Bodyguard's Obsession

Chapter 24

Chapter 24

The minutes turned to hours, and hours into days. Layla still hadn't awoken. Her family were taking it in shifts to come stay with her. There were guards constantly posted outside the door to her room in the hospital, as well as the corridor and all entrances. They were taking no risks.

Flowers and cards littered the room, as well as several of her comfort items. Her own pillows, a blanket, picture frames and such her family brought from home. Strangers, people who had come to adore Layla through the media had posted cards and flowers and trinkets all to wish her a speedy recovery. None of which remained in the room.

Her mother, with the help of several of her maids, had managed to bathe and dress Layla once she was able to breathe normally again. Turns out, her body was too weak to breathe and function on its own. She was severely dehydrated. It took well over two days to get her off all the equipment.

Her family donned her in her own pyjamas, to help keep her comfortable. They changed her every day. More often than not, it was usually a vest top and a pair of shorts. They would take turns to sit beside her.

Every day, Ethan would sit and read her one of her favourite books and would not leave until he had finished reading its entirety to her. Her mother would sit and tell her all about a new recipe she found and was excited to try out, but would not do so until she had woken up to try her mothers new masterpiece. Her father would just sit there; occasionally reflecting on their past, more specifically her childhood.

Ethan and Serena would visit often. Ethan just sulked at the back of the room, just staring at her lifelessly. Serena would pour her heart out, telling Layla any and all new advancements in her life. I just drown it all out.

Everyone would leave at the end of the day. But not me. I refused to leave. I always sat and watched her, sleeping occasionally through the night. I was exhausted but I could not sleep until I knew she was awake and out of the woods. Her mother was kind enough to bring me some food every day, always with a sad smile and pity in her eyes.

The doctors told us that if she does not awake within the next 24 hours then she will likely be comatose and it will be uncertain if she ever does wake up. Either way, I will not leave her side unless ordered to otherwise.

I watch, with strained eyes, as her father brushes her hair gently with a brush, as he recites a memory to her in which she had asked him to plait her hair while her mother was away on a business trip. Funnily enough, he had done a terrible job and swore to practice.

I remember the time well, he had researched in great depth how to style his own daughter's hair. He even bought a styling doll to practice on as he didn't want to fail his child once again. I found the whole thing rather amusing at the time.

"Mark, you look like shit. Go take a shower. It's been days, the only time you've left the room was to get yourself a coffee." Mr Greenman ordered. At that moment, a nurse walked in.

"Oh, is he finally going to have a shower? I've been offering him one every day and yet he refuses, always saying that he needs to sit and watch her in case anything happens." The nurse chuckled as she checked over Layla's vitals.

"Imagine if Layla woke up now, the first thing she's gonna see is a corpse that stinks. Now go shower and have a shave too. I'll have Janice bring you some stuff up, she's due in about ten minutes anyways." Mr Greenman adds.

Before I could say anything, he leaves the room, already on the phone. I assume he was phoning his wife telling her to bring some stuff to make me shower and shave. I knew deep down they were right, I didn't want Layla to see me in such a state when she wakes up.