The table fell into solemn silence, which was only broken due to the knock on the front door. Dimitri opened it to reveal a man with long brown hair tied into a ponytail, wearing a cat print jacket and wheeling a suitcase.
Alia stared, boggled. At such an early hour, the bright yellow of his jacket seed to burn her irises. Was this a new visitor that got lost?
"Dimitri, where is the patient?" the man asked, peering past him to look. "What’s the ergency?"
This was the doctor? Suddenly, Alia felt like she should haul her father to the hospital, objections be damned. Her father also seed hesitant. Maybe this was Dimitri’s plot all along, to convince her father he needed to seek professional treatnt by getting soone so blatantly strange to take a look at him.
If it worked, Dimitri was a genius and she would never doubt his plans.
"Your socks are mismatched," Dimitri replied instead, and he stepped aside to let him in.
That man walked in as though he owned the house, familiarity radiating with every gesture. He strode into the kitchen and washed his hands, helping himself to the paper towels while Dimitri trailed behind him and introduced his guests.
"This is your patient, Michael Kentwood, and that is his daughter, Alia Kentwood Hawthorne. I trust that confidentiality is still a priority for you?"
"Who do you think I am?" The man complained, before offering his hand out for her father and her to shake with a smile. He didn’t even twitch at Alia’s real identity. "Pleasure to et the both of you. I’m Isaac. Resident GP, and I have five years of being a doctor working for the A&E. That’s a nasty bruise you got there, Mr. Kentwood. Would you mind letting know how it happened?"
"Oh, it’s perfectly fine. It’s just a scuffle." Her father tried to downplay it, but then Isaac put on a pair of rubber gloves and prodded at his bruise, and there was no way he could have hidden the wince.
"There’s no point acting tough, Mr. Kentwood," Isaac said cheerfully, "But at least you’re not screaming in pain like the thugs I have to treat. Now, let check your pupils..."
As he continued to examine Alia’s father with expert hands and probing questions, Alia had to admit that despite his eccentric dressing, Isaac did seem to know what he was doing. Her heart cald down.
But when she glanced at Dimitri, who was already dressed from head to toe with nary a hair out of place despite the early hour, to Isaac who had two different socks on, she could only wonder how these two people got to know each other.
"Hey Dimitri," Alia asked, "How did you know Dr. Isaac?"
"I’m curious to know that too," Michael Kentwood said, eagerly latching onto the topic like a lifeline. The more this doctor looked at him, the more it seed like he would pry out the secret of every single scrape he had suffered throughout his lifeti.
"From school," Dimitri said simply without elaboration. "It’s good to have friends who major in dicine in case of ergencies. He is now my personal doctor. He has helped Ronan out of more than a few sticky situations."
"See how I have to deal with such ungratefulness?" Isaac lanted as he pulled out a couple of pills from his suitcase, along with satchels of creams. "Not only was I only given ten minutes to roll out of bed, I didn’t even get a thank you for traveling all the way out here on such short notice?"
"I know you can roll out of bed in less than a minute," Dimitri retorted without wasting a second. "And you wouldn’t have so much problem waking up if you had just slept at a normal hour. You’re a doctor, you should know how important sleep is. What’s more, you live right down the corridor, so what travel are you complaining about?"
Alia raised an eyebrow. This was the most she had heard Dimitri speak to anyone and it didn’t have anything to do with spyware or lawsuits.
More importantly, despite the harsh words, Dimitri almost sounded fond.
Isaac grumbled half-heartedly and addressed Alia’s father. "You see... I’m so sorry you have to live with soone like him. His nagging is so annoying."
Then he cleared his throat and his voice took on a more professional tone.
"Here are your prescribed painkillers, based on your age and estimated weight. Since the bruise is fresh, I suggest you take a painkiller twice a day after food. Do not operate heavy machinery as drowsiness is expected. Here is the cream to speed up skin healing. If you find any issues, please call this number and let know." He also handed them his na card. Other than his phone number, there was also a location for a clinic.
Her father began thanking him profusely for the help, causing Isaac to preen proudly.
"Hey, isn’t this clinic nearby?" Alia pointed out. rlo’s Clinic and Surgery was right down the street.
"Of course," Isaac said. "I hate commuting. Thankfully I could get a rental space for cheap here. It still nearly wiped out most of my savings though. But since you guys are Dimitri’s guests, I won’t charge you."
"I see..." Alia nodded, giving Dimitri a glance from the corner of her eyes. Her intuition was telling her that this rental space didn’t appear by accident. Dimitri, sensing her attention, nonchalantly buttered his toast.
"Isaac, would you like to stay for breakfast?" Michael Kentwood asked. This man seed like good company, and he would love to et more of Dimitri’s friends. But Isaac shook his head.
"No, I must be off. The clinic will open soon, and I need to check on the staff."
"Change your socks before you go," Dimitri said as he led him out the door. He grabbed one of the buttered toast and stuffed it into Isaac’s mouth, causing him to splutter indignantly even as he waved Alia and her father goodbye.
Alia could not spot the smile from spreading on her face. She wasn’t blind, and she discreetly texted Ronan under the table.
’I did not realize your older brother was in love.’
She got a reply almost imdiately.
’Did Isaac visit???? I know he’s so whipped.’
She had to stifle her laughter.
But then Ronan sent another ssage. ’Did you piss in Matteo’s cereal? Why is he so grouchy this morning?’
Alia sighed. Clearly, Matteo was not over the tiny disagreent, yet he was refusing to confide in her. For their marriage’s sake, she would have to find out what happened nearly twenty years ago.
"Dad, Dimitri, I’ll be heading off now," Alia said. She had a lot of places to visit.
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