Chapter 251: The Cold Hallway
If audio player doesn't work, press Stop then Play button again
The hallway was deserted.
No one other than her was around.
In this cold, empty space, she was sitting here by herself. Her bottom was against the cold, stainless steel chair. And yet, she could not feel any of its coldness against her thin garment material.
Every now and then, she could hear the announcement through the speakers; paging for doctors or nurses to go to certain floors.
The smell of disinfectant was attacking her nostrils.
The air conditioner was blowing cold air. The chillness was against her skin, giving her tiny goosebumps.
But all these distant feelings around her did not seem to disturb her at all.
For her mind and her sight were fixed to the white marble tiles beneath her feet.
Her heart felt so anxious.
Her feet had been tapping on the floor for hours, she finally grew tired and stopped a while ago.
She raised both arms and hugged herself. She rubbed her palms against each arm to keep her warm.
Her eyes would sometimes darted to the Emergency signal above the door, and then back to the floor. She would also glance to the end of the hallway, hoping for someone - or just anyone, to appear in her view.
But there was none.
The clock had been ticking away.
She was alone.
....
A loud "Ding" sound echoed on the floor.
She quickly turned her head towards the source of the sound.
Series of footsteps were heard coming out of the elevator. And then she saw several men begin their march to walk over towards her direction.
They were dressed up all in dark suits. Their faces were dark and gloomy, as if they were readying themselves for a fight.
She could not recognize all of their faces, except for one man.
The man leading at the front of the group was her father's most trusted man; who was also his bodyguard.
Her heart suddenly felt constricted.
She grew up looking at this face, who was always there for her.
More than her own father.
And without her realizing, droplets of tears started to flow from the corner of her eyes.
She had been feeling anxious and scared for hours. And she had been trying to hold every emotion within herself.
But when she saw this familiar face coming towards her; and this familiar face gave a sense of security and calm around her, slowly the wall that she had built to surround her was slowly broken down.
Her fear was exposed.
In normal circumstances, her pride would not allow her to cry in front of these lowly men. She would go to the ladies room and let out her emotions there.
But right now, her legs were too weak to make that walk; and seeing this man here changed her stance.
She felt that she could cry in ease and this man would be there to shield her from prying eyes.
Just like how he had been protecting her father, she believed that this man would also extend his protection to her.
....
The solid footsteps stopped about three feet away from her. And then his familiar, deep voice was heard.
"Young Miss."
Her head was still looking down to the marble tiles as her tears flowed in silence.
But she knew that this man was standing tall like usual, with his arms on each side, stiff like a soldier.
His head would be slightly bowed as he greeted her, as a sign of respect. A habit that he had been doing ever since she was born.
A soft sob threatened to escape her, but she managed to stop herself in time.
She did not wish to be ridiculed for being weak. The tiny sob could have echoed so loud in this empty hallway, and all of these men would find out.
She would not want that.
"En." Her chaotic brain could not think of any other words as a response, so she could only hum her acknowledgement.
"All of the paperwork for the surgery are done."
This man had always been rigid and reserved his whole life. He kept his words short, and let his behavior and actions shone more.
"En," she hummed again.
After a long pause, she was finally able to squeeze out a tiny voice, "Thank you," she said.
There was a slight tremble in her voice, that she was sure the man would also catch it.
He did not say anything anymore, but she knew he must have bowed his head again before he slowly stepped aside and stood next to her silently.
She raised her hand slowly and tried to wipe her tears with the back of her hand.
She heard a ruffled noise, and then suddenly a piece of white handkerchief appeared in her view.
The owner of the wrinkled hand who was holding it did not say anything as he passed the tiny handkerchief to her.
She did not say anything either, but her trembling fingers slowly reached out to take the handkerchief from him.
....
After she felt that her face was a little more presentable, she slowly raised her chin up and started to scan around the area.
She noticed that several men had spread around the hallway.
Two men were standing by the Emergency Room. Another two men were standing on each side of the hallway.
Two men stood next to her, slightly further away than the most trusted bodyguard.
She glanced to the side.
"Uncle Hiro," she started to say. Her voice croaked.
She had been sitting here for hours; and the last thirty minutes or so, she had been crying.
Her throat was dry and her voice was so hoarse.
Hiroto, the old gentleman who had been standing silently next to her, suddenly raised his arm, and then another man came over.
The young bodyguard passed a bottle of water to Hiroto, who then uncapped it himself before Hiroto passed it over to her.
Helen took the bottle from him and started to gulp generously.
Hiroto wanted to tell her to slow down, but he managed to stop himself before he crossed the line.
He thought that it was unethical for him to say such things to his employer's daughter.
....
"Uncle Hiro."
After she drank all the water in the bottle, Helen tried again.
She sounded much better now.
She cleared her throat before she continued, "So, what is the situation now?"
"There is still no news, Young Miss."
Helen held herself to not roll her eyes in front of him. She patiently asked again, "What did the nurses say?"
Hiroto was still standing tall in his perfect form by her side. His arms were folded at the front all the time he was speaking to her.
"No one is willing to say anything while the surgery is in process. All they asked us to do is to wait."
Waiting was really not her forte.
She had been waiting here for hours, and yet there was still no news.
She looked away from Hiroto, towards the Emergency sign that was still lit up.
'Father, please be strong,' Helen pleaded in her heart.
'Please.. Father, don't leave me now.'
Her hand was still holding onto the damp handkerchief. Her fingernails dug deep through the cotton as she bit her lower lip.
She must not cry again, not now.
Until she knew what exactly went wrong, she vowed to herself that she would not break down again.
After all, she was the one and only Helen Kanagawa.
The only heir to Ido Kanagawa.
And her fingers dug deeper into the inside of her palm.
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
The hallway was deserted.
No one other than her was around.
In this cold, empty space, she was sitting here by herself. Her bottom was against the cold, stainless steel chair. And yet, she could not feel any of its coldness against her thin garment material.
Every now and then, she could hear the announcement through the speakers; paging for doctors or nurses to go to certain floors.
The smell of disinfectant was attacking her nostrils.
The air conditioner was blowing cold air. The chillness was against her skin, giving her tiny goosebumps.
But all these distant feelings around her did not seem to disturb her at all.
For her mind and her sight were fixed to the white marble tiles beneath her feet.
Her heart felt so anxious.
Her feet had been tapping on the floor for hours, she finally grew tired and stopped a while ago.
She raised both arms and hugged herself. She rubbed her palms against each arm to keep her warm.
Her eyes would sometimes darted to the Emergency signal above the door, and then back to the floor. She would also glance to the end of the hallway, hoping for someone - or just anyone, to appear in her view.
But there was none.
The clock had been ticking away.
She was alone.
....
A loud "Ding" sound echoed on the floor.
She quickly turned her head towards the source of the sound.
Series of footsteps were heard coming out of the elevator. And then she saw several men begin their march to walk over towards her direction.
They were dressed up all in dark suits. Their faces were dark and gloomy, as if they were readying themselves for a fight.
She could not recognize all of their faces, except for one man.
The man leading at the front of the group was her father's most trusted man; who was also his bodyguard.
Her heart suddenly felt constricted.
She grew up looking at this face, who was always there for her.
More than her own father.
And without her realizing, droplets of tears started to flow from the corner of her eyes.
She had been feeling anxious and scared for hours. And she had been trying to hold every emotion within herself.
But when she saw this familiar face coming towards her; and this familiar face gave a sense of security and calm around her, slowly the wall that she had built to surround her was slowly broken down.
Her fear was exposed.
In normal circumstances, her pride would not allow her to cry in front of these lowly men. She would go to the ladies room and let out her emotions there.
But right now, her legs were too weak to make that walk; and seeing this man here changed her stance.
She felt that she could cry in ease and this man would be there to shield her from prying eyes.
Just like how he had been protecting her father, she believed that this man would also extend his protection to her.
....
The solid footsteps stopped about three feet away from her. And then his familiar, deep voice was heard.
"Young Miss."
Her head was still looking down to the marble tiles as her tears flowed in silence.
But she knew that this man was standing tall like usual, with his arms on each side, stiff like a soldier.
His head would be slightly bowed as he greeted her, as a sign of respect. A habit that he had been doing ever since she was born.
A soft sob threatened to escape her, but she managed to stop herself in time.
She did not wish to be ridiculed for being weak. The tiny sob could have echoed so loud in this empty hallway, and all of these men would find out.
She would not want that.
"En." Her chaotic brain could not think of any other words as a response, so she could only hum her acknowledgement.
"All of the paperwork for the surgery are done."
This man had always been rigid and reserved his whole life. He kept his words short, and let his behavior and actions shone more.
"En," she hummed again.
After a long pause, she was finally able to squeeze out a tiny voice, "Thank you," she said.
There was a slight tremble in her voice, that she was sure the man would also catch it.
He did not say anything anymore, but she knew he must have bowed his head again before he slowly stepped aside and stood next to her silently.
She raised her hand slowly and tried to wipe her tears with the back of her hand.
She heard a ruffled noise, and then suddenly a piece of white handkerchief appeared in her view.
The owner of the wrinkled hand who was holding it did not say anything as he passed the tiny handkerchief to her.
She did not say anything either, but her trembling fingers slowly reached out to take the handkerchief from him.
....
After she felt that her face was a little more presentable, she slowly raised her chin up and started to scan around the area.
She noticed that several men had spread around the hallway.
Two men were standing by the Emergency Room. Another two men were standing on each side of the hallway.
Two men stood next to her, slightly further away than the most trusted bodyguard.
She glanced to the side.
"Uncle Hiro," she started to say. Her voice croaked.
She had been sitting here for hours; and the last thirty minutes or so, she had been crying.
Her throat was dry and her voice was so hoarse.
Hiroto, the old gentleman who had been standing silently next to her, suddenly raised his arm, and then another man came over.
The young bodyguard passed a bottle of water to Hiroto, who then uncapped it himself before Hiroto passed it over to her.
Helen took the bottle from him and started to gulp generously.
Hiroto wanted to tell her to slow down, but he managed to stop himself before he crossed the line.
He thought that it was unethical for him to say such things to his employer's daughter.
....
"Uncle Hiro."
After she drank all the water in the bottle, Helen tried again.
She sounded much better now.
She cleared her throat before she continued, "So, what is the situation now?"
"There is still no news, Young Miss."
Helen held herself to not roll her eyes in front of him. She patiently asked again, "What did the nurses say?"
Hiroto was still standing tall in his perfect form by her side. His arms were folded at the front all the time he was speaking to her.
"No one is willing to say anything while the surgery is in process. All they asked us to do is to wait."
Waiting was really not her forte.
She had been waiting here for hours, and yet there was still no news.
She looked away from Hiroto, towards the Emergency sign that was still lit up.
'Father, please be strong,' Helen pleaded in her heart.
'Please.. Father, don't leave me now.'
Her hand was still holding onto the damp handkerchief. Her fingernails dug deep through the cotton as she bit her lower lip.
She must not cry again, not now.
Until she knew what exactly went wrong, she vowed to herself that she would not break down again.
After all, she was the one and only Helen Kanagawa.
The only heir to Ido Kanagawa.
And her fingers dug deeper into the inside of her palm.
The hallway was deserted.No one other than her was around.In this cold, empty space, she was sitting here by herself. Her bottom was against the cold, stainless steel chair. And yet, she could not feel any of its coldness against her thin garment material.Every now and then, she could hear the announcement through the speakers; paging for doctors or nurses to go to certain floors.The smell of disinfectant was attacking her nostrils.The air conditioner was blowing cold air. The chillness was against her skin, giving her tiny goosebumps.But all these distant feelings around her did not seem to disturb her at all.For her mind and her sight were fixed to the white marble tiles beneath her feet.Her heart felt so anxious.Her feet had been tapping on the floor for hours, she finally grew tired and stopped a while ago.She raised both arms and hugged herself. She rubbed her palms against each arm to keep her warm.Her eyes would sometimes darted to the Emergency signal above the door, and then back to the floor. She would also glance to the end of the hallway, hoping for someone - or just anyone, to appear in her view.But there was none.The clock had been ticking away.She was alone.....A loud "Ding" sound echoed on the floor.She quickly turned her head towards the source of the sound.Series of footsteps were heard coming out of the elevator. And then she saw several men begin their march to walk over towards her direction.They were dressed up all in dark suits. Their faces were dark and gloomy, as if they were readying themselves for a fight.She could not recognize all of their faces, except for one man.The man leading at the front of the group was her father's most trusted man; who was also his bodyguard.Her heart suddenly felt constricted.She grew up looking at this face, who was always there for her.More than her own father.And without her realizing, droplets of tears started to flow from the corner of her eyes.She had been feeling anxious and scared for hours. And she had been trying to hold every emotion within herself.But when she saw this familiar face coming towards her; and this familiar face gave a sense of security and calm around her, slowly the wall that she had built to surround her was slowly broken down.Her fear was exposed.In normal circumstances, her pride would not allow her to cry in front of these lowly men. She would go to the ladies room and let out her emotions there.But right now, her legs were too weak to make that walk; and seeing this man here changed her stance.She felt that she could cry in ease and this man would be there to shield her from prying eyes.Just like how he had been protecting her father, she believed that this man would also extend his protection to her.....The solid footsteps stopped about three feet away from her. And then his familiar, deep voice was heard."Young Miss."Her head was still looking down to the marble tiles as her tears flowed in silence.But she knew that this man was standing tall like usual, with his arms on each side, stiff like a soldier.His head would be slightly bowed as he greeted her, as a sign of respect. A habit that he had been doing ever since she was born.A soft sob threatened to escape her, but she managed to stop herself in time.She did not wish to be ridiculed for being weak. The tiny sob could have echoed so loud in this empty hallway, and all of these men would find out.She would not want that."En." Her chaotic brain could not think of any other words as a response, so she could only hum her acknowledgement."All of the paperwork for the surgery are done."This man had always been rigid and reserved his whole life. He kept his words short, and let his behavior and actions shone more."En," she hummed again.After a long pause, she was finally able to squeeze out a tiny voice, "Thank you," she said.There was a slight tremble in her voice, that she was sure the man would also catch it.He did not say anything anymore, but she knew he must have bowed his head again before he slowly stepped aside and stood next to her silently.She raised her hand slowly and tried to wipe her tears with the back of her hand.She heard a ruffled noise, and then suddenly a piece of white handkerchief appeared in her view.The owner of the wrinkled hand who was holding it did not say anything as he passed the tiny handkerchief to her.She did not say anything either, but her trembling fingers slowly reached out to take the handkerchief from him.....After she felt that her face was a little more presentable, she slowly raised her chin up and started to scan around the area.She noticed that several men had spread around the hallway.Two men were standing by the Emergency Room. Another two men were standing on each side of the hallway.Two men stood next to her, slightly further away than the most trusted bodyguard.She glanced to the side."Uncle Hiro," she started to say. Her voice croaked.She had been sitting here for hours; and the last thirty minutes or so, she had been crying.Her throat was dry and her voice was so hoarse.Hiroto, the old gentleman who had been standing silently next to her, suddenly raised his arm, and then another man came over.The young bodyguard passed a bottle of water to Hiroto, who then uncapped it himself before Hiroto passed it over to her.Helen took the bottle from him and started to gulp generously.Hiroto wanted to tell her to slow down, but he managed to stop himself before he crossed the line.He thought that it was unethical for him to say such things to his employer's daughter....."Uncle Hiro."After she drank all the water in the bottle, Helen tried again.She sounded much better now.She cleared her throat before she continued, "So, what is the situation now?""There is still no news, Young Miss."Helen held herself to not roll her eyes in front of him. She patiently asked again, "What did the nurses say?"Hiroto was still standing tall in his perfect form by her side. His arms were folded at the front all the time he was speaking to her."No one is willing to say anything while the surgery is in process. All they asked us to do is to wait."Waiting was really not her forte.She had been waiting here for hours, and yet there was still no news.She looked away from Hiroto, towards the Emergency sign that was still lit up.'Father, please be strong,' Helen pleaded in her heart.'Please.. Father, don't leave me now.'Her hand was still holding onto the damp handkerchief. Her fingernails dug deep through the cotton as she bit her lower lip.She must not cry again, not now.Until she knew what exactly went wrong, she vowed to herself that she would not break down again.After all, she was the one and only Helen Kanagawa.The only heir to Ido Kanagawa.And her fingers dug deeper into the inside of her palm.
