Nicholas hurried to keep pace with the nurse's brisk footsteps as they moved without a word to the room where Christabel Bloom laid. So far, the nurse appeared far more intent on making him understand that there was a strong possibility Christabel Bloom wouldn't be able to remember what had happened to her on the track.
"You said you are her family?" The nurse tried to confirm what Nicholas had said to her.
"Not exactly her family," he corrected her. "It is easier for you to see me as a friend to Christabel Bloom or a distant relative who heard about her unfortunate incident and has come to be by her side."
"How sweet of you to say!" The nurse smiled, putting distance between them as she approached the door of the room where Christabel Bloom laid, tired. "You have to wait outside while I confirm if she knows who you are," she said, explaining to Nicholas the danger of identity theft and what was going on in the mind of Christabel after the incident.
"How long am I going to wait for you?"
"A few seconds," the nurse replied. "It could be up to a minute though. I can't assure you I will be out of her room any time soon. Like I said, what is important at the moment is for her to be able to identify who you are. There have been cases in the past where someone pretends to be a patient's family or friend with the sole intention of harming the patient. We don't want that to happen today, sir. I am sure you fully understand what I am talking about."
"I do," Nicholas had a growing apprehension that there was far more going on than he could imagine. "I also want you to know she may not be able to recognize me like I explained to you. I am not someone she has met very often in life. I am more like a stranger to her. So, I don't want you to be disappointed when you tell her that a man named Nicholas Wild has come to check up on her. I know you understand what I am talking about too just as I understand what you are talking about here, nurse."
"I do," the nurse smiled as she repeated what Nicholas had said to her with confidence. "I understand you are trying to be cautious and at the same time protective. I can assure you that what you are about to do now for this patient is sweet. She has been here for a while now and there have been no visitor who has come here to check up on her. I bet she is going to be very excited once I inform her that there is someone waiting for her outside who recognizes her and wants to see her. A distant relative or friend from her past who has come to sympathize with her."
"Thank you, nurse," Nicholas said. Those were the words that could only come out from his lips as he placed his hands inside his pockets.
"Why are you thanking me?"
"Because you trust me. I know it is not often you meet a stranger with the knowledge of a patient who he has no blood connection with."
"Yes, you are right, Nicholas Wild," the nurse said. "It is not often I meet people with the kind of zeal you have. My colleague told me about a man who has been in the waiting room for hours, waiting for a woman named Christabel Bloom. At first, I couldn't believe her until I saw who was waiting for her. Nicholas Wild, I know who you are and we all are grateful for what your father has done for this city. So, whether you are related to this lady behind this door or not, it doesn't really matter to me. It doesn't matter to me because all the words that flow from the mouth of 'The Wilds' are truth."
"Thank you," Nicholas said again, pretending to be pleased by the fact the nurse had acknowledged the power and respect his father had. "So, I will just wait outside while you go inside the room and inform her I am here."
"Exactly!" The nurse smiled. "And, just in case you see my African American colleague who informed me about your arrival, I want you to try your best to be nice to her. She has had a rough time today, watching someone she knew in her neighborhood give up his last breath in this hospital."
"It is no big deal," Nicholas shrugged. "I was nice to her the first time she spoke to me. But, I was kind of in a shock then, and that was why I couldn't give her all the answers she needed. You know how hard it is to deal with the fact that someone you care about is in a terrible state."
"I understand, Nicholas Wild," the nurse smiled. "But, just to ease your mind, the patient, Christabel Bloom is in a better state of mind. If I run a series of tests on her and I discover she is in a perfect state of mind, you can be able to take her home tonight. It is what I can assure you. It is the least compensation I can offer to you for your troubles."
"Thank you," Nicholas said for the umpteenth time, reminding himself that in no time, Christabel Bloom would be wide awake and ready to talk.
"You are welcome."
Nicholas watched as the nurse entered the room where Christabel Bloom had been placed in since the earlier incident that had made her to faint on the track. The shrill sound of his cell phone cut the air as he became aware of where he was standing now and what he was doing now. He pulled his phone from his jacket as he wondered who was calling him by this time of the day.
Uncertain, he answered.
"Hello? How are you?" The voice that spoke to him was an eerie, familiar whisper. "Son, I heard you had an unexpected experience today. I also heard from your mother you wanted a change in your life. What is it you want from me that I haven't given to you?
He felt an icy chill as he heard his father's voice for the first time in twelve hours. "Hello, pa! How are you? So, you are back from work?"
"Yes! I am back home. Where the hell are you, son?" His father demanded, his words loud and clear. "Where have you been for the past six hours? You made your mother to be so worried to an extent she couldn't gather the courage to call you."
"Don't worry, pa," Nicholas said. "As I told ma earlier today, I am safe and man enough to take care of myself. I need to be able to do what I want in life, pa. I want Independence from both of you. And, since none of you are willing to push me to my limit, I am going to push myself. I have decided I am going to take charge of myself since neither you nor ma is going to give me the permission to be a man. I am tired of hiding under your shadows, pa. I want to be the man I have always wanted to be. I want to create my own history by myself and live in my own world. I want to be able to look back in time and smile for what I have been able to accomplish."
"Where are you, son?" His father's voice was both reasonable and patient now. "Where are you in New York City so I can call the driver and send him to pick you up? Forget about everything you said to your mother. You know how she is some times. Right now, I want you to calm down and reason with me. I want you to be able to understand my point here, son. The city is a dangerous place to be alone at night. There are people who know who I am and who you are too. There are people who are aware of the relationship we share. If they found out the son of the greatest man in New York City is moving freely around the city, they could kidnap you or do something terrible to you. Do you understand what I am saying, son? I am concerned about your safety now. It is all that matters to me now. You have to reason with me so we can find your way home as soon as possible."
"I am not coming back home," Nicholas informed his father immediately he was done sharing his feelings on the line. "I am not coming back home until you and ma give me what I want."
"What do you want, son? Money? Power? A place in the state championship?"
"No, pa!" Nicholas shook his head. "Aren't you listening to me, pa? I already told you. I want freedom from you and ma. I want to be able to do whatever I want in life. I want to be able to make decisions in my life. I am tired of you and ma telling me to do this and that. I am a grownup man now, pa. I can take care of myself. Why is it so hard for you to believe I can take care of myself?"
"Come back home, son. Please, come back to me and your mother. We can talk about everything you are saying to me on the line physically. We don't have to talk over a phone when it is something of great importance to you."
"No, pa."
"You have to listen to me."
"No, pa," Nicholas said again. "I have been listening to you and ma my own life. I want to be listening to myself from now on. Since you don't want to understand my point of view, it is best I drop the call before I say something I will live to regret."
"Wait, son."
"No, pa."
Nicholas Wild felt tears drop from his eyes as he hung up the call and placed his phone back inside his jacket. He couldn't describe what he was feeling at the moment. He couldn't explain if he was feeling a sense of freedom or a new sense of rebellion. He pulled his jacket and dropped it close to him. Then, he stared at the jacket for a while until the nurse came outside and told him he had been granted access to see Christabel Bloom.