Yours, Forever

Chapter 114

She was still deep in her thoughts, mind far away, eyes staring blankly at her father and the doctor without even listening to what they were saying until she heard...

"...It might interest you to note that Damien has come out of a coma, daughter." Her father spoke loudly, his voice cutting through the jumbles in her head, and Katherine's blinking eyes froze instantly.

She dragged her gaze to look solely at her father, and her jaw dropped as she stared at him.

"Yes, to whatever you want to ask, that is in your head, Katherine. I have no idea if he's been discharged, though, but from my sources in the hospital, it is worthy of note that Damien is alive, hale and hearty. He survived the bullet wound, which is good news for us all." Her father finished, and Katherine just stared expressionless at him.

She couldn't tell whether she was happy or sad to hear this news, but as she briefly closed her eyes, she imagined an extreme scenario on her head.

Madison and Damien visiting her in prison and...

"Daughter, are you alright?" Her father asked gently again, his hands stretched towards her trembling palms, and her eyes flashed open.

"I..." She began, her mouth open as if she had something important to say, but nothing was forthcoming.

"I..." She mumbled again, dragging her gaze away from him and back to the dark ash walls in the room.

She removed her cuffed hands beneath his and, bringing her fingers to her hair; she suddenly began to scratch at the strands wildly, scattering the locks of her hair.

"Daughter... Katherine, what are you doing? Are you having a panic attack?" Her father asked, and the doctor affirmed simultaneously, saying, "I think she might be having a panic attack. Due to her condition, it's most likely and...."

What condition was the doctor talking about? Katherine almost asked out loud, her face shooting towards him, but the words still dying on her tongue; she opened her lips and asked her father instead.

"You said Damien waking up is good news, right? That means my punishment and the verdict passed on me might reduce, right? Might I get bail, too, with parole or without? Do you know what's going to happen to me now, Dad?" She questioned sharply, still scratching her hair with her cuffed hands.

With the way she was dragging her fists, she could feel the metal of the handcuffs digging into her flesh and a searing pain shot through her now and then, but Katherine just didn't care.

The pain was nothing to her now, and she'd come to live with it like it was a companion.

It hurt so badly, but she'd become accustomed to it.

"I... I have no idea, Katherine." Her father replied after a moment of silence and continued, "We're still yet to get to a consensus or in touch with Damien's and the other lady's lawyer, but we're trying our best. I'm trying my best, daughter, I can assure you."

Letting out a hiss, Katherine said nothing after he finished, and she just stopped playing with her hair instead.

Bringing her hands down, she looked back up at the doctor when she heard him clear his throat, and that's when the earlier question in her head resurfaced again.

He'd said something about her condition. And why was he even here? What was happening?

"Why are you here, if I may ask? To talk about my health diagnosis, right? Or are you here for something else?" Katherine questioned sharply, but the doctor said nothing at first to her.

He only turned to look at her father and watching the movement; she saw them engage in an inaudible conversation with her father nodding.

"What is going on here?" Katherine asked, and looking at her father; she called out to him, "Father, you're scaring me? What's happening? I..."

"I'm sorry for keeping you waiting, miss." The doctor interjected, a warm smile on his lips, but with how he looked at her, Katherine could tell what awaited her.

Something bad! Something sinister! Something she wouldn't like! She could feel it already, and to make matters worse, her father reached out again across to her and took her hands in his, stroking gently.

She wanted to stop his touch and yell at him to stop behaving like he was comforting her when he was doing the opposite.

"So, miss Katherine, I think you should see this." The doctor began, and he started to open the files he'd brought along with him.

Katherine felt her stomach twist itself in knots and anxiety rising inside her with full force at the sight of the files.

She gulped nervously, and her hands trembled uncontrollably in her father's grip.

Whatever was in that file contained her medical diagnosis, and she could only shake as she wondered what was in there.

She looked up at her father, and the second she read the words that came from his lips, Katherine's heart plummeted heavily.

"I'm sorry...." He mouthed, squeezing her hands gently, and she saw a tear fall down his cheeks.

No! Oh God, what was in there? She began to think, her chest rising as she breathed erratically.

She'd never seen her father shed tears before, and now... The doctor was still flipping through the file, his hands dancing with the white papers and as he kept opening over after page; Katherine felt her curiosity increasing.

How many seconds would it take before he...

"Here you go, miss Katherine. I..." He paused all of a sudden, stretching the file towards her and pointing at a particular page for her to look at, and he then continued, "After the tests my team carried out on you, this was all we discovered. You should read through and not panic at wherever you see because...."

She was no longer paying any attention to what he was saying as her eyes breezed through the diagnosis, her eyes widening in horror and shock!

"My God! My God! Oh goodness..." Katherine muttered, her hands going to her lips as another gasp escaped from therein.

"No... this couldn't be happening... No! No!" She began to say out loud this time, and before she knew it, tears were running down her cheeks at a rapid pace.

No, this wasn't fair! It was like all of the bad feelings she'd been having before this moment had somehow come crashing down. Destroying her completely and utterly too.

She began sobbing uncontrollably, unable to control her emotions, and her cuffed hands immediately went back to her hair, tugging hard at the black curls as she cried.

The doctor watched silently. Her father did, too, his lips trembling as he watched her break out in a fit. Just when she thought things would improve, she was struck by this! Fuck!

Was this her fate, her destiny to suffer through all these cruel circumstances? Was this the punishment for all the atrocities she'd committed and all the hate she'd harbored in her heart all this while?

Suddenly it was like the world was against her, and her head began to pound heavily, making her condition seem all through as the symptoms started all over her body.

"Nooo...!"

.......

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