"Alita?"

"I am not Alita, I am Akira."

Akira turned towards the doctor, trying to explain any confusion.

"Oh, come on Alita. Do not play with me now. What dirty trick you and Jaby have played with us? He cut us all off after you..."

Suddenly his words took a pause inside his mouth as he saw Alita's hand intertwined with that of a stranger.

"I think you have a misunderstanding. I am here as a friend. I think you are confusing me with his wife. She has indeed passed away a couple of years ago. Even just now when Jaby opened his eyes, he confused me as Alita. I am Akira, Akira Peyton."

"She is just a friend Leonard."

Suddenly a faint voice was heard, cutting through the conversation.

"Wait Jaby. Don't get up."

Saying that Leonard rushed to his side and helped to adjust the pillow properly.

"How do you feel?"

"Mighty fine I must say."

"Don't act all tough in front of me ok?"

Saying that Leonard bumped his chest mildly with his fist and continued to check his vitals.

"You are recovering well. Will discharge you in a day or two."

"Oh come on Leonard. I know I can be discharged now. It's a minor procedure after all. I too possess a Doctor prefix in front of my name you see."

Saying that Jaby tried to make the conversion inside the room all lively, trying his way best to distract everyone from the conversation that had happened before. His heart was racing fast. He never wanted Akira to know that she looked like his wife because he knew that the moment she will know about it, she would belittle the bond of friendship that they had shared. He knew that she would feel that he did everything for her not as a friend but just because of what her face looked like and that would have broken her because he knew that she trusted him, considered him as one of her own people. So no matter into how many pieces his own heart was shattered into, he was determined not to let even a rose prick her heart.

But little did he know that the seed of doubt had already been planted in the mind of Dr. Oshana. She immediately tried to google about Alita, but to her dismay, there were no pictures of her available.

"How is he? Will he be ok?"

"Don't worry Ali.... erm... Akira. He is all right."

"That's a relief."

"Can you guys give a moment with Dr. Leonard? I need to discuss my issue with him as a doctor. Will be uncomfortable in front of you guys."

Saying that Dr. Nelson gave an apologetic look to everyone in the room.

"Is there anything serious with you that we don't know?"

Akira blurted out.

"This is the exact reason why I want you out Akira. There is nothing serious, but the medical terms might scare you out. Please, just give us five minutes."

Saying that Jaby looked at Akira with a gentle smile on his face.

"Fine, I am going out because I trust you. You won't lie to me about your condition."

Akira said and returned his smile with another on her face.

"But I will stay. Your medical terms won't scare me."

Oshana said and gave a look to Dr. Nelson and he could easily comprehend her intention and said,

"Yes, you may."

As Akira left the room along with Raymond and David, Dr. Leonard blurted,

"Who is she? What is this joke?"

"Leonard hold on. Quiet. Just let me explain."

Then looking at Dr. Oshana, Dr. Nelson said,

"I wanted you to listen to this because I do not want to give you any false hopes."

"What are you talking about?"

Dr. Oshana asked all irritated. She knew that he had no feelings for her, but she didn't want him to rub salt on her wounds again and again.

"Don't beat around the bush Jaby. Who is she? Is she Alita?"

"Why are you calling someone else as Alita. Why are you torturing a man who is already wounded?"

Dr. Oshana said and turned towards Dr. Leonard. Her face was clearly showing her anger.

"That's because she looks exactly like his wife. This happens only in drama or maybe if his wife had an identical twin. And given that I know them personally, his wife didn't have an identical twin. So can you explain to me what is going on."

"Even I don't know how to explain to you Leonard. Probably it's a cruel joke that life had played with me."

Dr. Nelson said and sighed.

For a moment Dr. Oshana couldn't digest what she was hearing, but then suddenly everything started falling into place. That conference in London to that incident where she had hurt him, everything started making sense.

"Now I get it. You were doing everything for her because you are in love with her. This is not friendship Dr. Nelson. Are you so blinded by just her face that you can't see my sincerity?"

"This is exactly why I wanted you to know this. Because I think now you can understand that no one can replace my wife from my heart. I am friends with her because she reminds me of my wife when she was young. And I don't have any feelings for her. I like being with her because it makes me feel like I am close to my Alita. That's all. No one can replace Alita from my heart. No one."

His words pierced her ears like darts.

She was dumbfounded. She couldn't believe that such men existed. Men who could love their one and only throughout their entire lifetime. Men who were hopelessly romantic. Tears started rolling down her cheeks because she had fallen for a guy who could never ever even acknowledge her.

So without saying another word, she wiped her tears and stormed out.

Dr. Leonard looked in her direction for a moment and then turning towards Dr. Nelson he asked,

"You love Akira. Don't you?"