Close Yet Apart

Chapter 14

This chapter is dedicated to Littlewriter2008 My new found friend.

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Third Person's POV

Mrs. Brown arrives at the hospital a couple of minutes later with a rather sour expression on her face. She is not mad just very disappointed, or so she was telling herself.

Immediately she is seen by a nurse in the hallway, she is immediately directed to Hazel's ward. Perks of being married to a renowned doctor. She thanks the nurse and walks towards the ward with her heels clicking on the ceramic tiles with every movement.

***Meanwhile***
  

The school is in total disarray. Mrs. Brown had threatened to file out a complaint against the school to the court if the people involved in her daughter's so called accident weren't caught.

Did I mention that Mrs. Brown is a lawyer? An highly placed one at that.

The principal, Mr Todd and the vice principal, Mrs Taylor, are highly distressed. Not only because of the complaint that could be filled against the school but because one of the culprits is the daughter of Mr. Knight; a business tycoon, a shareholder in the school and a member of the school board of trustees.

Things aren't looking so good for Liam also, but he has to bear it. He chose this, hence, he has to accept the consequence. He doesn't know what to do. There is still a fifty percent chance that Daya, might still carry out her disastrous plan to ruin Hazel's life. The only option left for him is for him to tell the truth but to whom?

He ended up calling the person he wouldn't have thought of calling even if an apocalypse was near.

Zach Wilson

***Back at the Hospital***

     Zach leaves the ward to receive a call from Liam, the last person that would come to his mind. After a couple of time, Mrs Brown enters the ward and exchanges greetings with the kids in the room. She let out a sigh when she sees Hazel on the bed. She remembers promising her daughter that she wouldn't come to the hospital again but here she is again in an hospital.

She walks closer to her daughter and strokes her hair lovingly. She gazes at her little beautiful fighter—who was growing up so fast—with so much emotions in her eyes. She will always be her little girl.

"How is she doing honey? Are her vitals alright?", Mrs Brown asks her husband, who is in a silent conversation with Zach—who had just entered the ward a couple of minutes before.

"She's doing okay. She'll have to be in the hospital for a week and a couple of days, in order for the doctor in charge of her to keep an eye on her. She keeps drifting in and out of consciousness due to the remaining honey in her system which has not been flushed out. She has also suffered temporary vocal loss due to the honey but she'll be fine. I can't say more than that", Mr Brown explains. She nods in response and continued stroking her daughter's hair.

"Is Eliza incharge of Hazel?", she asks in a soft voice and he shook his head.

"It's another colleague of mine. Eliza is busy with other patients", he answers.

Doctor Eliza has always been the doctor in charge of Hazel since they arrived in Chicago. She doubles has her doctor and therapist in which she is qualified for both positions. She considers Hazel as her daughter which explains why she's Hazel's godmother. The Browns and Doc Eliza go way back.

"I'm so sorry sir and ma that I let this happen. I should have gone through the door and not waited for her at that moment", Elizabeth says feeling guilty for something that had nothing to do with her.

"Darling, please stop crying. And you're not at fault here. You didn't know. Hazel would definitely not want you to cry and she's definitely okay. Don't cry", Mrs. Brown says and gestures for her to come over to her.

Once Elizabeth got to her, she hugged her and told her it wasn't her fault while Elizabeth continued crying. After a while of passing round tissues and all the crying, Hazel flutters her eyes open. Disgust etched on her face seeing most of the occupants of the room with a tissue in hand and some with tear stained cheeks.

On seeing Hazel awake, Elizabeth or better known as Liz, flung herself at Hazel, careful not to hurt her in the process and profusely apologizing for something that was beyond her control. Hazel tries speaking but no sound comes out, causing her to hit her hand on the bed in frustration—startling her parents in the process.

"Oh my dear Hazel", Mrs Brown says  and kisses her forehead.

Remembering the state of her vocal cords, Zach passes his phone, with the notepad application opened, to her.

"Will you please stop crying and sniffling? It's getting annoying. I get that you care and all but please stop", Hazel types and shows it to them.

Chris chuckles lightly at that.

"Typical Hazel", he thought.

It hurt him that Hazel, whom he now considers as a close friend of his, is in the hospital because of the deed of Liam, whom he considers a brother to him. Yet deep down within him, he knows Liam could never do such a thing to Hazel but there is no way for him to prove it.

"We left school just to stay with you and the first thing you do to us when you wake up is to insult us?", Tina says in a playfully serious tone causing Hazel to scoff but give them a smile nonetheless.

"I'm sorry guys. Thank you so much for staying with me. Now can you stop sniffling and crying especially you Liz. Be more like Zach and Chris", Hazel writes.

"Now now, little fighter, there's no need to snap at your friends. They care about you that's why they're here", Mrs Brown says as she strokes her hair lovingly.

"The last time I let someone care, it was Tyler and what did he do in return. Bully me and use my secrets against me", Hazel types and blacks out once again.

Sure, she has every right to be careful and not let people in but she has to let people in, if not for herself but for her parents and her brother. As well as those who are proving to be her friends.

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    Mr Brown soon has to leave the ward to attend to a patient with critical condition, who needs his help. The four kids in the ward are also ushered out by Mrs Brown herself —who thinks it will be best to leave Hazel to rest.

Mrs Brown sits at a cafeteria table with the four kids to discuss the information Zach got from Liam against Daya Knight. Liz is shocked, Tina is disappointed while Chris is relieved but a tiny bit mad. Mrs Brown has a calm expression on her face despite all of it. Since she's a lawyer she is careful not to show emotions that might betray her feelings.

She treats the kids as her client but at a fee they were all willing to pay, that they should not ever think of hurting her daughter.

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Author's Note

Hey guys,
How are you doing? I hope you're good. What do you think of this chapter? What could be the mysterious plan Daya has? Well that's for me to know and for you to find out.

Question of the Day:
Who is your favorite actress? Hollywood? Bollywood? Nollywood? Any?

My Answer:
Gal Gadot, she acted as either Black Widow or Wonder Woman, not sure. Zendaya too, I adore her. Adesua—she acted in Gangs of Lagos. That's it.

Who's yours?

Shout-out Time

Shout-out to people from Dubai. I love the landscapes and I love you guys so much ❤️

Soooo, are you guys keen on knowing what's next? Well then, we'll see when my procrastinating self would update again.

...Love you
Take Care...
...Stay Safe 😇

#EDITED#
02/08/23