"And~!!! Cut!!!"
"Good job, Sharon! Good job, everyone!"
Sharon nodded at the directing and producing team with a beautiful smile that attracted both admiration and jealousy, and walked off the set to the chair reserved for her.
But she did not keep much of the attention on herself for long. The other actors who had just acted with her went their own ways to either rest for as long as they could or to review and think of ways to improve and do better. As for the staff members, they scattered like bees amidst a patch of flowers to adjust the set and sneak some rest too while they could.
"Here, Miss Kenner."
Combing her soft, wavy hair to the side, Sharon took the cup Eunice held out with a smile and managed to sit down instead of letting herself fall into the seat reserved for her, maintaining restraints, or rather composure, both as a lady and a public figure.
"Your phone."
As she took the object that no one could do without nowadays, she bit onto the large straw plunged into her cup while making the phone screen light up with a tap.
For a moment, she managed to relax, to unwind by entertaining herself and having fun going through her messaging apps. Then, her phone vibrated, before it rang at the soft volume she had left it at to avoid disturbances.
*Ring~ Ring~*
The hand holding the telephone shook with a tremor. Hurriedly bringing the expensive communication tool to her ear, Sharon replied with barely suppressed palpitations:
"Yes?"
The blonde's apprehension was only kept at bay by the need for composure. From the phone came a curt voice devoid of undue sympathy, the voice of a woman not old:
"Hello, Miss Kenner? This is the hospital…"
Only Eunice at the side noticed the change that happened to Sharon. For a moment, while carefully holding the handheld fan, the innocence in her smile faltered and her clear eyes blinked with a mix of intrigue and interest in their depths.
In the next second, Sharon jumped up from her seat. She grabbed her jacket from the backrest, then bolted out of the recording studio. Eunice faltered, startled, before she ran after her boss, her eyes regaining their innocent smile as she shouted:
"Miss Kenner, slow down!"
But Sharon seemed to hear nothing, and the younger woman, apparently not one to exercise much, failed to catch up. She could only stop at the door, her hands on her knees to rest for a moment. When she regained her breath, she stood up with an exhale and looked at the empty corridor.
Looking too innocent to feel bitter or complain, she sighed, and forced a smile before hurrying back inside the studio. From outside, her voice could be heard cutting through the surprise that had taken hold of the place:
"Director, Miss Kenner had an emergency just now and had to go. She had me apologize to you. There is no more scene that needs her, is there?"
"It doesn't matter. She is done with her parts."
"That's good, that's good…"
The image of the innocent younger woman patting her chest with a relieved smile could be imagined. Before the door could slam shut with a soft noise, Eunice hurried over to catch it and open it again to step into the corridor and make a call. As soon as it connected, she lowered her posture, and spoke with an apologetic smile while covering both her mouth and the microphone:
"Hello, cousin?"
A dissatisfied dry voice came from the receiver:
"Is it about work?"
Eunice paused, then replied in a dropping tone, her shoulder slouching further like a guilty defendant under the weight of the law:
"Yes."
The owner of the voice on the other side took a deep breath, then lectured:
"Then don't call me cousin. How many times should I tell you that? It is Miss Nell, or at most Miss Gladys."
The reprimand felt natural, like something that had become a habit after happening more than once. Eunice smiled bitterly, and corrected herself before bringing up the reason for her call:
"Sorry, cousin– no, Miss Nell. I'm calling because Miss Kenner–"
Gladys Nell immediately cut off her younger cousin:
"What happened to Sharon? Is the recording not over yet? Or is she being willful again?"
"She–"
"Whatever. Give her the phone, I will speak directly with her."
Eunice took a deep breath, but kept her smile on her face:
"That is why I am calling, Miss Nell. You are Miss Kenner's assistant, and I wanted to let you know that she just had an emergency. She left the recording studio without a word after receiving a call. Fortunately, the recording was already done."
Gladys paused, processed the information, then took a deep breath:
"I see. I understand."
*Beep*
The other side ended the call. Eunice lowered her phone to look at the screen. Her smile gained a bitterness that felt more personal than apologetic for a split second, before returning to its usual innocent appearance. She spun with the sprite look that always characterized her, and walked back to the studio for the things that had been left behind.
_ _ _
_ _ _
The taxi stopped at one of the biggest hospitals of the city, the private hospital ranked among the best not just nationwide, but also worldwide, a fact despite which it was not exclusive to the rich and the affluent.
However, none of the above was something Sharon could pay attention to at that moment. Her face panicked, a fact obvious despite the mask and the sunglasses she had on, she ran out of the car, slamming the door shut, and hurried to the entrance a dozen meters away.
Once inside, she flew through the large lobby. She didn't waste any time trying to challenge the escalators in a speed contest and instead hurried to the lifts at the corner.
The ascension felt slow. Pursing her lips behind the mask, Sharon waited impatiently until she heard a sound that had never felt so heavenly, even though she barely paid attention to it usually.
*Ding~*
The door didn't finish opening when she burst outside. Even before arriving at her destination, her voice arrived, more as a cry of distress than anything else:
"Doctor!"