The Mysterious Chairman Keith

Chapter 27

SLIGHTLY NOTICEABLE 

Manuel and Laura exchanged glances and then, he nodded.

Christopher smiled to himself and walked over to the flask on the table as usual.

He prepared it as usual and then he served it in a cup and then gave it to him.

“Here you go…” Christopher said, handing him the tea. 

Manuel took it from him and he gulped it down.

He lifted his face, as though absorbing the air around him. He felt this ease he hasn't felt in a long time. 

Again, his tea was doing wonders and he couldn't help but wonder how Christopher prepares his tea to be so soothing. 

“I'll leave you now. I'll be outside if you need me.” Christopher said and stepped outside.

Laura watched him closely as he shut the door behind him.

“You feel different,” she said later, as they stood beside Dave’s bed.

Manuel glanced at her. “Different how?”

“Stronger,” she said after a moment. “Your aura… it’s clearer.”

Manuel frowned slightly but said nothing.

The next day, he returned and even the day after that.

Each time, Christopher offered tea and each time, it tasted different.

Sometimes floral. Sometimes bitter. Sometimes almost tasteless, but it was always effective.

Each night, when Manuel returned home and cultivated, his progress was undeniable. Walls that once resisted him crumbled with ease and his control grew without barrier.

Laura noticed the changes more clearly with each passing day.

“You’re advancing too fast,” she said one evening as they walked out of the hospital together.

Manuel shrugged. “I’m not complaining.”

By the seventh visit, Manuel found himself thinking about the tea before he even reached the hospital doors.

Christopher's tea had become something he looked forward to.

It was now turning into a habit, because he couldn't do without the tea anymore. 

****

Gling! Gling!

Manuel's phone rang in his office, he picked it up and saw that it was from the hospital. 

Why are they calling now?! Is anything the matter?!

The hospital never called unless there were trivial matters to discuss and besides, Christopher was always there, nothing could go wrong without him knowing first.

He picked it up. 

“Hello?” he answered.

“Mr. Keith,” the voice on the other end said hurriedly. It was a nurse from the hospital. He recognized her immediately. “Your father, his condition has become unstable. His vitals spiked suddenly. The doctors are with him now.”

Manuel straightened instantly. “I’m on my way.”

He didn’t wait to hear anything else. He ended the call and turned immediately as he went to the living room.

“Laura,” he called

She was already on her feet, before he even called her. 

“I heard,” she said, grabbing her jacket. “Let’s go.”

They moved very fast and the driver didn't waste time either, but the drive to the hospital felt longer than usual.

“Drive faster!” Manuel said, looking over the glass as though to control the car even while speeding. 

By the time they arrived, his jaw was clenched tight.

Manuel stepped into the hospital expecting chaos from the nurses and doctors or even the alarms blaring but he heard nothing.

Instead, what he saw stopped him short.

Christopher was standing near the nurse’s station, laughing.

A nurse slapped his arm playfully as she walked past, shaking her head. 

A patient nearby smiled as Christopher leaned down to adjust the man’s blanket, speaking softly to him. Even the usually stern head nurse looked less rigid as Christopher said something that made her giggle.

Manuel slowed down his pace, looking a bit confused at everything.

Christopher noticed him almost immediately.

“There you are,” Christopher said, lifting a hand in greeting as if they’d planned to meet for coffee instead of racing here on bad news. “Relax. They stabilized him.”

Manuel exhaled sharply. “You could have said that on the phone.”

Christopher shrugged lightly. “You wouldn’t have believed me.”

That was true.

Manuel glanced around again. The nurses moved and when he looked over Dave's ward through the glass, he saw the machines connected to him beep softly and he heaved at once.

He didn’t realize how much he needed that until now.

Laura leaned closer to him. “Is he stable again?”

“For now,” Christopher said. “Same as before. Fragile, but holding.”

Manuel nodded slowly. His gaze drifted back to Christopher without his permission.

There was something about him. The way he fit into the space without forcing himself into it. The way people responded to him without effort. He wasn’t loud or flashy, yet the ward felt warmer with him in it.

Manuel found himself watching Christopher joke with an elderly woman in a wheelchair, crouching down to her level.

He hadn’t noticed when he started smiling.

“You’re staring,” Laura murmured under her breath.

Manuel cleared his throat. “Just… observing.”

Christopher returned, holding two cups. “Tea?”

Manuel took his without hesitation.

As always, it tasted different. This one was mild and a bit creamy with a pleasant aftertaste.

“Still playing mystery with your tea?” Manuel asked.

Christopher smiled. “Keeps life interesting.”

They stood near Dave’s room. Manuel watched his father through the glass, and the way his chest was rising and falling.

Christopher followed his gaze. “He’s lucky.”

Manuel scoffed quietly. “You call this lucky?”

“I call it loved,” Christopher replied. “There’s a difference.”

The words settled deeper than Manuel expected.

As they spoke, Christopher’s tone shifted into something else.

“You know,” he said casually, “Laura has been exceptional.”

Manuel glanced at him in a suspicious way, but he couldn't tell exactly. “In what way?”

“In every way,” Christopher replied easily, a smile creeping to his face. “Can’t you see?! She's efficient, loyal and she even has sharp instincts. She doesn’t panic under pressure. It's hard to find people like that.”

Laura stiffened slightly beside them and quickly turned away when she heard a bit of what they were saying. 

“She’s saved your life more times than you realize,” Christopher continued, smiling faintly. “You’re fortunate to have her.”

Manuel looked at him for a while. The praise felt… excessive.

“I didn't realize…” Manuel said, giggling.