City Of Angels
Accompanied by sweet singing, an old man with a white beard heralds the coming of the winter festival.
On Christmas Eve, Los Angeles
Streets exuded a peaceful aura, as if the city of angels, typically known for its hustle and allure, had truly been graced by angels.
The same was true at St. Andrew's Hospital. While the antiseptic scent could never mimic the aroma of a festive turkey dinner, the Christmas tree adorned with diverse ornaments bestows a festive ambiance upon the hospital. Though the opportunity to steal a kiss beneath the mistletoe might be elusive, the presence of a dozen Santa Clauses warms the hearts of the patients. They embrace the jolly "ho-ho-ho" Santas, posing for photographs and accepting small tokens from these faux-bearded figures, oblivious to the possibility of a less-than-wholesome character lurking behind the fake white beards.
This is the miracle of Christmas, a unique miracle reserved for this very day.
However, in any moment of miracles, happiness often walks hand in hand with sadness, intertwined like light and darkness. Happiness requires the backdrop of misfortune to shine, and the unfortunate are acutely aware of their lot when they witness the joy of others.
"Would you care for a lucky rabbit's foot for a change?"
There's no doubt that Sally's luck has been less than favorable in recent days. As she gazes at the man with a bandage on his forehead, his eyes closed, and his hands making peculiar gestures, she can't help but feel that her luck has taken a further downturn on this Christmas Eve.
"It's already Christmas Eve! Lord, Please bless me!"
Though not a fervent believer, everyone occasionally seeks divine intervention in times of need.
Whenever Los Angeles is mentioned, Hollywood naturally comes to mind for many, including Sally. She had been struggling in Hollywood for some time, and while her journey hasn't been smooth, she secured her first role just a month ago—a minor supporting role at best, possibly with a single line. The outcome hinged on the editing process. Yet, compared to the typical Hollywood struggler who earns a living waiting tables and occasionally fends off odd advances, Sally, a former model, was on the fast track to fame.
As mentioned before, happiness often needs misfortune to set it off. If that misfortune happens to be someone else's... well, it's all the better.
However, the fast lane always carries the risk of an accident. Not everyone is a seasoned driver, and you never know if you're headed for a hearse. Furthermore, when a door opens for you, who's to say that the mischievous old man above won't add another door behind it, complete with seven or eight locks?
The day before, the director called and delivered the "unfortunate" news that her role had been axed due to a script change. The director's tone might have suggested regret, but the thinly veiled displeasure in his words convinced Sally that losing the role she had already secured was due to the director's subtle hints when they were both at a bar the other day. She conveyed the director's desire for him to wait for her in the alley behind the bar, all in the name of "dedication to art."
Of course, she relayed these words directly to the gentleman next to her with a white earring stud in his left ear and an exquisite Italian-made suit. She implied to the gentleman that the director held him in high regard...
"I can only assist you up to this point. I wish you happiness, Don't thank me"
Sally wanted to respond to the director this way, but to her dismay, she forgot to ask Mr. "Earring" his name...
Nevertheless, despite her prickly demeanor, Sally was still a young woman. This setback left her deeply disheartened, and she drowned her sorrows in a bar near her rented apartment. In the final moments before succumbing to inebriation and vomiting, she realized that, as an attractive young woman, her drunken self would undoubtedly become the target of the "vultures" lurking nearby. However, her liver could not metabolize copious amounts of alcohol instantly.
"If I wake up and find myself in a cheap motel room with someone's 'pipe' in my mouth, I'm biting it off"
This was the resolve she made before slipping into a drunken stupor.
Thankfully, fate spared her from becoming a criminal. Unfortunately, when she awoke with a hangover, she found herself in the hospital, facing an exorbitant ambulance bill.
"What? I was about to commit suicide by jumping from the overpass after drinking. Although I was rescued, the person who saved me passed out?"
Sally couldn't believe it when the brusque doctor named House explained the incident's cause.
"Not to mention that the height of the overpass isn't enough for a suicide attempt. I used to be a model! A model! A model! Do you know what a model is? I'd rather starve myself and torment myself like a slave every day to shed a pound of flesh than end up here. Do you think I'm a fool, Doctor?"
Well, even though the young woman's speech had become incoherent, she adamantly refused to accept the facts.
However, Dr. House remained indifferent to the young woman's outburst.
"Even if you could defy Newton's law of inertia, you'd still have to settle the hospital bill. Whether it's cash or a credit card, former model, I don't want a fool to be my responsibility."
Individuals who can see through the essence of things at a glance are truly exasperating!
Sally was taken aback by the revelation that she had contemplated suicide while intoxicated. But for a young woman struggling in Hollywood without the safety net of social security and now unemployed, what was even more distressing was the ambulance bill.
"Who the heck called for an ambulance!? Save the people, sure, but this is extortion! Why did they have to call such an expensive American ambulance?"
At this moment, with her conscience and her wallet in a precarious balance, Sally opted to pay for her rescuer. After all, it was evident that an unconscious individual couldn't have called an ambulance, and it was impossible for an unconscious person to pay for it.
Thus, her wallet was emptied, saved only by two overdrafted credit cards. Without them, she might have been left with just three matches to light in a corner for warmth on Christmas this year.
"If I can't find any acting opportunities in the coming days, I might have to work at the Cheesecake Factory with Penny"
Sally, who had steeled herself for the worst, decided to take one last look at the person responsible for her current predicament before leaving the hospital. Although in reality, it was her drunkenness that had set off this chain of events, as everyone knows, a woman's prerogative is to be irrational, and Sally had no intention of relinquishing that privilege.
"What? This guy's awake?"
Waking up just in time to witness the elderly lady settling the bill—was it deliberate?
Poverty did not restrain Sally's imagination; rather, it amplified her suspicions.
"But what does this mean? Dr. House mentioned that a concussion could cause temporary memory loss, but in this case, it seems that it's not memory that's missing, but the entire brain"
Observing the person on the hospital bed, muttering and making peculiar hand gestures, Sally's first thought was that the individual had lost their mind.
However, the "incomprehensible" person opened his eyes.
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References-
1. City of Angels:- Movie(1998)
2. Penny:- Big Bang Theory (TV Series)
3. Dr House:- House (TV Series)