*Knock, knock, knock*

The door slowly opened. Through the little gap, a middle-aged man peeks out. His eyes widen, and he steps back, opening the door completely.

"Oh bless you doctor. Thank you for coming."

The old man's suspenders are hanging at his sides. His beard has gotten out of control. The grey hairs growing out of his chin give away his age. He's a mess.

The doctor steps in. He's tall, wearing a neatly pressed brown suit. The light from the outside shines down on his hair, giving a reflection. He carries his suitcase with his left hand and asks the old man to direct him.

"It's only gotten worse doctor. We've gotten everything you can imagine from the pharmacy, but she doesn't seem to react to the medication. We have nowhere else to go."

The old man's voice is shaky. He twiddles his thumbs as he talks.

The doctor is lead to a dimly-lit bedroom where he's met with the back of a woman who sobs while holding the hand of a girl in bed.

"Oh doctor, thank goodness you are here."

The lady turns around to see the doctor. Her eyes now swollen and red. Who knows how long her eyes have been shedding tears?

The doctor removes his coat, rolls up his sleeves and sits next to the crying woman. Before him, the girl is pale with a shade of green. Her breathing is slow and heavy. The mother looks down at her daughter without letting go of her hand. Her sobs slow down. The presence of the doctor in the room give her hope that he can fix the girl. The doctor stands up and goes for his suitcase. He opens it up and take out a stethoscope, a syringe, and two test tubes. This has been the norm for him lately. He checks the girls heartbeat and records it on his notebook.

"Now ma'am, I'm going to have to draw some blood. I suggest you look away while I do this. You don't have to let go of her hand, but just don't look."

The mother does as she's told. She shuts her eye as the doctor drives the needle into the girl's forearm. She doesn't react to the prick. It takes a few seconds for the blood to fill the clear tube which is intended to collect the blood. But when it does, it pours down slowly, and shows a thick consistency. The doctor knows this is not a good sign. He gulps and keeps a straight face, hoping for neither the father or the mother to question their daughter's blood.

After the tube is filled, the doctor removes the needle and caps the tube. He stands up and then walks back to his suitcase, and heads outside the door.

"Doctor wait!"

The father follows the doctor out, but he is told to stay in with his wife and daughter. He's not able to offer any condolences until after the blood test is done. And even then, chances are the news won't be pretty.

Removing the cap from the tube, the doctor adds three drops of a clear liquid, caps the tube back up and shakes the it. He sets it down on a nearby table and waits. He sets his suitcase on the same table and opens it up. In the top section, held by a strap is a loaded gun. The sight of it gets his heart beating rapidly. He feels his hands start to sweat, and then finds himself trembling.

It's time to check the blood sample. To his horror, the blood has turned black. It resembles tar. It is not what he wants to see. He takes the gun from its place and cocks it back and takes the tube of black blood.

"I am very sorry, but the test has come back positive."

He barges back inside the room, tossing the tube to the man who catches it. He has no idea what to make of it. It was red when the doctor left the room, and now it has turned black.

"Ma'am, I ask that you let her go right now and cover your ears."

Quickly, the doctor throws the pillow over the girls head. He points the barrel of the gun where her forehead would be under the pillow and pulls the trigger. Then, silence. Neither the mother or the father scream or cry. Neither of them rush him and beat at his chest. For a while, the doctor stands over the body of the now dead girl. He looks down at the grip of the gun. He is able to see his face on the metallic finish. He can't stand to look for another second and stands up.

"The ministry will be noted, and will arrive shortly. Her condition was too advanced for there to be any hope of salvation."

How many had it been this week? He hadn't keep count, but each one he had to put down was one too many. The parents, still clearly in shock didn't say goodbye to the doctor. They just stared blankly into nothing. It made the doctor's exit a little more easier. He packed his things and walked out of the house.

Opening the door to his car, he sat and looked at the passenger's seat to see a green light flashing on his phone. It's another call.

The Return

So he kept his promise and visited the place he vowed never to return to. The look of the place must have seen foreign to him as the faces were mostly different, but there were still two of which they remembered him and happily greeted him.

He came with a simple "hello", and left just as quick as he came.

Though it was only a short while since his leave, he was unnoticed by everyone, and was transparent upon his departure.

He said he would never return, but he came back. He made good on his promise this time, yet he left without making the promise of a second return.