Alone in Marriage

Chapter Eighteen

"If you found nothing, then why did you call? She need me and I don't have time to hear this useless information. I don't care what you do, you just have to find him!" Arnold said with irritated tone, he was nearly losing his composure. 

"I am sorry, Boss. But we are trying here."

"I NEED MORE THAN TRYING! Don't you hear me, I need result! And soon not later, Jeff! He hurt my wife and I am gonna make him pay for it."

"I know, Boss!"

"Then why the hell you called me when you have nothing!?"

"Mr. Alex told me to get from you the list of illegal hitmen and sniper in the city."

Arnold took a deep breath, "It's in my safe in the Binder mansion. I will go get it." He hung up.

"Let me go get it, Arc!" Arthur grabbed Arnold's hand which made him stopped on his track, then he himself ran ahead of Arnold could respond.

"But, the safe has security code. Only I know the combination!"

"12029002, right?"

"How did you know?"

Arthur turned back to looked at him, "Old habit die hard, don't you think so? That has been you secret code since we were kids. Leave this to me! I will bring to you the culprit. Go back to Erica, she need you here more than anything or anybody else."

Arnold was speechless for a moment before he said, "Thanks, Art!"

Arthur was just about to walk away, but he turned back went he heard what Arnold said, "There is no need to thank me, Arc. I am already done behaving like a child, It's my time to be an older brother again, Little Bro!"

Arnold looked at him with wide eyes, "D-did you mean.." It was too unbelievable.

"Well, since you were not having fun anymore, I thought I should be childish enough for two people." He gave Arnold a wry smile. When Arnold just stared at him, dumbfounded, he added, "Hey, It's not a big deal. Anyway, I got to go now. Once we catch the man, we can find out what's his motive." After that he ran to the his car.

Arnold stood there for a while before he finally made his way in to the hospital.

"There you are, Arnold! Did Jeff find anything? Where is Arthur? Your dad said he followed you out." His mother asked the moment she saw Arnold, she looked behind him looking for Arthur.

"Jeff haven't found anything yet." He was surprisingly calm when he said this. "Arthur went home to get a list for Alex. We hope that's gonna give us some lead."

Suddenly the door was opened and Alfred walked out. They saw Erica from his back, she was on a bed and the nurses pushed her away.

The rest of the family immediately stood up and all of them approached him.

"How is she?" Everyone asked at the time.

Alfred took a look at everybody, before he fixed his gaze on Arnold.

"What's wrong?" The moment he saw Alfred's eyes, Arnold felt like his heart beat was gonna stop.

"I have managed to remove the bullet." He started.

Everyone relaxed, except Arnold. Because from Alfred's tone, he knew there was a bad news.

"But," he continued and everyone went tense, "she had lost too much blood. With addition that she didn't take in anything since this morning, her body was too weak to hold up with it. We almost lose her a couple of time." he paused for a second, "We had inject her with anesthetic to let her body rest and with IV, hopefully she will regain her strength. With the influence of the anesthetic she will unconscious for two to three days before she wake up. I really hope so."

"What do you mean by that?" Arnold asked.

"Like I said, her body is too weak right now. I am not sure whether she will wake up or not." Alfred replied with painful expression. It was hard to deliver this kind of news especially this was his own family, he also felt the pain and the grief.

The ladies cried while the men were devastated.

"No way!" Arnold exclaimed. "Thi-This shouldn't happen. Why did she have to go through this? It's my fault! I shouldn't have been outside. I shouldn't leave my office. I shouldn't have left early. I should have talked to her." Arnold grabbed his head and sat down on the chair with regret filling hi heart and mind, he couldn't stop rambling

"ARNOLD! LOOK AT ME, SON" His father grabbed his shoulders and shouted to him, which surprised everyone present.

Arnold looked at his father, "Dad!"

"You have to stop blaming yourself!"

"But, she is like this because she was protecting me!"

"I Know, Son! But by blaming yourself like this, you didn't help her at ALL. You have to stay strong, she need you! She would need you to cherish her, to take care of her and to love her! Any of unconscious cases I had ever encountered, all of them had chances to wake up! All we need is a miracle. We have to pray for this miracle! We can't give up now! Some of the unique cases, the patients could still hear their surrounding, and they came to conscious could be triggered by the voice of the ones they loved. Even though scientifically we couldn't be sure about this, but as long as she is breathing there is hope. None of us should give up, especially you! She need you more than anything right now, you are our only hope! I have faith in you, Son! If there is really a person who can bring her back, that will be you!"

"Dad!" Arnold was speechless, he didn't know what to say.

"That's right, dear! We can't lose hope. She will wake up. I am sure she won't leave when she love you so much." Martha added.

Everyone nodded their head in agreement.

Arnold swept his gaze on every single person in the hall.

"Umm, Doc!" a nurse called out to Alfred.

Alfred turned to her and said, "Yes?" When she kept staring at them, he added, "What's it? Don't worry, they won't bite." he smiled gently at her.

"We had settled Mrs. Erica Binder in her room. You all can visit her now."

"Great! Thank you, Ginger! We will be on our way. Please, follow me everyone!" Stacy thanked the nurse, Ginger and led them away.

They entered a room with blue wall and a huge windows. Erica was laying on the bed. She looked so peaceful like she was asleep. Arnold grabbed a chair and sat at the left side of the bed. He held her hand with bot hands, he brought it up to his lips and kissed it gently.

The rest of the family sat down on the couch and other chairs. They kept quite for a while. They knew Arnold need this silent. They didn't know exactly what's going on between him and her, but one thing for sure, both of them loved each other more than anything.

"Oh yeah, the lunch. Let's have them now!" Martha stood up and put the plastic bags in her hands on the table. She opened it up and gave one meal box to each of them.

"I don't have appetite, Mum!" Arnold said when she gave it to him.

"I know, dear! But you still have to eat, or you won't have strength to keep taking care of her. You can't fall now when she need you the most. And we don't want an addition person to take care of." She told him with serious face.

Arnold knew what his mother said was true. He had to take care of her. He won't leave her side from here on. For that, he had to eat even though the food was tasteless.

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It's funny how I finished this chapter while watching Criminal Minds, you know? What the connection between getting in the mind of the killer with creating a story line of a man who was in regret and frustration, that's what I thought. But that's the fact! Sorry, I am just babbling, we are basically off the topic.

However, I felt slightly under weather right now, hopefully I won't got sick. Please, please, God! Let me keep my health!

The reason was because it had been raining every night here at Bengkalis, Riau, Indonesia. I think the temperature that constantly dropping from noon till early morning have affect my physical condition. I just wish it won't got worse.

Anyway, stay tune for the remaining chapters!

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