THE BILLIONAIRE'S CRYBABY
Chapter 45: A STRANGER IN THE HALLWAY

Chapter 45: A STRANGER IN THE HALLWAY

Ace stood at a spot, tapping his foot restlessly, when the door to Fay’s room opened, and Alexander came out.

Out of curiosity, he lifted his head to see who had just stepped out, and frowned when he discovered the doctor, walking over to him.

"Hey, can I have a few words with you?" Alexander asked, stopping in front of him.

He gave the doctor a once over, but held back his tongue. Nodding his head, he waited to hear what he was going to say.

"I did an eye test on Fay. While she seems okay, there’s still much recovery ahead. I hope you understand why I suggested the ice cream. It’s going to open up her appetite."

"Okay?"

"I’m just saying, she obviously refused for a reason."

Ace was growing impatient with the dilly-dallying. "What are you trying to say doctor?" He successfully kept the edge off his voice, but his eyes didn’t hide his irritation.

Alexander weighed his next words carefully, and just decided to go for it. "She turned it down because she was afraid she’d upset you. I’ve noticed how she walks on eggshells around you. Do you think you could be less uptight?"

Ace chortled. He absolutely couldn’t believe his ears. The gall to look him in the eyes and tell him something as stupid as this.

Blinking in disbelief, he shook his head. "Listen doctor. I understand your professional concern when it comes to my wife. I even welcome it. But what you won’t do a second time is cross the line just like you’ve done. Whichever way I treat my wife is none of your business. Stick to being her doctor, and I’ll stick to being her husband. Hopefully, I don’t have a reason to speak about this topic again." Shoving his hands into his pocket, he walked out of the doctor.

He wanted to get as far away from him as possible, before he exploded with anger, and caused a scene. It wasn’t his style to be outrightly explosive. He liked to contain his anger, by switching the emotion for something else like nonchalance.

These days, the entire opposite was happening in sequence. He was getting angrier, and more maddened by every situation that came up.

He had strayed far along the lines of the hallway when he realized there wasn’t a familiar spot in sight.

"No way I’m lost." Running a hand through his hair, he sighed.

Everything was the nosey doctor’s fault. Always talking about things that had nothing to do with him.. He liked to act like he wasn’t interested in Fay past the doctor-patient relationship, but he could see through him.

What he didn’t understand was why it bothered him so much. A pride thing? Or was he just being an ass?

With another sigh escaping his pursed lip, he turned around, and began tracing his way back.

His luck shone when he didn’t see another soul around. The ward Fay was stuck in offered him what no other place in the hospital could; privacy.

By now, news had probably gotten around that Ace Atticus was in the hospital with his wife. People would be looking out for him.

Stares he could manage, but outright unsolicited conversations were a no-no.

A blue coated paint, with purple highlights. These were the color of the walls in the secluded hallway he was currently standing. None of which looked recognizable.

"How far did I exactly wander?" He shook his head, turning all around.

His eyes fell on a little girl who he could swear was just a pile of trash when he passed by. In hindsight, it would be awkward for a pile of trash to be hanging around a hospital ward.

He figured out she had her head bent to her knees before, and that was why she didn’t look human.

Now fully standing, staring at him with big almond eyes, he could tell the little girl wasn’t older than seven. He quickly turned around before she could talk to him, and began to walk away.

"Hello sir," a tiny voice called.

"Don’t stop. Don’t stop. Don’t fucking stop," a voice in his head warned. But not the man to be told what to do even by himself, he stopped, and turned around.

"What?" He asked, letting her know from the get go he wasn’t about to be friendly.

She cringed a little, but still continued forward, until she was standing in front of him. "I’m Sophie." She stretched out her hands.

He looked down at it, then up her face. Her platinum blonde hair looked like it hadn’t seen a brush in a whole year. She had scratches on her face, and her feet were without shoes.

Her appearance would make a lesser man flinch, putting in consideration the fact he was lost in a creepy looking hallway that was getting darker by the second.

"Ace," he said, without shaking her hands.

When she became tired of projecting hers, she got the message and laid it to rest beside her.

"Didn’t you see me when you passed by? Why didn’t you stop?"

A crease formed on his forehead, as his nose wrinkled. What an entitled brat. "Why would I stop for a stranger? Didn’t your parents teach you not to trust strangers, especially strange men?"

"I don’t know. I can’t remember."

"What’d you mean you can’t remember? But you remember your name, and how to talk."

"Everyone remembers their name and how to talk." Her face contorts with confusion.

"Look, little miss sunshine, I don’t have time for this. I need to return to my wife who’s sick."

"What’s your wife’s name?" She suddenly asked like it was any business of hers.

He scoffed, his patience running thin. When he was younger, he remembered being warned over and over again about conversing with strangers. For that reason, even in parks, he never walked unsupervised.

As he stared down on the yappy girl with a scowl on his face, he wondered where her parents were.

"Where are your parents? I’ll take you to them."

"I told you I don’t know them. Do you have a problem with listening, or understanding?"

He snickered in absolute disbelief. "For someone who doesn’t know her parents, you sure do know a lot of big words." He snooted, and rolled his eyes.

"Do you want to be my friend? I don’t have any friends here. No, I actually do have one. Old Mr Marty, but the English doctor with a really beautiful smile, and clicking heels that reverberates round the halls when she walks through, said he went to see the Lord, two nights ago. What does that mean?"

He cast a glance at her. Perhaps he missed something before. She really did know a lot of big words for her age. He was surprised it didn’t come with logic. The old man was simply dead, and she was none the wiser.

"You don’t want to tell me, do you? That means it’s really what I think it is."

He folded his hands across his chest, irritated by how invested he was in this smaller version of chatty Fay. "What do you think it is?"

She looked around, and then drew closer to him. Lowering her voice, she said, "That he’s dead."

He blinked. So she did have logic too. He was impressed, but also worriedly disturbed.

"At least you’re not stupid. It’s a good thing for when you grow up. Stupid adults make terrible humans."

"Stupid children too." She nodded in agreement.

"Alright miss weird girl, I have to go now. See you around, I guess?"

"I guess." Her face fell.

The place looked safe enough. It was a hospital, so she wasn’t in any real danger. Maybe she wandered about. When she was bored, she’d go back to her parents..

He did everything in his power to convince himself he was doing the right thing by leaving the little girl at the same spot he had met her, but two steps in, he just couldn’t keep walking.

Swearing under his breath, he turned around, and returned to the girl. "Do you really not remember who your parents are?"

Her lip started to quiver, and she burst into tears. His eyes spinned around, hoping to God no one would come out and see a little girl crying in his presence. It wouldn’t be interpreted in a very good way.

"What is it? Why are you crying?" He reached out for her, but swiftly withdrew his hands. Any action could be misinterpreted, and he didn’t want the burden of trying to correct notions.

But damn! She did remind him of Fay. Down to the tears.

"I lied!" She confessed between tears.

"About what?" His eyes squinted.

"About not knowing where my parents are. I lied to the pretty doctor too, and everyone around. If I didn’t lie, I would be forced to face the truth."

That seemed fair, and very logical in his head. He was beginning to nod in understanding, when he stopped mid bob, realizing this was an actual distressed kid. Which only meant he needed to show sympathy.

"Where are your parents?"

"The same place old Mr Marty is. They died in the car crash. I’m all alone in this world."

She moved to him, and hugged his legs.

He didn’t know what to do. How to comfort her. A whole lot of years of being on top of things, and all it took was a little girl in tears to completely discombobulate him.

"God help me," he muttered under his breath.