Sophie pov

I woke up suddenly, I saw the clock it was 7 45. I had school at 8.

I was late for school and dad to the hospital. The funeral was today. I'm sure he didn't want me going to it. 

"What happened?" He asked as he stood up still sleepy. 

"It's 7:45 dad we're late." I said. 

"I'm sorry get ready quick, no need to shower just wash your face and put on clothes. I'll drop you." He said. I nodded and ran up. 

I quickly did everything, packed my bag, grabbed my phone, and everything. I got downstairs. 

"Let's go." He said. We quickly got into the car. We reached school at 7 59.

"Bye dad, I love you" I said.

"Love you too soph, have a good day." He said and I waved him bye. I ran to homeroom. Everyone was already there except Ms.Willow. I quickly ran and sat on the only empty seat. 

"You're almost late." Parker said. 

"Yeah, it was a late morning." I said. 

"You alright today?" He asked. I nodded.

"Talk to me now." He says.

"Lunch." I say knowing he won't give up till I tell him. I just hoped that till lunch he will forget that something. The teacher comes and the day starts.

Ashton pov

I was at the funeral. I didn't bring Sophie cause she had attended enough of these for her age.

"He had a really small circle of friends. So if anyone of them would like to speak for him you are welcome to". Tessa says

People come in front and say what he meant to him one by one. I decided not to speak. Then,he was buried and everyone went out. 

"I'll be right out." I said to Duke. 

"Alright." He said and went out too. I walked over to Tessa. She looked like she was about to cry, her eyes were red but they also had that feeling of numbness in them. 

"Hey tess." I said, keeping a hand on her shoulder. 

"Hey Ashton, thankkk y-you for be-ing here." She said her voice breaking. She didn't wait a second after that as she hugged me and burst out crying. 

"Let it out. I'm here for you Tess." I said. She kept crying and I stood there just holding her so she doesn't fall. After a while, she lets go. I do the same. During the hug, my phone buzzed but I ignored it. 

"Thank you. I needed that." She said. 

"I'm here for you always and I'm so sorry for your loss."I said. 

"Thank you Ashton. Can you drop me home? I know you did that yesterday too, you can say no if you want to." She said. 

"I'll drop you, let's go." I said. I walked ahead and she followed me. I checked my phone. It was a text from Duke. 

Duke: Hey, I'm heading out got a page from the hospital. 

Me: Alright, I'll drop Tess and be there

I put my phone in my pocket. We reached the door, I unlocked and opened the door to Tess' side and closed it when she was inside. I sat in my seat and began the drive to his house. It was quiet. I stopped the car and she got out thanking me. I nodded and drove to the hospital. 

 I change into my scrubs and go into my office to grab my ID as I won't be able to enter some areas of the hospital without it. I see mine, Sophie's and Sarah's photo there. When she was 3 on my shoulder and Sarah clicking the photo.

"He is there with you now. Take care of him."I say just touching her face in the photo.

"I will. You hold on everything will be okay". I hear sarahs voice say in my head.

The voice that was always there. When I just didn't know what to do.

I attached the key card to my pants and got out.

"Dr. Walker, good morning the board is waiting for you.' Mary says.

"Tell them I will meet them later I have patients to check on." I say knowing what they wanted to talk about.

"Your patients have been taken care of. They want to meet. It's urgent." She says.

"They told you to say that. Right?" I ask her.

"They did." She says.

"Knew it. I will be done with the meeting soon so don't cancel or push appointments. If I am late, page me or just take their vitals." I say. She nodded.

I walk away and reach the elevator. They all were occupied so I decided to take the stairs. I was almost halfway when I slipped and landed on my foot. It hurt really badly.  I decided to get Duke look at it later. I needed to get to this board meeting for now.

I climb the few stairs left and then reach the conference room.

"Dr.Walker you are late."Smith says.

"Elevators were occupied." I say as I take a seat.

"So as you know about Dr. William we would like to offer the president position." Someone else says.

"Well, I have a teenage daughter and I want to spend time with her so I will have to kindly decline." I say knowing that a president rarely got to go home and doing surgeries or tend to patients.

"This is a offer of a lifetime." Someone else says.

"Well I decline this offer of a lifetime."I say.

"Alright. Any recommendations for who should be made?" They ask.

"I don't actually, just let me know who the new one is when you make a decision. Now if I'm excused?" I said getting up.

"You are." They say and I go out of the room.

My foot was killing me. I made my way to the elevator and pressed the buttons. 

"Get that checked out."Sarah's voice says.

"I am going to, it's killing me." I say.

I sense a comforting hand on my shoulder. I page duke he knew his way around bones.  I get out of the lift.

"Did you page me?" He asks as he is standing right there.

"Yeah. Follow me." I say and I limp to the exam room a limp which he doesn't see.

"What's up?" He asks as we enter.

"Close the door." I say.

He sighs and closes the door. I sit on the exam table.

"Are you hurt?" He asks. I nodded and pointed to my foot. 

"Remove them." He says as he takes a seat and wears a pair of gloves. He asks me to remove them and asks me to do some things all while asking me the pain level while doing that particular thing. 

"I think it's discolated Ash, I'll get some x-rays to be sure." He said. I nodded. I was scared if it was broken, there was a lot of swelling and I didn't have any feeling in the foot. It would mean bed rest for more than a month with a cast and I couldn't do that. He went out and got portable x-rays and quickly got whatever angle he needed. 

"How did you get this though?" He asked. 

"Fell down some stairs." I said. 

"Ash, are you okay you know after yesterday?" He asked still being a bit hesitant about asking me about it.

"Yeah I'm okay." I said. He nodded. 

"Films are up." He said and set them on the board thing we use to see x-rays and turned on the button. 

"Just as I said, it's discolated." He said. 

"Are you gonna set it back now?" I asked. He nodded and gathered everything. A needle, pain medication, splint and everything else. He quickly injected the pain medication which didn't help much but did a bit at least. 

"on 3" He said and I nodded. He took the foot in his hand and started counting to 3 all while my eyes were closed shut. He said 3 and I heard a crack feeling instant pain and then after a few seconds, relief. I opened my eyes. 

"Better?" He asked. 

"Yeah, thank you." 

"I'm gonna write you a prescription for pain meds and rest for 4 days."

"Pain meds, okay but rest no I need to work"

"Doctor's orders"

"I outrank you. You can't stop me"

"Alright, try walking."

I hop off the table take a step forward and pain shoots through my entire foot, he helps me up.

"Okay, that was bad"

"Told you, I'm gonna splint it, get you your meds and then I'll take you home. I nodded.

He splinted it quickly and got me my meds after that eye helped me to his car. I sat in the passenger seat. He drove home, both of us not saying anything and just sitting in silence.

Sophie pov

It was now lunch. I was sitting with Parker. Skylar didn't come to school today.

"Sophie what's up with you today?" Parker asks with concern evident in his face and voice.

I tell him everything.

"I am sorry soph it will be alright". He says as he hugs me.

"I know Parker." I say.

"So you don't have lunch today." He says.

"Yeah, we woke up late today so dad didn't have time to make it." I say.

"Oh. So do you have it or not?" He asks.

"He gave me 20 I will get something from that." I say as I get up and get myself 2 sandwiches. I had 5 more left I just kept it in my pocket.

We had lunch together and then we headed to our classes. I made one more friend Disha who was my partner in Spanish.

I took French and Spanish both. I was walking to my next class just then I heard an announcement. 

"A dance next Sunday. Choose your partner, more information tomorrow. " Today was Thursday. So I had like 10 days. I just figured I would go alone or not go at all. I just made my way to the bus not really talking to anyone I wasn't in the mood. I spotted Disha there.

"Hey, Sophie. Come here and sit with me." She says. I go and sit there with her.

"Hey, Disha." I say.

"How was your day?" She asks.

"Just fine. How was yours?" I ask.

"Great." She says. 

"I have not seen you around. You just came here?" I ask.

"My family and I just shifted here so yeah." I nodded. 

She looked a lot like mom. But I just thought it was a coincidence.

Soon, the bus reached my stop. I said bye to Disha and got down. The house was unlocked. The door was a bit open. I get scared a bit cause dad doesn't come home at this time. And there was no one else who would be home at this time. Duke could be but he was in his home office as the lights were on. I cautiously enter. I heard the sound of papers going here and there and drawers opening in dads room. I get more scared. I just climb the stairs quietly. My bag was on me as if it was some thief or something. I see someone and start screaming.

"Sophie, it's me stop screaming." Dad says.

"You scared me." I said. He limped to his bed. 

"What happened?" I ask referring to the splint on his foot and the limp.

"Dislocated it today." 

"Are you okay?" I ask

"Yeah, it hurts a bit. But I am fine." He says.

"How was your day?" He asks.

"Alright. Made a new friend Disha. She looks like a lot like mom." I say.

"Disha?" 

"Wait you know her?" 

"If it's the same person I am thinking about then yeah, she is your mom's niece. And kinda your cousin. Your mom and her brother are twins." He says.

"Her brother? My cousin? How come I have never met them?" 

"Well, you have met both of them. You were so young to even remember and when you were old enough they shifted back." Dad says.

"Dad, I will be in my room. Call me if you need me."

"I should say that." He says.

"Well, you must rest or I will call grandma." I say.

"Fine." He says as he lays down.

I laughed as I got to my room changed my clothes and sat down to do homework.

After 4 to 5 hours I was all done. I felt sleepy so I just put my head down and dozed off. 

Then, I heard a knock waking me up. 

"Hey soph, dinner is ready." He said. 

"Okay, I'll be down in 5." I said and got up. 

"Alright." He said closing the door. I freshened up, washed my face, and went downstairs. He was at the table sitting there food on both plates. I sat down and we started eating. 

"So how's the new school?" 

It's great, the teachers are nice. Nothing like the previous school but they are great."

"Great." 

Duke and I regularly talked but I was thinking about what dad told me.

What if Disha was my cousin? and a thousand more what if's started rushing through my mind I must have started eating slowly cause Duke noticed. 

"Sophie you alright?"

"Yeah, I am fine." I say.

"Sophie, you can tell me." He says.

"Nothing is wrong." I say and quickly finish and after a lot of convincing, I wash the dishes.

"Are you sick or something?" He said not believing me and I just couldn't say everything is fine anymore. 

"Yeah, i'm fucking sick of living."