Rage Of Whispers

Hospisyo Estrella

Dr Zackary tried his best to finish his meal in silence, despite the incessant blabbering of the boy before him. Delfin is a 19-year-old teen who was an orphan from a town called Nirra, located a few miles from the hospital.

He is an errand boy and was a petty thief, before one of the nurses from the same town took him in, and introduced him to a job in the hospital. He is still an errand boy, but with better living arrangements, he deduced.

Zackary, despite having his attention aimed at his food, managed to subtly study the young man.

He has dark brown hair, his obsidian eyes are deep-set and have what looks like permanent eye bags gracing his face. His skin is tanned and possessed quite a big built body for his age.

His mouth? Well, Zackary would rather spend his meal with Damien, because the boy beside him now seemed to have swallowed a cat in heat with his nonstop stories.

A few minutes later, Zackary finished his meal. He asked Delfin if he could begin the tour around the hospital, and the young man agreed.

"Hospisyo Estrella was founded by a Spanish monk and an Italian businessman," Delfin explained, before entering the hospital.

They began the tour in the main building, the one he entered when he first arrived. If memory serves, the place baffled him.

The many corridors that stretched and divided the building made no sense, Zackary couldn't help but wonder if the architect was on crack or simply out of his mind, but a few seconds after his musing, Delfin clarified the perplexity of the place. According to him, the hospital was founded forty-eight years ago and started as a one storey building—which was meant to house children that suffered from mental ailments.

But as the years progressed, and with the increased donations from government and non-government organizations, the place received numerous improvements. The former heads found it a waste to destroy or change parts of the original building, so, instead of changing or fully modifying, they kept adding rooms and corridors here and there—which resulted in the maze-like features of the hospital's interior.

Zackary threw a glance at the boy beside him. Despite his gibberish blather earlier, the boy now carries an air of confidence in his tone.

Zackary couldn't help but smile at the pride exuding from the young man's eye.

Yes, the teen does deserve a pat on his shoulder. It's rare to find a lost soul and have it find its way again. The young man's circumstances might have contributed to his former profession but at the very least he took a giant leap and turned his life for the better.

The Doctor couldn't help but remember his life prior to his college days.

A life with a drug-addicted father, a mother and a sister who lived in their own world. Living in poverty and fed by food stamps from the government. People pitied him, amazed by him, encouraged him.

At one point his high-school teacher even called him a lily. An existence that managed to stay afloat over dark murky waters. But every flower has a thorn and what would those people think of him when they find out how he truly managed or got by? What would his sweet high-school teacher compare him to once she finds out the face behind his mask?

Delfin guided him along the many corridors that graced the hospital. The ground level has five main corridors each branching into three and each path would intertwine with one of the other corridor's branch halls. Confusing as the place seemed to be, Zackary still found it appealing, maybe, because this place had given him the first step towards his goals, or maybe, he simply did not care about its architecture. The remaining three floors are normal. According to Delfin, the hospital was originally one level therefore it's safe to assume that the remaining floors were constructed normally.

They continued with their tour until Zackary felt the silence dissipating. Voices and numerous people in their hospital uniforms filled the air. One by one, they appeared like ants in their ever graceful formation. It was then that Delfin informed him about cutting their tour short, ending it with a brief explanation of how the second building is mostly used for the employees. They walked back to the cafeteria and the Doctor was left alone. "He is to wait for the return of Dr Mori," as Delfin explained.

Zackary has been sitting inside the cafeteria for about two hours when boredom overtook him. He then decided to walk around the hospital to further familiarize himself with the place. He went from one corridor to another, greeting the nurses who would occasionally catch his attention, more like him, catching their attention.

He's a looker, he knows that, given the number of fangirls that stalked him throughout his high-school and college days. He never perused any relationship due to his standing in life. He barely made enough to pay for a meal back then.

With that in mind, he grimaced at the memory of him, standing inside bars and flashing lights, with the smell of smoke, liquor and strong perfumes from women pass their prime ogling at his body. The memories are deeply rooted that he seldom found the need to indulge in any relationships, well, serious one's at that, nor the need for physical contact from the opposite sex. That drive was lost and corrupted, a long time ago.

He found contentment and peace within books and endless daydreams of a better life. A life where he would someday achieve if he played his cards right. He kept a slow pace trying to make a mental draft of the maze before him. He studied one floor and the next but just as he set foot on the first step of the staircase leading to the third floor someone called out from behind him. Turning, he came face to face with the nurse that brought him to Dr Mori's office, still wearing the same black stockings that reminded him of a prostitute, he mentally cursed at the thought

"You're not allowed to go up there," the nurse said. Zackary found her tone patronising, arching an eyebrow he asked why not. The nurse simply nudge her head to a sign located high above the wall, almost touching the ceiling. (Dr. Mori, Exclusively) was the only words on the signage. Zackary took a step back, curiosity getting the best of him, he asked the nurse why that is. The nurse only shrugged and walked away.

Not wanting to leave a bad impression, Zackary retreated and traced his steps back to the ground floor.

He returned to the cafeteria and found the place packed with people, looking at his watch, the time said eleven-thirty. It was lunchtime, he decided to join the crowd, happy for the way people bowed and smiled at him. It gave an air of superiority and respect which he so desired. Some even allowed him to cut through lines and it furthered the beating of his heart.

This is life, he thought to himself. Just as he found a table to settle in, a tiny voice called out for him. Damien stood near the door and waved like a lost child. Zackary waved back and the big man, made a come to me signal by waving his hand. Zackary did not take to heart the lack of professionalism the man displayed, by now he had deduced that Damien seem to be slow in the intelligence department.

Not wanting to be rude in front of the others, Zackary stood carrying his tray of food and walked towards the man.

"Dr Mori wants you to join him in the gazebo," Damien said politely. Zackary made a mental smile. He and the Doctor's first meeting was not fruitful, he actually made a bad impression if he may say so. But not this time. He smiled at Damien, confidence checked and ready for battle Zackary stepped outside the cafeteria and followed the man.

Damien guided him a few meters left of the main hospital building. There, he saw a gazebo built below a huge Narra tree. Its trunk was wide with roots protruding from the earth and one particular branch arched intricately above the gazebo and reached the ground, almost cradling the structure. The sight is an impossibility that stunned him. He had his fair share of adventures in nature, but he hadn't seen a tree as majestic as the one before him.