Chapter 7: Chapter 7

Anthon saw a phone next to the bed. He took out a card and placed it under the phone, "here is my number, if you want to talk you can send me a text or call me." Anthon thought that maybe distance talking will be a better option right now. Anthon leads his mother out by the arm.

Mrs. Finn gave Alex a stiff look outside the room, not having noticed him before. Anthon noticed, "Anthon, and you are?" Anthon introduced himself extending a hand.

Alex stood up and shook his hand with a strong grip. "Alex.." before Alex could finish Mrs. Finn interrupted, "he saved her, he found her," she said stiffly.

"Did he write a statement? I would like to see it," Anthon asked.

"In my office," Mrs. Finn informed. "Alex you are not to go in her room, she seems to be scared of men," she instructed coldly.

Alex is not sure what to make of it as he watches them walk off to her office.

"Fancy seeing you here," Alex heard Amber from behind him.

"Hi." Before he knew it, he received a kiss from Amber. Amber took note of Alex's unresponsiveness but ignored it.

Amber went into Gabriella's room. "Good afternoon. You should really try and eat your soup, you don't want us to put you back on the vein feeding, do you?" Amber says bringing a spoon full of soup to Gabriella's mouth. Gabriella pulled the linen sheet to her mouth. She already tried and it is awful. "Gross!"

Alex heard her respond to the soup and quickly got onto his phone and ordered a variety of soups and mash from a nearby restaurant that he knew everyone loved. It did not take long to arrive, and he is happy to see Cindy with the packet, knowing that she can be his ticket into Gabriella's room.

She passed the packet to Alex, "up to your old tricks?" she asked mockingly. Alex took the bag and reached in and took a bucket of mash and gravy out for Cindy.

"You are too good to me," she said smiling from ear to ear.

Cindy put down her share of the food and took the packet from Alex, knowing what he wants without asking her.

"Hi dear, how are you?" she asked interring the room. "You don't know me as I only work dayshift, I am Cindy, head receptionist. This is for you."

She took out the contents from the bag and placed the variety of soups on the side table. Gabriella recognized the packaging from her favored restaurant. "Lamb stew, please." She asked reaching out. She immediately started to drink the soup. "mmm, Mrs Finn really know me better than I thought."

"Actually, it is not from Mrs. Finn. Do you know Alex? The reporter?"

Gabriella knew him well; she had a secret crush on him for who knows how long but was never brave enough to even look up when he walked past.

She shook her head in acknowledgment. "How do I thank him; will you thank him for me?" she asked gulping down some more soup.

"Why don't you thank him yourself? He is outside."

Gabriella's eyes went big. "No, I look terrible," she did not feel special, knowing that Alex is outside, she knew all about him and the extend he would go to, to get the story straight from the horse mouth.

"He is the one that found you. He actually ran with you in his arm for a kilometre," Cindy tried to play the guilt card to get Gabriella to agree to see Alex.

Gabriella's face showed a frown thinking about her ordeal. She now felt obligated to give her story to Alex, after all, he did save her. Gabriella's eyes fell on the door. "Sure, he can come in."

Alex did not wait for Cindy's invitation as he is eavesdropping.

"Hi, I am Alex," he extended a hand and Gabriella took it. "Your hands are so cold!" Alex said starting to rub her little hand in his without thinking about it.

Gabriella did not feel afraid and neither did she pull her hand away. She is too shy to look up and just stared down at their hands, thinking how warm his hands are and he smelled so good.

"So just scared of the shrink then, hey?" Alex asks jokingly, remembering how Mrs. Finn told him off.

"Something off with that guy, so dark and mysterious," Cindy said, and Gabriella nodded in agreement. "He is hot thou," Cindy said smiling, handing Gabriella another cup of soup, "Will you two be ok? I am on lunch for a little while longer." Cindy waited for Gabriella to give the go-ahead.

"It's fine, you can go," Gabriella said with a small voice still looking down.

Cindy left the room with the dirty dishes.

"I am not here for a story, I am here as a friend, the story can wait," Alex said with a low calming tone, taking her other hand to warm it up.

"The therapist is my cousin," Gabriella said with a small voice. "He is Mrs. Finn's son, she is my aunt from my father's side."

"Really? You are so light hair and your aunt as well, but he is so dark with black hair, must take after his father, I guess," Alex asked confused.

"No, his father was also blond, he does not look like them at all."