Cough... cough... X3Cough.
A bout of light-heavy coughing sounded in a silent and damp room, and on a hard mattress lay a slender and sickly-looking woman panting heavily with a pale face, in her hand held a button, an emergency alarm button just released from her weak grip.
Soon
thud, thud, thud,
The sound of rapid footsteps treading on the stairs sounded as a teenage-looking boy hurriedly push open the door, eyes on the woman he walked in large strides towards her.
Mom! He called out.
Squatting down by her, he held her hand in one hand, while he felt for her temperature with the other. With a slightly worried look appearing on his face.
Checking his wristwatch for the time. He got up and took a flask and a cup from the table by the bedside.
poured in water and softly helped her up, then gently fed her the cup of water. After having a few sips she moved her lips from the cup. Placing the cup down on the table, the teenage boy said worriedly
Mom, I'm not happy seeing you go through such pain, we have to get you treated. You need to be in the hospital.
The woman looked at him with gentleness in her eyes. But shook her head in rejection of his request.
No son, that's the one thing we can't do and you know why. He looked her in the eye and sighed!
I know mom! He frowned his brows in thought, looked her in the eyes again, and sighed one more time.
She smiled and said to him in a gentle tone, I know you're worried about my health, I am too, but I worry more about you. This city eats people without spitting out the bones, you should know full well.
Those greedy plutocrats, and their mega-corporations. They have their tentacles and footprint in every industry. The hospitals, you of all people should know what it does to people like us at the bottom. They were not built favorably towards us commoners. Sigh, son, you have to be prepared.
The boy glanced at his mother and fell silent in deep thought. The woman looked at her son with sorrow in her heart but a smile on her face. After a few minutes of silence, she called out to him. Son.
No mom, there must be a way. There has to be, There's always a way out. I'll think of something. I'm not going to lose you too alright?
Get some rest, and use the emergency button the moment you feel the slightest discomfort. I'll be in the basement.
After saying that he kissed her on the head and walked out of the room.
On his way to the basement, he couldn't stop thinking about solutions, solutions to get his mother treated. Knowing what she suffers from and how difficult it'll be to get her treated at their current status in life aches his soul to its core.
Thinking of the obstacles that stand in his way his heart felt even more restless. Lost in thought he found himself standing at the door to the basement. Coming to his senses he took a deep breath and pushed open the door.