"We have reached?", Akira asked all quizzically as she couldn't believe that 20 minutes passed away so fast.

"Yes, we have".

"Oh, my bad then", she said and opened the passenger side car door quickly.

As she got down from the car and took her stuff out, she saw him getting down from the car as well.

"Is he planning to drop me till my room or what?", she thought inside her head.

"Um... I can walk from here unassisted", she said with a bright smile on her face.

"Well, I am not going to walk you down to your room, if that's what you were thinking, I am going to my own room", saying that he handed over the car keys to the car-keeper who was standing outside the hotel entrance, waiting for both of them to alight from the vehicle so he could park it in the basement.

"So you are staying here as well?", she asked with her tone filled with surprise.

"Well Yes, else why will my room be here?", he asked all amused.

"Then why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"How would that have made any difference?"

"Erm ... perhaps I would have felt less guilty for taking the favor from you", Akira said and smiled and then looking at her watch she said,

"Anyways I need to get ready or else I will be late for my flight. It was really nice meeting you Dr. Nelson and I hope we meet soon in New York and I can't thank you enough for everything that you have done for me. Thanks again".

He picked out his wallet from his back pocket and then took out his business card and said,

"This has all the numbers from my hospital including my personal receptionist. In case you want to contact me and ...."

Saying that he paused and searched the pocket of his jacket for something.

"Wait a second", he said and walked up to the reception and taking a pen from there, he scribbled something at the back of his business card and came back to the place where she was standing and said,

"And that's my personal number in the back. Just in case you want my help in case of any emergency or any random queries that you might have".

She took the card from him and was overwhelmed with his kind gesture and said,

"Thank you... I know my queries can be so random and stupid sometimes".

"I didn't mean to put it that way. Feel free to ask me anything anytime", saying that he gave out a warm smile.

"Well, I will be running now, else I am going to miss my flight", and saying that she picked her trolley and ran towards the elevator and waved at him before getting inside.

He looked in her direction as she left and then opened his wallet and gazed at the picture placed in the front pocket again. It was the picture of his wife who had passed away a couple of years back, but her memories, he still treasured them in his heart.

.

.

Taking a deep breath, he walked towards the bar area of the hotel and got himself seated at the bar counter. The bartender was busy setting up his counter and didn't take notice of the customer as he wasn't expecting anyone at this time around.

"Erm... can I get service here please".

"Oh, sorry sir. I somehow didn't notice you", saying that he turned his full focus towards Dr. Nelson.

"Aren't you a bit early here sir !!!", the bartended queried very politely with a smile on his face and pulled out the menu card.

"Well, sadness doesn't knock on your door based on the time my friend. I am here to drown my sorrows my boy. So hit me up".

The bartender could clearly see the pain reflecting in his eyes. Although he was casually joking about his situation, he could see that he was surrounded by a blanket of pain. So feeling his pain he said,

"Well, what would you like to have sir?"

"A scotch on the rocks please".

The bartender filled a glass with ice cubes and poured in a generous quantity of whiskey into it. He placed a no-spill mat in front of him and then placed the glass on top of it and said,

"This one is on the house sir".

He looked at him all amused and said,

"But I guess you just now told me that you guys haven't even opened yet".

"Well between you and me, I am feeling a bit generous today", saying that the bartender went ahead with wiping his glasses and arranging them neatly on the tray.

Taking a deep breath, Dr. Nelson raised in glass in his direction for a thank you toast and sipped on the alcohol.

Right now, there was only one thing that he wanted real bad.

And that was oblivion.

.

.

Taking another sip of the whiskey he started swimming in the dent thoughts of the past. As he wandered through the lanes of memory, trying to get a hold on himself, he realized how unjust he had been throughout his life.

A stack of guilt started piling on him.

One drink converted into two and then two into three and before he knew he was already drunk and high.

That was all that he wanted to do. To drown and to surrender himself completely with liquor so that the past and present didn't matter to him anymore.

.

.

Akira was done with her packing and she had already called for a cab by calling at the reception. She wanted to start early as she didn't want to miss her flight due to rain or any traffic issues on her way to the airport.

So holding her handbag in one hand and pulling her trolley with the other, she came out of the lift and was about to walk towards the reception area, when she saw a slightly tipsy Dr. Nelson, coming in her direction.

But something was weird about him.

"Dr. Nelson, are you ok?"

"Alita !!!"

"What? Alita, Who? You want me to call somebody for you? You don't look ok", Akira asked all worried as she could see that his steps weren't falling in a straight line and he had obviously taken more alcohol than what his body could even process.

He pinched the space between his eyebrows and said,

"Umm... I am sorry Akira. Akira right?"

"Yeah".

"Happy journey Akira and take good care of him", and saying that he turned towards the elevator section.

Akira looked in his direction all worried, till he entered the lift.

A moment before he was all cheery and happy. Akira couldn't understand as what went wrong in just half an hour that he had to succumb to alcohol.

.

.

She pondered for a while looking in his direction, feeling all lost.

Dr. Nelson had left his wallet after making the payment at the bar counter. So when the bartender came to clean the area he saw his wallet on the seat and immediately picked it up.

There was a picture of a woman in there and then he found his name card which read Dr. Nelson. So picking it up, he came all running towards the reception area but he saw Akira standing there, looking in the direction of the lift.

So he came close to her and said,

"Ma'am your husband's wallet?"

"What?"

"Um. it's Dr. Nelson's wallet. He was there at the bar and left it there. I was about to give it to the reception, but since you are here, I guess it's better to give it to you".

"Oh, thanks !!!".

Then she took a 10 dollar note to give to the bartender, but he immediately crossed his hands and said,

"Sir has already tipped me way too much ma'am. Thank you".

"And... Just take care of him. He looked very upset".

Unable to understand a single word, Akira looked at him all surprised as he smiled and returned towards the bar area.

"What the hell just happened?", she mumbled inside her head.

But more importantly, her brain screamed- " You are getting late Akira".

So she turned towards the reception and gave them the wallet along with his name so that he could get it back all safe.

She wanted to go and give it to him personally, but she was already getting late.

Nothing in the world was more important to her now, than going back to New York.