Chapter 4: A Great Loss

Sidney recalled all they had had to experience when her father had died. She had been so close to her father. She shared with him what she could not share with her mother.

She had lived a care free life thinking in her childish fantasy that things would remain the way it had always been and that was why his death had shocked her to her roots.

And then, they had had to made do with any thing they had, they that used to have all they needed in abundance.

Her father had made sure she took dancing lessons as well as voice auditions when he saw that she enjoyed singing but all that ended with his death.

She had indulged in those hobbies of hers, though it did not sway her focus of becoming a medical doctor in the future.

But her rich merchant of a father had gone bankrupt because of his investment in a project that flopped and he could not bear the fact that he could no longer provide all the luxury he had once did for his family and his health had deteriorated as a result and he had died soon after leaving Sidney and her twin brother fatherless and her mother a widow.

After the burial, the mortgage company came and laid claim to alot of the property and estate.

Creditors came and banks and financial institutions and when all these were settled, Mira and her children had virtually nothing.

Mira fell back to the money her husband had been putting away for her in the guise of paying her salary and the little that he had put in a trust fund for their children.

With this they were able to carry themselves through.

Some friends offered assistance though but it was not much and Mira could not continue going to them for help. She was older now but she had gone back to her former place of work with a view to starting again but when she got there as expected, another, younger person was already there and from the looks of her, she was very efficient and far it be from her to take someone else's job from her because of being self centered.

And Mr MacDonald, the director was no longer there but his son had taken over from him allowing his father to take the needed rest. As it was,Mira found out that he had gone abroad on vacation.

She was not really so helpless but she did not appreciate the options open to her. Some men would only help her of she would agree to be their wife. She was shocked that even Craig's friends were part of the people who were giving her such options. Some of them anyway and his acquitance.

Some others remained faithful to Craig's memory and assisted them as much as they could but it was never enough. While others wanted her to be their mistress.

She could not accept such conditions. So, she decided to weather the storm herself as well as she could manage.

Stark her son, started doing a little job on the side as he went to school. Mira was grateful that she had not allowed her children to become spoilt brats else now, she would have been reaping it badly.

They sold their very big house and were able to make a huge chunk of money from the sale, then bought a smaller one and continued with their lives.

The years rolled by and soon, both children graduated from college and medical school and Sidney had to do her internship.

It was while doing this that she met Carl Martins.

If she was not seeing him, herself, and it had been someone describing him to her, she would have thought that the person was just describing one of the Greek gods.

She was mesmerized. This was definitely unbelievable. How could someone be as handsome as that?

She just felt that he was a beautiful sight to look at but she really did not feel any attraction to him.

Carl himself could not seem to take his eyes off her. He had come to see Dr. Matthews and had seen this apparition. He had always coveted beautiful things and this was not an exception. He wanted her for himself. He coveted her the same way he coveted an antique of great beauty and quality. He liked adorning himself and his environs with such beautiful things and why not? He had been told that he was beauty personified himself.

'Hello, Beauty', he said his voice deep and sexy.

'Hi', Sidney said timidly.

''Well, the nurse said that I should be able to see Dr. Matthews here but he isn't, could you point me in the direction he had gone?'

'He has gone to check on a patient, he will soon be back. He is still teaching us something very important'. She said. She had come out from the ward where all those doing their internship were for a breath of fresh air till Dr. Matthews returned when she came across this Apollo's look alike.

'We?' he said raising his left eye brow questioning while looking round.

'Oh, the others are in the ward over there. I just came out for some air. But the doc will be here soon, you don't have to worry'. she said hastily.

'I am not one to worry', he said amusement dancing round his lips.

Sidney looked at him and thought that indeed he was not one to worry' indeed. What did he have to worry for? From his appearance, one could see at a glance that he was very wealthy and probably famous. He was handsome and could get any girl of his choice. In fact, the women would flock round him, begging him to notice them. She had no business getting carried away by his good looks.

'I am Mr. Carl Martins and you are?'

'Sidney. Sidney Robert'.

'What a wonderful name for a beauty like you'. He said and Sidney smiled politely. But before either of them could utter another word, Dr. Matthews was there.

'Carl, Carl. You finally decided to come back home to us mortals?'

'I had had enough of the states and I needed the fresh air here at Lake District'.

Sidney moved away into the ward to join the other interns and did not here anymore of what they said.

So he just got back from the states? She had thought as much,that he was wealthy and had nothing to worry about in his life.

She forgot all about the god like man she had just seen and concentrated on learning what the doctor was pointing out to them.

After that, they had to perform an emergency surgery on a patient. They were to determine what the problem was with him and treat him effectively.

Before any other person could volunteer to do it, Sidney had already started on it and was through before any one could blink, commanding the orders to give her the forceps, scissors, anaesthetic and others.

After the procedure, she explained to the others what she found wrong with the patient, how she found out and others. The doctor was impressed. And her colleagues gave her hugs though there were a few who were angry and jealous of her progress.

She went into the cleaning room, pulled off her gloves and lab coat, washed her hands thoroughly and disinfected them,before coming out and preparing for home.