Yours, Forever

Chapter 20

She had sobbed over the phone, having no money with her too, and after a while, wiping his hands and drying the tears on his face he said, "Don't worry, I'll ask a few people, but before then, just come over to the hospital and stay with Dad, okay?"

Without waiting for her response, he hung up, and racing like his life depended on it, Damien ran helter skelter, meeting everyone he knew in town, begging for some kind of support, and promising to pay back at an agreed date. After he had gone all over, he raced back to the hospital, with the meager sun he had been able to gather, and adding everything together he saw that he had managed to get half of the hospital bill.

He was going to plead with the doctor to commence treatment, and then he would find a way to complete the money before the end of the day.

The moment he got into the hospital, he raced toward his father's ward with the cash in his hand, intent on meeting the doctor but he came to an abrupt halt when he saw the gory sight in front of him.

The first person he saw was his mom kneeling on the floor, her hands over her head as she sobbed countlessly over and over again, and a feeling of dread coursing through him, the bills fell from his hand as he looked from his mother to the doctor who stood gravely beside her.

He shook his head furiously, refusing to believe what his mother's tears relayed, fearing the worst but still he picked up courage and started to say in a stammer, "Doctor... I... I... I have the money now, we can commence treatment and..." He sprang to the floor, picking up the bills that had somehow scattered all over and stretching his hands to the doctor, he repeated defiantly, "I have the money..."

The doctor sighed, and clearing his throat he dropped the bombshell, "I'm so sorry Mr Daniels, but we couldn't save him. He lost a lot of blood before he was brought here, and we did our best to curtail the blood flow, even infusing him with some blood and antibiotics but it was already too late. I'm very sorry."

Damien staggered backwards, his knees giving way as he fell to the floor, the words from the doctor relating itself one raked over again in his head but he didn't want to believe it. It can't be... it couldn't be...his father. The man he saw this morning, and had wished a hearty goodbye just couldn't be dead.

There was no way he could be fatherless in the blink of an eye, and his mother a widow. No way! What would happen to his sister Layla? How would they cope? Surely this was some kind of a joke! Damien said to himself but the words of the doctor kept reverberating in his head, again, and again, and again.

His father Mr Daniels was dead.

"NO!"

***

Damien sprung from his pillow with a gasp, the scream from the dream echoing loudly in the room. He was sweaty and his hands shook as the, scream echoed in his head over and over again.

Looking around he saw that he was in his bedroom, not at the hospital, or that place where he had received one of the most hurting news of his life.

He placed a hand over his forehead and shut his eyes tightly, as he began to murmur comforting words to himself.

It was just a dream, nothing more, nothing less. This was not the first time he was having a dream about the past, but ever since she had come, it had become more frequent and he hated it with passion.

Placing a hand over his chest, trying to calm his beating heart, he heaved slowly as he also tried to regain his bearings.

"Babe, what's wrong?" Katherine's soft voice filled the room, as she shuffled a bit, and hissing silently, he recalled that she was laying right next to him on the bed.