The following day, after reporting Fernando to the cops, Natasha went to the newly completed laboratory. All the things she had highlighted that she needed to be in the laboratory were all present there.
But being alone here in this big laboratory might be tasky, she might need to employ one or two people to join her. It will make her work here easier. She was nervous, yes but she had this inexplicable confidence that she would be successful in getting the right medicine for his mother.
Natasha spent her entire weekend there, although she wasn’t done, she knew she had to go home to rest. She was so engrossed in work that she lost track of time. By the time she checked her wrist watch, it was already 3AM in the midnight.
Her eyes had become puffy and a little swollen, she yawned and wobbled out of the laboratory. She was about to order a Uber when her eyes caught sight of a car parked right beside the building.
While staring at the suspicious car, the door opened and Pavel appeared.
“Hey Natasha!”
“Hi, what are you doing here?” Asked Natasha.
“Came to pick you up,” Pavel answered.
“How did you know I’m here. Have you been stalking me?” Natasha questioned.
“I wouldn’t deny that. I’ve been jobless lately so I spent most of the time stalking you and I enjoyed it.” Pavel confessed.
“That’s a crime. You can’t keep stalking me,” Natasha warned. “Plus what else do you want from me? I thought I made it clear the last time that there is nothing between us anymore.”
“Natasha, you are tired. Just let me take you home, okay?”
Natasha proceeded to order an Uber and looked away from him. She didn’t feel safe here but there were a few security men that Dmitry had placed around so she knew that Pavel can not directly hurt her here.
But what if on her way home, he crossed her?
Pavel stepped forward and went to stand right beside her, “I plead for your forgiveness, Natasha. I don’t beat women, that’s not me. I do not know what came upon me that day.”
Still, Natasha ignored him.
“Natasha, I can’t do without you. I’ve tried but I think I’m obsessed with you. There’s no point pretending anymore, Natasha. I can be the perfect man for you.”
Natasha still refused to pay him attention, soon, the Uber came around and Natasha stepped in.
Surprisingly, she got home safe. Once she settled in, she exhaled. “There is her bitchy stepmother and stepsister on a side and there is Pavel on another side. As for Pavel, he needs to finds a way of getting rid of him permanently, afterall, he’s not even a citizen of this city, he came all the way from Crying Sun.
Natasha didn’t even know when she fell asleep.
After two weeks of working back to back at the Laboratory, Natasha eventually came up with a medicine. Although it was yet to be approved by the FDA, Natasha still wanted to risk it. She will be using this drug for Dmitry’s mother today and she hoped that all will go well.
Natasha took the formulated drug right to the Pushkin’s mansion. Eventhough Dmitry wasn’t home, the guards naturally allowed her in. For Dmitry had already given a prior command.
When Natasha got into the Dmitry’s mother room, the rate at which her heart is beating increased. Thing is, if she were to wait for the FDA to approve the drug before use, it will take long time and that time is what she doesn’t have. She’s not trying to profer a drug to the general public, she’s doing it just for Dmitry’s mother.
Although she had worked terribly hard on this, one truth about drugs is that any single mistake can trigger something in the woman that might ultimately lead to her death. Since her immune system is so weak.
Natasha hoped that nothing goes wrong. Then she helped the almost lifeless woman sit upright, her body were immovable except her eyes of course. Her eyes were on her but they held no expression, they were like a dead eyes staring blankly into the air.
Natasha looked at the woman and said to her, “ma, I’m about to administer a new drug to you. It had never been used on anyone prior. However, my experiments and observations gave me the lead that this could potentially strengthen your immune system again and give you the healthy life you have longed for.”
Of course she knew the woman didn’t have the ability to reply. She just want to let it out. Then she administered the drug to the woman. She waited by the edge of the bed for more than an hour but there were no changes. The woman as just as she was.
Natasha exhaled, “at least the drug didn’t affect her negatively. It seems the drug was neutral in her body which is really weird.”
The door opened and there appeared Dmitry, he would be notified whenever someone entered the room he kept his mother.
“No progress still?” He asked as he walked in.
Natasha shook her head sadly, “I guess I need to work harder.”
Dmitry went to his mother who Natasha had been made to be in a sitting position, he pecked the woman in the cheek and made her lay on the bed.
“I just administered the drug I formulated to her but it didn’t work ” Natasha said.
All of a sudden, the woman started coughing. Dmitry and Natasha set their gaze swiftly at the woman for she had not made a sound in years.
Natasha was about to smile when she suddenly noticed the woman was coughing out blood.
Dmitry’s heart skipped, “what did you give to her?” His voice had never been this loud. He walked over to his mother and pulled her close to himself. “Oh my!” The woman continued coughing out blood.
“What should be done? Don’t just stand there!” He yelled, pressing his mother tightly against his chest. Natasha knew that if the woman dies, she’s as good as dead but truth was, she didn’t even know what to do. She knew for sure that the woman’s cougt is the effect of the drug but she didn’t forsee this.
Natasha rushed to the woman”s side and began to clean the blood she was coughing out, all these while, her hands were shivering so hard. She felt as though she was about to get her death sentence.
Soon, the woman’s cough subside but so was her breathing.
“Do something!” Dmitry shouted, tapping his mother from the back so that she won’t stop breathing completely.
“I do not know…. I do not know what to do. It’s the side effects of the drug,” Natasha managed to speak.
At the end, the woman’s eyes closed like someone that had fallen deeply asleep but her faint breathing remains the same. It’s like she would stop breathing any moment from then.
Dmitry laid his mother down gently and stood. He was enraged that Natasha dared to use a drug with such effects on his mother but he didn’t utter any more word.
“I’m really sorry.”
Natasha pleaded even more, “I will never hurt her on purpose. I want her to get better as much as you do.”
“You may leave,” Dmitry said.
“I think I should stay with her for a while and see her condition.”
“I knew she wouldn’t get better. Not even your boss can produce any effect. I rather prefer my mother die peacefully than for her to die under some experimental drugs you are making,” Dmitry said. “I’ll close down the laboratory.”
“Oh please don’t. Two weeks is a short time to come up with anything substantial. I might not have get it right this time but kindly give me more time,” Natasha requested.
Dmitry wondered why Natasha insisted on finding a cure to his mother’s illness so he spoke, “if my mother dies whilst you are trying experiment which drug can cure her, I’ll have to see you as her murderer.”
“Mrs. Pushkin will be fine. I assure you,” Natasha assured.
Dmitry nodded and said, “Leave.”
Natasha nodded and walked out, hoping that Dmitry had altered his decision about closiing down the laboratory. It may take time but she knew for sure she’ll find the perfect solution to the woman’s sickness.
Dmitry however remain seated beside woman, staring into her face caringly. He kept on caressing her forehead gently while thinking back to the past. Seeing his mother stand up would ultimately be a dream come through. But the truth was, he had no hope left. But sometimes, thinking about it makes him feel alive. Will she be able to stand and walk again?
By the time he checked his wrist watch, he realized that more than three hours had passed. There are days he spends an entire day with his mother.
While still staring at her, unwilling to leave, as if he may come back and meet her dead body, his phone rang. He picked up the phone and answered it.
“Sir, Mr. Jucef and a few other men are demanding to see you.” Yuri said.
“No.”
“Sir, they are at the entrance of the house.”
“Who comes to a man’s house uninvited? Ignore him.” Dmitry said and hung the call up. Then he casted his gaze again on his mother, holding her soft and almost cold hands.
But then, his phone rang again, seeing that it was Yuri, he frowned, once he answered, he said to the phone, “what again?”
“Mr. Jucef is threatening war if you do not come out and see him. He also said he knows where your grandfather and Titiana stays and truthfully, he spelled out the address. I think the man is up to no good. We should hear whatever he has to say.”
“He must be tired of living.”
“Indeed, sir but for the safety of grandfather and Titiana, I highly advise you meet with him.” Yuri advised.
Dmitry placed his mother’s hand gently by her side and then walked to the door. When he got to the door, he turned and looked at his pathetic mother one more time before stepping out.
Soon, he was walking towards the main gate alongside Yuri and two other security guards.
When they got before the main gate, at Dmitry’s order, the gate gave way and Dmitry stepped forward to meet Mr. Jucef. He was with five other men that were as old as him alongside some security guards behind them.
“Dmitry, I’m really sorry for bothering you.” Says Mr. Jucef.
Dmitry remained quiet, watching him keenly.
Mr. Jucef cleared his throat and said, “We need to talk about Natasha.”