Love Redux: Fated to the Handsome Doctor

“Please, Doctor. Tell me, what can I help you with?” Mrs. Putri was so happy to assist her rescuer’s needs. Andre smiled and then finally said what he had been looking for all this time.

“Is this restaurant open on September 1st?” Andre asked after checking the records on his phone. That was the day Lara was taken to the hospital.

“September 1st?” Mrs. Putri tried to remember. She also checked the records on her phone. “That day was just before I went back to my hometown. There was a severe accident in front of the restaurant. I was so scared. But, there was nothing I could do except call the police. I was really in a hurry.”

Andre seemed to raise his smile. “So, you still had time to witness the accident?”

“Yes, Sir! How could I not? The sound was so loud. Even though the restaurant was closed at that time, I could still hear the loud crash of something hard. A big truck hit the car so hard it got dented! Such a pity,” she reminisced while taking a deep breath.

“So, it’s true, it was hit?”

“Yes! Do you know the victim, Doctor?”

“Yes. The victim is one of my close acquaintances,” Andre replied, slightly concealing Lara’s identity. He didn’t want to appear too close to the victim. “Then, are there any CCTV recordings or car cameras that can be checked for evidence?”

The woman was shocked and suddenly froze. Andre could see the change in her face from being relaxed to pale. She seemed to be hiding something. “A-are you actually a policeman?” she asked fearfully.

Andre shook his head quickly. “I’m a doctor, truly. I’m just asking.”

“Well, recently I’ve been interrogated by the police. I’m really scared. I don’t want to be dragged into a case I don’t know about,” she made a reasonable excuse. Andre understood her intention. But, this was clearly detrimental to Lara’s side.

“My colleague was in a coma, Ma’am. Such a pity. Can’t you give her justice? She’s accused of driving under the influence,” Andre pleaded slightly. He knew he couldn’t force Mrs. Putri to help him with all his might.

Andre only asked for surveillance camera footage, if available.

“Ehem….” Mrs. Putri began to hesitate. As a mother, she certainly had a sentimental side that could easily be touched by the guise of empathy. Andre should have succeeded in persuading her. However, one more thing was needed for his plan to run smoothly.

“I will guarantee your safety, Ma’am. I will also provide appropriate compensation,” Andre said again. This time, there was no room in Mrs. Putri’s heart to refuse him.

“Just a moment, Doctor.”Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

The woman then whispered to a skinny male employee in a half-wet T-shirt who had just emerged from the kitchen. After nodding for a while, the skinny man went to another room to get something requested by his boss.

Andre observed the two of them with his arms crossed over his chest. There was a feeling of relief welling up from within him. Andre was sure the recording would definitely turn the situation around.

“Doctor, this is all I have,” Mrs. Putri came back carrying a black flash disk containing the footage of the unfortunate accident. “The car’s dashboard camera was on before we left town. Thank goodness.”

“Thank you very much, Ma’am! I really appreciate your cooperation.”

“You promise to keep me safe if anything happens, right?”

“Of course. I promise! Here’s my business card. Please call anytime if you feel necessary.”

“Okay, Doctor! Oh yes, please enjoy.”

Shortly after, various seafood dishes were served on the dining table. The little girl also joined after bathing and cleaning up. Andre enjoyed stir-fried clams and various grilled fish.

“So delicious,” he praised. Andre was serious, not just making small talk. Such cuisine reminded him of his childhood on the coast. Andre and Lara used to play on the beach, while their parents grilled various fish for dinner.

Those beautiful memories somehow felt painful when Andre remembered their parents running away together, leaving Andre and Lara with deep wounds that had yet to heal until now.

***

“This…?”

“Yes, Ma’am. We found a baby’s body in the tube. I’m sorry, the body has been buried because we couldn’t wait any longer. You can see it through… this photo.”

Lara’s heart shattered. Her chest felt like it was being pierced. Her child was eventually found. However, she could only hold him in a piece of photograph. “Huwaa!” Lara cried her heart out.

Briptu Ani tried to calm her down, but Lara became more agitated. Her chest felt hot, and the tears that flowed seemed to burn her. “MY CHILD!” She screamed in profound despair.

“I’m sorry, we couldn’t let you participate in the burial because your condition is still unstable.”

“NO! You should have brought me, Briptu! You’re so cruel!” Lara started to blame the officer who unilaterally decided something. “This isn’t fair!” she demanded, pointing accusingly at Briptu Ani’s face with fiery anger.

“Please calm down, Ma’am! We’ve consulted with your legal counsel and… Doctor Andre. He said it’s better to bury him without you.”

“What does Andre have to do with me? What?!”

“You are… my patient under my care, Lara.”

Andre’s voice suddenly sounded. With slow steps, he entered Lara’s room. Andre had just arrived with an indescribable joyous mood, after successfully finding the CCTV footage at the accident scene. But his happiness was short-lived.

Andre was so surprised to hear screams from Lara’s room.

“Ndre! How could you!” Lara shifted the blame to Andre and wailed again. She really wanted to meet her child.

One thing Lara didn’t know. The photo was also manipulated. The condition of Lara’s child was truly heartbreaking. Andre was first contacted by the officers, a few minutes after returning from the restaurant.

“Please don’t let Lara know. Just bury him after the autopsy, Ndan! I don’t want Lara to be more shaken. Her condition is unstable. This news could make her mental state even worse.”

Andre remembered his conversation with Briptu Ani some time ago. The police officer also informed Lara that her child’s body had been buried, even though the body was still in the morgue awaiting autopsy.

Andre couldn’t imagine Lara’s reaction when she found out that her child’s body was no longer intact. Many organs had been dissected like a scrapyard machine. Andre didn’t want Lara to spend the rest of her life in despair.

*

“Evil! Huhu… You’re all so evil!” Lara cried her heart out. She punched Andre and was really upset because she wasn’t consulted.

“Please calm down, Ra. Your child is already in heaven.”

The effect of the bone marrow extraction experiment on the baby for drug development was truly cruel. But… the police could only arrest the laboratory head, and there was no name of Seno on any list there.

“That bastard is really good at hiding. I will never give up on uncovering the truth!” Andre growled behind Lara’s mournful cries, which had now calmed down a bit in her embrace.

“Doctor, your arm!” Briptu Ani took several tissues to wipe the fresh blood flowing from Andre’s arm due to Lara’s attack. The handsome doctor just grinned slightly and shook his head slowly.

“I’m fine,” he answered spontaneously, after making sure that Lara had fallen asleep from exhaustion.

“Good job, Briptu! Thank you for helping us deal with this crisis.”

“You’re welcome, Doctor. I’m glad I could be useful.”

Briptu Ani then said goodbye with a deep sigh. She could see that Andre loved Lara so much. She even willingly became the target of Lara’s venting, although her intention was truly for Lara’s happiness.

A small smile spread across the officer’s face, imagining if she could also feel such genuine love.

Briptu Ani left the safe house with a warmth in her heart that she had never felt before.