Alexey had taken a break from the book he was intently reading between tasks when he heard an unusual proposal from the head of the department. Igor Dmitrievich approached him with a serious look and said:
“Listen, Lyosha, wouldn’t you like to earn a little extra money? There’s a job.”
The young man looked at his superior in surprise, carefully closed the book, and set it on the table beside him. His glance revealed a slight puzzlement.
“Who would turn down money?” he replied with a slight smile. “But if there’s something not quite…” Alexey faltered as he tried to choose his words.
“No, no, don’t worry,” Igor Dmitrievich hurried to reassure him. “I know you as a principled person. There will be no deception or anything illegal. Honest word.”
The head sat down on the chair opposite, took the book Alexey had just been reading, and quickly glanced at the title on its cover.
“Wow, serious literature! So, you’ve decided to apply again?”
Alexey nodded. This time he had failed the entrance exams for the institute. After his father’s death, all his plans had collapsed, and his mother’s illness forced him to devote himself entirely to family. Becoming a doctor had been his childhood dream, so he took a job as an orderly at the hospital—to be closer to the profession while helping his mom and preparing for the next attempt.
His mother, of course, had objected. She said that they would somehow manage without additional income and insisted that her son study at home, focusing on his preparation. But Alexey was convinced that his chosen path was the right one. He wanted to understand medicine from the inside by observing the work of doctors, nurses, and other hospital staff.
“Yes, I will definitely apply,” he said firmly. “So, what’s the proposal?”
Igor Dmitrievich looked thoughtfully at the young man and began to explain:
“You see, we currently have an elderly woman in our department. She doesn’t have much time left. She is wealthy, lonely, but deeply tender at heart. Once, she had a son. The son had a girlfriend, but then they broke up. The son has been dead for a long time, and the old lady is convinced that somewhere out there she has a grandson. But she has never been able to find him.”
“I don’t know many details,” Igor Dmitrievich continued, “but she so desperately wants to believe that her grandson is alive and might come to her. She doesn’t even know where to look for him. She just feels that he exists.”
Alexey frowned, trying to understand where his superior was going.
“So you want me to find this grandson? That’s practically impossible.”
Igor Dmitrievich laughed:
“Well, Lyosha, you may be a smart guy, but this is clearly beyond your capabilities. And besides, we don’t have the time.”
Alexey doubted even more.
“Then what do you propose?”
“That’s exactly what I want to discuss,” said the head, turning serious. “I want to propose that you play the role of her grandson. We both know it’s a deception, but sometimes a little lie for the greater good can bring immense happiness. She doesn’t have much time left—maybe a couple of weeks, perhaps a bit more. Why not make the last days of her life a bit brighter?”
“A lie for the greater good?” Alexey clarified, tilting his head.
Igor Dmitrievich walked over to the window and looked out thoughtfully.
“And what do you think? This woman has done a lot for our hospital. With her donations, we bought new equipment that saves lives. Can’t we at least brighten her final days a little? After all, she is completely alone.”
Alexey considered it. He understood that the proposal was indeed aimed at doing good, but he felt an inner uncertainty.
“Maybe you’re right. But why me?”
“It’s simple. We don’t have anyone more suitable. You’re young, likable, and most importantly—you work here, inside the hospital. This will allow us to keep the situation under control. We won’t let this ‘performance’ go beyond the hospital.”
“Alright, you’ve convinced me,” Alexey finally agreed. “But how do we explain to her that her grandson suddenly appeared?”
“I’ll provide all the necessary details. You’ll only need to learn the main points of her story. For now, let’s prepare the groundwork.”
A few days were spent on preparations. There was little information about the supposed grandson. His parents were dead, the boy had been placed in an orphanage, and then his trail was lost. For Alexey, this was ideal: a simple story without extraneous details. To avoid arousing suspicion, he was given time off during the “performance.” It was important that the old lady not accidentally see him with a mop or in an orderly’s uniform.
That very evening, Alexey went to the store on his mother’s errand. Almost immediately, he met Marina—a girl who lived next door. She had always seemed special to him, and he had secretly been in love with her for several years. They had gone to the cinema a few times, but their relationship had never progressed further.
“Marin, Marin, hello!” he called out to her with a bright smile.
She turned and smiled slightly absentmindedly in response.
“Hi, Lyosha. Where are you headed?”
“To the store, my mom sent me,” he replied, showing an empty bag.
“And me too,” said Marina. “What a coincidence! It’s like fate!”
They walked together, but Alexey noticed that the girl seemed a bit upset. She answered briefly and appeared somewhat distant. He decided to cheer her up, telling funny stories and joking, but Marina still seemed detached from the moment.
When they reached her house, Alexey mustered the courage:
“Marin, how about we go to the cinema? Tonight or tomorrow?”
She looked at him intently, as if deciding whether to agree.
“Let’s do it. I’m free tomorrow.”
“Great! I’ll pick you up at six.”
“Okay, I’ll be waiting,” she replied, taking her grocery bag.
The girl went home, and Alexey, barely containing his joy, hurried on.
The next day marked Alexey’s first meeting with the patient. Alexandra Nikolaevna believed him immediately. She wept for a long time, looking at the young man:
“You look so much like my Maxim! It’s just the same face!”
Alexey sighed in relief. What he had feared most was having to spend a long time convincing the elderly lady that he was indeed her grandson.
Alexandra Nikolaevna was very frail. Alexey saw that she was deteriorating. Yet, she took a philosophical attitude towards her situation, remarking that we all must eventually depart from this life.
She was easy and interesting to talk to. She recounted stories about her life, about her son, and how she had long dreamed of seeing her grandson. Alexey gladly maintained the conversation.
“Do you have a girlfriend?” she suddenly asked.
Alexey smiled:
“Not exactly, but there’s a girl I really like. I’m going to the cinema with her tonight.”
Alexandra Nikolaevna smiled warmly:
“Tomorrow, be sure to tell me how the date went. I’ve lived a long life and can give you some advice on winning a woman’s heart.”
Alexey laughed:
“Okay, I’ll tell you everything.”
“For me, Lyosha, for me,” she corrected. “As if you’d act all subservient to your own grandmother. My goodness, you even smile like Maxim.”
Alexey felt a bit ashamed. But he saw that the old lady had noticeably perked up. They had lunch together, and even the nurse commented on the change:
“Now that’s more like it! They weren’t eating anything before.”
“It’s all his doing. He started talking to me, and before I knew it, I’d eaten everything,” Alexandra Nikolaevna confessed.
After the nurse left, she added:
“Go on, Lyosha. Come tomorrow without fail. I have so much to tell you. I’ll ask the housekeeper to bring some photos of Maxim. You can look at them and keep them as memories. After I’m gone, there’ll be no one left to look at them.”
An Unexpected Turn of Fate
Alexey nodded, still not understanding how to react. A thought flashed through his mind: to hand over the photos to Igor Dmitrievich and put an end to this story.
The date with Marina had gone well. She seemed cheerful, and Alexey even thought that she was genuinely happy to be with him. When he walked her home and tried to kiss her, the girl suddenly burst out laughing:
“Stop, stop, Lyosha, let’s clear everything up right away,” she began, stepping back. “I agreed to go to the cinema with you only because I had a fight with my boyfriend. But honestly, you just don’t fit into my plans for the future. You can’t offer me the life I dream of. Living like your mom? Seriously? It’s just an endless race from paycheck to paycheck, working from dawn till dusk.
I don’t need that at all. I want something else: stability, comfort, an ambitious partner. And what are you planning to become? Even if you become a doctor, just think about their salaries. So sorry, but we’re not meant to be. Bye.”
She abruptly turned and disappeared behind the entrance door. Alexey stood frozen, as if doused with icy water. His bewilderment mingled with hurt. He felt as though an entire pot of dirty water had been poured over him in front of the whole world.
When he returned home, his mother immediately noticed his state.
“Lyoshenka, what’s wrong? You look so down. What happened?”
“Nothing much, Mom. I’m fine,” he mumbled, trying to hide his emotions.
“I can see… How was the date?”
“Fine,” Alexey replied, avoiding her gaze.
He went to his room and closed the door behind him. His mother just sighed heavily. She had long been worried about her son, especially after learning about the scheme with playing the role of the grandson for Alexandra Nikolaevna. From the start, she was convinced that it was some kind of scam. She had never heard of staging an entire performance for a patient. Alexey tried to convince her that it was all for the old lady’s benefit, but his mother wouldn’t believe it. To her, it was simple: Lyosha was young, naive, and too trusting.
The next day, Alexandra Nikolaevna handed him a stack of photographs:
“Here, take these. Keep them with you. And why do you look so gloomy? How did the date go?”
Alexey waved his hand helplessly:
“Not good. It turns out that for her, it’s not about the person—it’s only about the fact that a person exists. In short, nothing will work out. I’m not suitable for her.”
Alexandra Nikolaevna looked at him intently:
“Maybe you told her about me?”
“No, why would I?” Alexey was surprised.
“Well, maybe you’re right. Nothing good will come out of such relationships,” she said thoughtfully.
The conversation was short. Clearly, she wasn’t feeling well today.
“Go, Lyosha, but definitely come back. Tonight I’m not feeling well at all, my body just isn’t cooperating.”
Igor Dmitrievich was not around, so Alexey decided to hand over the photos later. Returning home, he sat at the table, took out the bundle, and began examining the pictures. There were only a few photos, but the young man in the picture truly resembled him remarkably. Alexey scrutinized every detail and suddenly froze. In one of the photos, Maxim was not alone. He was embracing a girl. And that girl was…
It couldn’t be! Alexey stared at the photo in shock. It was his mother.
He jumped up and dashed back to the hospital. He needed to meet with Alexandra Nikolaevna and find out who that girl was. He didn’t yet understand why this was necessary, but he knew one thing for sure: he wouldn’t rest until he got an answer.
Entering through the back entrance, Alexey saw Igor Dmitrievich talking with a man. For some reason, Alexey stopped at the doorway and froze, trying to remain silent.
“Had to increase the dose. Her body was too strong,” the man said.
“Won’t the examination show it?” asked Igor Dmitrievich.
“It shouldn’t, but it might. So in the coming days, we’ll raise the dose again, then go back to the previous one. I didn’t think it would drag on so long.”
“Yes, we’d like it to be over quickly. But nothing, we’ll wait. It’s better to take advantage of our Sasha’s state outside than have her in jail.”
A chill ran down Alexey’s spine. Now everything was falling into place. This man was the so-called “distant relative” who had once come to visit Alexandra Nikolaevna. Back then, she had driven him away, saying he had come too early—she was still alive.
At that time, Alexey hadn’t paid much attention, but now everything became obvious. They were planning a murder.
He quietly turned and ran home. His mother must have been back already, and he needed to speak with her urgently. She always knew what to do in difficult situations.
His mother was indeed at home. She was sitting at the kitchen table, with those very photographs spread out before her, tears streaming down her cheeks.
“Mom, what happened? Why are you crying?”
She raised tearful eyes at him:
“Lyosha, where did you get these photos?”
“Alexandra Nikolaevna gave them to me. It’s her son. Mom, look at this photo… it’s you, isn’t it?”
Natalya looked at the picture and smiled sadly:
“Yes, Lyosha. It’s me. And that man is your real father, Maxim. So it turns out that Alexandra Nikolaevna really is your grandmother.”
Alexey sank into a chair, trying to absorb what he had just heard.
“I don’t understand anything. And the one who raised me? Who is he?”
“That’s a long story,” Natalya sighed. “Once, Maxim and I loved each other very much. But Maxim had money and bad connections. He died when you hadn’t even been born. I had to give you up to an orphanage so that those people who troubled him wouldn’t get to you. It took nearly a year to sort everything out.
When I came for you, they didn’t want to give you up. That’s when your second father appeared. At first, he just helped me, and then we became a family. I’ve never regretted it. That’s the short version of the whole story. If I were to go into details, one evening wouldn’t be enough.”
“Mom, we have to save her,” Alexey said firmly.
“What?” Natalya was taken aback.
“Alexandra Nikolaevna. They want to kill her.”
“Lyosha, that’s a very serious accusation…”
They sat in the kitchen for nearly an hour, discussing a plan of action. They decided they would go to the hospital once everyone had dispersed. That day, a doctor from another department was on duty, and the nurse was Nastya, who, as Alexey suspected, was secretly in love with him.
When they entered, Alexandra Nikolaevna looked at them in surprise and tried to get up:
“You? Natasha, is that you? But you’re supposed to be dead!”
Alexey’s mother rushed toward her:
“Lie down, lie down! Forgive me, it had to be done! Maxim asked that we protect you and his son.”
“So that’s why no traces could be found—you deliberately hid them! But what are you doing here? It’s night!”
“We need to talk! You must explain everything,” Natalya said.
“I’ll explain later. Listen, Alexandra Nikolaevna, can you go? You need to leave the hospital immediately. We’ll tell you everything later.”
The old lady nodded decisively:
“I can. I’ll do my best.”
Three months passed. Alexandra Nikolaevna felt well. She had called a doctor from a private clinic, who had taken samples. A trial was being prepared against Igor Dmitrievich and that “distant relative.”
The grandmother insisted that they move into her house, and now they spent entire evenings talking. Alexey listened eagerly to the stories about his real father and about his mother. He could never have imagined that his gentle and kind mother had once led a completely different life.
One evening, the phone rang. Alexey raised his eyebrows in surprise—it was Marina.
“Lyosh, hi. I was just thinking… it’s been a while since you called or invited me anywhere.”
The girl sounded clearly nervous. Alexey immediately understood everything. He looked at Nastya, who was sitting nearby, and replied:
“Marin, did you by any chance hear about my grandmother?”
“Well, the whole town is talking about it. But I’m not calling for that reason. I just thought maybe we could meet up, go for a walk…”
“Sorry, Marin, but I already have someone to see and spend time with. And in general, I’m not interested in building a family right now.”
He happily embraced Nastya, and for the first time in a long while…