"Senior Patrick is that you?" Steve was excited as well as scared to see Patrick there.

"What do you think?" Patrick replied in annoyance. He doesn't like Steve at all, he knew Steve always had a crush on Emily.

​​

Lisa rolled her eyes as Patrick didn't change a bit, he had always been rude to everyone and now too he is being rude.

"Of course you are our senior Patrick, I am glad you actually joined the police department as you always dreamt of" Steve could see Patrick in a police uniform.

Patrick ignored him and pressed buttons on the vending machine, he wanted to get his drink and leave as soon as possible.

"I just met the other seniors, Emily and Matthew but unfortunately they just left or else it would have been a mini-reunion for you guys." Steve still cheerfully spoke to Patrick in spite of his ignorance, he wanted to show-off that now he is working with Emily and he is more closer to her than Patrick.

"Emily is here, she is performing an autopsy on a body, that's why I am here too." Patrick couldn't help but inform Steve as subconsciously he wanted to show that he knows where Emily is and Steve does not and he is yet not as close to Emily as he thinks.

"Oh senior must have come back, she looked so tired earlier yet she had to come back for this case it seems" Steve this time spoke to Lisa, he was trying to tell Patrick now he knows more about Emily.

Lisa didn't say anything and just nodded her head.

Although it looked harmonious, it was a fight between both the men.

Steve was Patrick and Emily's high school junior who had a huge crush on Emily, almost the entire school was aware of it, he once even tried to confess his feelings for her but Patrick never let him, Patrick and Emily were the famous couple in their school, they were the envy couple for all the singlets.

Still Steve never gave up on the idea of getting together with Emily that's why he befriended her sister who was his classmate, although the friendship between them started with his selfish reasons it indeed grew into a genuine friendship where they were there for each other.

Later, following Emily's path Steve too opted for medical as a career, he worked really hard to get into Cambridge to be with her but he couldn't clear the cut-off and ended up going to another medical school.

When the news of Emily and Patrick's breakup was broken out he was the only person who celebrated it but he couldn't approach Emily no matter how much he tried even when she was single.

After that Emily too left her home and started living separately and he couldn't meet her even if he went to her home through Lisa's invitations as she was never there, he had no idea why she left her home, he tried to ask Lisa multiple times, although they were very close Lisa never disclosed the real reason as it was something personal to her family and she knew where to draw the line in friendship, she always knew Steve became her friend for her sister but she likes him so she ignored his intentions and thought at least this way she can be closer to him.

When he got a job opportunity at this hospital Steve happily accepted it as Emily was working here, he is still finding ways to approach her.

Seeing his love rival here suddenly, evoked old emotions in Steve and he had an urge to provoke Patrick.

Knowing that Emily was tired and still has to work because of him Patrick still looked indifferent and ignored Patrick's words, he got his coffee from the machine so he was about to leave when Steve's next words really provoked him.

"Since you two are not dating anymore, I hope this time senior won't mind me asking her out"

Patrick couldn't avoid him this time, he slowly turned around and faced Steve, he looked cold and intimidating.

Lisa thought, 'Why Steve? Why did you had to provoke this scary guy'

Steve thought, 'Shit I forgot how terrifying he was, why didn't I control my blabbermouth, shit he is going to kill me, he is a fucking cop, shit'

Patrick stepped towards Steve and put his hand on Steve's shoulder and looked straight into his eyes, Steve gulped seeing Patrick standing so close to him.

"You can try but she would never even bother to look at a coward like you let alone going out with someone like you."

Steve felt deeply offended by his words but couldn't retort, Patrick was indeed right, Steve is a coward, he tried to befriend her sister to get close to her as he knows he can never approach her directly.

"Don't you dare insult my friend" Lisa who had been silent till now finally spoke to Patrick.

Still with his hand on Steve's shoulder Patrick glanced at her, "If you don't want to get hurt stop entertaining him" saying these words Patrick went back to the waiting area not giving either of these two a chance to say anything.

"What the fuck, did he just threaten you?" Steve's face was dripping of anger, he interpreted Patrick's words as Patrick will hurt Lisa if she continues being his friend.

Lisa didn't respond to Steve's words, she just turned back and went to continue her work, she understood what Patrick was really trying to tell her, 'Get over Steve and end your feelings for him if you don't want to get hurt in the future.'

Because of Patrick and Emily's relationship, Lisa too was close to him, she used to root for them and was good friends with Patrick, she once confided her feelings for Steve to him to request him not to be so cold towards Steve, at that time itself Patrick warned her that things with Steve might not be as smooth as she is hoping for and it might create havoc in her life but she ignored his advice as she couldn't ignore her feelings and continued being in this one-sided love with Steve, it always hurt her whenever he talked about Emily, she always hoped that one day he will get over her sister and would see the true feelings she harbored for him all these years and would respond to her feelings.

Lisa was not ready to face the reality of Steve never liking her the way he loved Emily and was still hoping for things to change, she went to her desk and continued the work Daniel has assigned to her.

Steve wanted to talk to Lisa about what just happened and how arrogant Patrick still is but seeing her seriously indulged in work he too continued studying the cases Daniel asked them to, in between they go on rounds to check on the patients and rest of the time they continue studying.

Patrick went back to his seat and enjoyed the black coffee, although he looked calm on the outside, he was still pissed with that bastard who always showed interest in his woman, he was actually surprised that he still didn't give up on Emily, after their breakup he went to Scotland and lost touch with lot of people and had no idea what everyone was up to except for his five close friends.

Matt used to give him regular updates on Emily, although he never asks for it but Matt was aware he wanted to know everything about her so he updated him.

Patrick sat in silence with various thoughts running around his mind, he was kind of worried for Lisa, he hoped she would have gotten over her feelings for Steve in all these years but it just seemed she went deeper into it, Lisa is someone very important for Emily so she mattered to him too and he felt sad seeing her going on a path which might be painful for her, he wanted to pull her back from the deep abyss of darkness she was falling into but he was helpless.

Only Lisa can choose her own life path and she is the only one who could stop herself from going any further into it.

The next few hours passed with Patrick still deep in his thoughts, Emily performing the autopsy, Lisa and Steve studying and checking on the patients.

After a few hours Emily finally came out of the autopsy room and removed the mask on her face.

"So?" Patrick asked, looking at her with hope.

"The time of murder was between 8 pm and 10 pm last night, which implies the victim was murdered for over 18 hours before being found"

"So, the three people who were trying to extinguish the fire were telling the truth?"

Patrick asked Emily and she was already informed of the situation as to what happened on the phone earlier before he came.