THE DOCTOR'S LOVE TRAP

15. Symbiosis Mutualism

Elrich knew something was amiss when Abrine agreed to the marriage plan. Although he did not want a bond, but circumstances that force El to follow the flow of life. His father's wishes were hard for him to ignore.

"I don't want to marry you because I have a taste. Just like you, I'm in a difficult position too." That's what Abrine said to her.

"You okay?" Elrich asked about the situation of the girl without discussing the marriage invitation that Abrine said. Elrich looked into Abrine's net, wanting to find an answer there, but what he saw was a great sadness.

"If I say okay when caught crying like this, it means I'm lying, Doctor!"

That was his last conversation with Abrine a while before actually delivering the girl home to his Apartment.

"Doctor El? You're back at work?" Xander approaches Elrich in his study at the Hospital, leaving all of El's daydreams about his conversation with Abrine yesterday.

"Hmm" said El slowly.

"I didn't see it wrong, did I? What happened so that I could find you daydreaming like this? It's an unusual sight" Xander raised his eyebrows while looking at Elrich's face.

Elrich rubbed his own face, he could not tell Xander about his relationship with Abrine which would soon be tied up by a marriage. Marriage without love. Marriage is only because of circumstances that force them to follow the flow of life.

"I'm going to check on my patients" said Elrich rising from his position.

"You forgot that these few days you didn't dissect?" Xander had a casual touch, he was no longer talking formally, he guessed something had happened to his best friend.

"Yes, I know. I'm just going to see patients post-surgery" said Elrich, who again shied away from Xander's questions.

"Did Abrine accept your decision?" ask Xander at last. He had heard a little from Yemima about what had happened. Although not yet known what Abrine's answer about the wedding plan that Elrich and his father stretcher.

"Don't talk about this first" Elrich said as he passed.

Elrich also did his job today, although there are no patients for him to handle, but he also still has to routinely check the condition of patients he had surgery in recent weeks. He busied himself to avoid thinking about Abrine.

Indeed Elrich had decided to marry Abrine, of course he did not carelessly. But, he has already made his decision. Before Abrine and his father spoke that afternoon, Elrich first found out about the girl's background. He knew this girl wouldn't bother him. He also believes Abrine will not take advantage or control his finances because Abrine is a girl who comes from a respectable family and she is a good girl.

According to El's view, Abrine is more than capable in matters of matter and can't blackmail her in this marriage later.

All of Abrine's family lineages are known to him, which is why he easily told his father that he would marry Abrine two months later.

But, however, Elrich still felt unsure of all this. However, she agrees with her father's proposal to marry Abrine because of his belief that Abrine will not love her as he did not want to promise that love will be present among them, because he doesn't believe in that. As for Abrine himself, El guesses that the girl only made him an outlet for the heartache. That's what Elrich concluded after twice seeing Abrine cry. The first was the night Abrine was drunk and the second was last night when Abrine easily agreed to marry him.

So, this marriage is a symbiosis of mutualism between them. They both took advantage of this marriage. Elrich can make his father happy and Abrine can make him an impingement for a while.

"Doctor El...."

Elrich is shocked to find Abrine in the corridor of the Hospital. The girl looked elegant in the semi-formal clothes she was wearing, enough to make El stunned for a moment, but hurriedly acted ordinary because he did not want to show his interest.

Elrich knew that Abrine's appearance meant that the girl was in working hours.

"What's wrong? I'm at work." Elrich took Abrine a quick look.

"I want to talk, can I?"

Elrich nodded. "I'm still on business hours. If you don't mind, you can wait for me for a minute" Elrich saw the watch on his wrist. "Wait until lunchtime arrives" he continued.

"Well, I'll just wait in the hospital garden."

"Don't!" prevent Elrich fast. "This hour the garden will be very hot, wait in my room."

Abrine flickered for a moment, before finally nodding at Elrich's words. She did not expect Elrich to let her wait in the man's private room.

"Go to the 5th floor, from the elevator you go straight, my room is the third door on the left."

"Okay," Abrine replied according to. He smiled at the smile that made Elrich so misbehaved.

Why does this girl have to smile at him, strange but El likes it, somehow.

******

Abrine waited quite a long time inside Elrich's room, almost about forty minutes. He spends time waiting for her while playing games through his mobile phone.

Abrine gasped as he saw Elrich enter the room. This was their meeting that somehow Abrine forgot. But ever since she said she was going to marry this man, her views on El have been different. Impressed they are in a relationship that makes both of them look equally awkward.

"It's okay" Abrine replied.

"What do you want to talk about? I'm going to have lunch. Do we have lunch together?"

Abrine rubbed his neck briefly then hesitantly he nodded.

They ate at a restaurant not far from the hospital.

"Let me guess...." Elrich looked at Abrine with a probing gaze. "You came to see me and wanted to talk about what you said yesterday, right? Wh why? Have you changed your mind now?"

Abrine smiled faintly. "I'm the only one who wants to ask you that question, Doctor El. Do you want to retract what you said about marrying me?"

"No."

"I don't either."

"So you still want to marry me?"

Abrine nodded. "Yes, but first make a prenuptial agreement."

Elrich frowned and Abrine understood the man's astonishment regarding this discussion.

"Look, the prenuptial agreement I'm referring to here is not about property, money or inheritance. I don't need your money 'cause I'm also earning."

"Then?" Elrich took a glass of water and drank it while listening to Abrine's speech carefully.

"Before we both knew that this marriage was not based on feelings, be it love or anything else. So, I want us to make a prenuptial agreement on something that won't hurt us for each other."

"What's that?"

"One of them, I don't want excessive physical touch between us even though we are married."

Elrich laughed at Abrine's words. "So, I can't touch my own wife, can I?" his tanyanya accompanied by a slanted smile.

"Yes, because we don't love each other."

"Men can fuck a girl he doesn't love, miss. And it doesn't have to involve her feelings."

"So you mean you'll touch me later? How could that be!" Abrine's voice rose an octave.

"Come, but if I'm going to get scared, maybe it could happen."

"I don't want to!"

"If your wish is so, then fine, I will agree to it," Elrich replied easily, and he was not interested in going too far with Abrine, this he did only for his father's sake. "Say how long this fake wedding will last!" continued.

Abrine pursed his lips. "I've never said this is a fake wedding, this is a real wedding."

"So, what do you want?" Elrich rolled his eyeballs.

"Let me go if I find someone who really loves me and accepts me for who I am."

"That's it, huh?" Elrich nodded his head. "That means there's no deadline in this marriage? I just need to let you go when you find true love?" Elrich feels Abrine is too naive because El himself does not believe in love.

"Really! That goes for you too, Doctor. If you've found the right person then we'll agree to separate."

Elrich was still silently digesting all of Abrine's words. If they split up, what does his father think? What do Abrine's parents think? Didn't this girl think of getting there?

"Deal?" Abrine extended his hand before Elrich. For him, this marriage was real, but he also could not force Elrich to stay with him if later each of them had found the right person.

Elrich straightened his body, welcoming the helping hand of the girl in front of him. "Deal" he answered confidently.

******