. We will arrange the money for her operation soon." Meril tried to console Hailey in low voice, placing her hand on her shoulder.

"How Meril? I'm working at that bar at night for the last whole year yet I couldn't save much amount. And that cheap owner of the bar isn't ready to give me a single penny in advance." Hailey replied irritated in a hush tone pushing her tears back.

"We know what he wants from you Hailey. He is a scoundrel, just want to take advantage of you." Meril replied with anger.

"Yeah he is, but at least he can never dare to harm me. Well, can you find any buyer for my small apartment?" Hailey inquired calming herself as she didn't want Cora to know that her mother was struggling day and night to arrange money for her heart surgery.

Though Hailey had counted the money she saved for Cora's schooling, yet it wasn't sufficient. Her last hope was her home, a small apartment, left for her by her mother. She was searching for someone who could buy it and give her enough money she needed.

"If you don't mind should I talk to Dr. Miller and Luke? I think they would give us some discount. They are quite attached to Cora. Look how Luke is trying but Cora is sure that Dr. Arthur Miller is the only one." Meril chuckled at the sight of Dr. Luke trying to bribe Cora with fake promises of cakes and chocolates.

Luke looked up at Meril, a blush spread on his cheeks and he left the room with an excuse of visiting patients.

"Cora? No, I think Dr. Luke Scott is more interested in impressing you Meril. And he is not wrong either you too seem quite attracted toward him." Hailey pinched at her arm to tease.

"Auch! " Meril shouted a bit, attracting the attention of Cora and Dr. Miller who were intrigued in their talks till now.

"Is everything alright Dr. Meril?" He inquired turning to the ladies.

"Yes, Yes, Dr. Miller everything is fine. Just a mosquito.". Meril tried to hide their personal chat.

"Mosquito! Should I take it as an accusation?" He took a back at her words.

"No, No, I didn't mean that! It must be some ant."

"Are you accusing our cleaning staff Dr.?" He replied with a furrowed forehead.

"No, I think we need some coffee. If you are staying can we go to get some coffee from your hospital cafeteria?" Meril found an excuse.

"Yes please, I think you both need it." He said and turned back to face Cora.

"And you thought he would give us concession," Hailey whispered in her ear with a smirk in a taunting manner.

°°°

"You just scared Aunt Meril, Arthur!". Chuckled Cora as her mother and Dr. Aunt left her room.

"Well, I guess I'm damn good at it." He replied proudly with a smirk and both started to laugh.

"Let's start now before they come back," Cora suggested with the same devilish smirk.

Dr. Miller pulled out his chessboard from his small briefcase, which he was carrying when entered the room, "ready to lose today?" He questioned her adjusting it.

"Not today my friend! Not today!" Replied Cora with confidence in her tone.

••••

"Hailey, stop thinking. We will manage somehow." Said Meril placing a steaming paper cup of coffee in front of her.

"How Meril? How? I ... I am not able to get. How to arrange the money." She held the cup but her eyes still lost, "Meril, should I go to Adam? He might help."

"Hailey! He was a jerk! And he must be the same till now. How can you take him as an option? Wait a second! Do you?" Meril looked at Hailey with suspicion.

"Do I what Meril?" Hailey asked with irritation.

"Do you still have any hope from his side? That someday he will come to you and say, "Hey baby, I'm back let's have some fun like earlier days." Hailey narrowed her eyes at Meril to show her disagreement but Meril kept saying, "Oh, I remember! We made a baby too. What's her or his name by the way? Is the child still alive? Why you gave her birth even?"

"Meril! I just thought to borrow some money from him. He refused to be a father so his chapter got closed at the point for me. I choose to be a mother! I'm not blaming him for anything." Hailey replied more irritated.

"Oh great! You are not blaming him. So what if he got you pregnant then broke you, your innocent heart, compelled you to leave the college just because you decided to chose his unborn child over him." Meril growled in anger.

"Meril stop mentioning the past. And how many times I need to say, She is my child! Not His! You know that I'm over him. It's been 6 long years. Just let it be, just let it go. All I cared about was my baby and she's the one, I still care about most." Hailey said in reply to her growl almost rebuking her.

"Fine! What else can I expect from you?" Meril stood up to leave in anger.

"Bye, get some buyer if you want to help me," Hailey added sipping her coffee with irritation and tear-filled eyes.

"Goodbye!" Meril groaned back at her, " if I were you, I would have killed that man if he had denied to spend on my daughter's medication."

"Meril! You want me to go to him and ask for financial help?" Hailey wondered at her comment.

"I wanted you to kick that moron!" Meril stepped back to her for the sentence and quickly walked away toward the door to leave.

"I can't Meril. I can't, I don't feel he the only culprit for my sufferings, he didn't force me for anything, he didn't promise to be there with me ever. I was the one who loved him and heard what he never said." Hailey murmured to herself with tears in her eyes.

"Hey, I didn't mean to make you cry." Meril said, placing her hand on her shoulder before taking the chair opposite to hers'.

"I know, even I didn't mean to sound rude." Hailey held her friend's hand at the table. " You know that. Right?"

"Yeah, I know. And that is why I am here." Meril replied holding her hand back firmly, "if you agree, we can try and shift somewhere else, I mean as you said a few weeks back. This hospital is expensive, we can shift somewhere where Dr. Arthur is a surgeon. I'm sure there must be one or two hospitals he is connected with." Meril gave a suggestion.

"No Meril, I can't take a risk, I have lost my mother like that. I don't want to repeat the same mistake of going to a cheaper hospital just because I can't afford it. I will manage, anyhow." Hailey affirmed herself while replying to Meril.

She still blames herself for abiding by her mother, when she insisted to stay at a cheap clinic instead of going for an expert. Just to save money only.

And here, the situation was the same again. The only difference was, at that time Cora was only a year old infant. Hailey just managed to get a job when her mother got serious heart troubles.

She can't lose her daughter the same way she lost her mother, in deficiency of resources!

She determined herself to do anything. She collected her clutch from the table and Raincoat of Meril, " Meril can you please stay here with Cora? I have to go for my shift at the bar. I can't afford to lose it." She requested Meril to favor her just like She had been doing all week.

•••