Entrapped

14 - The Surprise

Chloe found out that Lyle is lying in a private room and begs an old school friend, Rene, who stands in her way in front of the room in her white nursing uniform with the maroon epaulettes and council badges on her shoulders, to let her in. Rene looks caring and feels sorry for Chloe but she is adamant: "Chloe, we know each other from our days at school and I hate to forbid you to enter the room, but it is doctor's orders. In any case, Lyle is heavily sedated and is sleeping."

Chloe is desperate: "They don't want me in the ICU and now you won't let me see Lyle. Rene, it feels so unreal that they survived the ordeal and I am not going to sleep before I've at least seen Lyle in his bed. Listen, no one is nearby. How will the doctor know in any case?"

"Doctor Horn is a new doctor that only started this afternoon, Chloe, and we don't want to annoy him on his first day. He seems to be very unpredictable. We only expected him tomorrow. He is thorough and very dedicated. He gave strict orders that no one must be allowed in the room, not even his family, because he is in shock. The doctor doesn't want anyone to upset him even further. Lyle is doped quite heavily and will sleep through the night until late tomorrow."

"Precisely, Rene, he is asleep and will not even know if I am in his room. Where is doctor Horn now, in any case?"

"He's attending Zoey in ICU."

"Let me slip in quickly; who is going to tell, there's no one in the corridor. The doctor won't know. Come quickly, before someone comes around."

Rene reacts despondently: "Chloe, you haven't changed a bit. You are still stubborn and persistent. No one can stand in your way. If someone finds you here, it's you that slipped in here without permission when no one was nearby. If Lyle awakens, he will be delirious, but if he asks, just tell him his mother is recuperating in another room. The doctor doesn't want him to stress over his mother."

Rene turns around and walks away and Chloe slips in. Lyle is on his back with a drip in his arm and with an oxygen mask on his face. Rene told her about the bruises all over his body and his cracked ribs and that they are treating him for dehydration, shock and freezing. Chloe walks up to his bed and inhales sharply. His face is badly swollen under the mask and cuts show everywhere. His arms show ugly, purple bruises and also cut marks all over. She frowns at the condition of his hands with cuts and broken nails.

Chloe feels the tears now running freely over her cheeks and she helplessly keeps staring at him. She wishes she could take him in her arms and cuddle him and kiss all the pain away. She loves him so tremendously!

Chloe whispers softly to him as if he can hear her: "Shame Lyle, my little iron man, you have been through hell but Chloe will always be there for you. Just hang on. You'll soon be as fit as a fiddle and full of life and the little iron man that I know."

Chloe freezes shocked when she hears a muffled voice right behind her. It sounds familiar.

"What are you doing here? I gave strict instructions that no one will be admitted here."

Chloe turns around and astonished sees Isaac's blue eyes. He is just as surprised when he sees her. He takes her arm and leads her out of the room and closes the door softly. They are standing near each other when he speaks with a question on his face.

"Chloe, what were you doing in that room?"

"Lyle is my nephew and Zoey is my sister. This morning after I left you I went in search of them and found they went over a cliff near the peak of the mountain pass. I showed the rescue team the spot where had gone over and seen how they were rescued and flown here. What are you doing here?"

As soon as she asks the question, she clicks. Now the box of books he carried along makes sense.

"Doctor Horn? You are the new doctor that started this afternoon? Are you doctor Isaac Horn?"

He smiles: "Guilty as charged and someone is in deep trouble for letting you in."

Chloe shakes her head. It's time for a little white lie. "No one allowed me. There was no one here and I slipped in. I just had to see him because it feels so unreal that they survived this horrible ordeal. Have you been at Zoey just now? How is my sis?"

Anxiously she waits for his update. "We had to operate to ease the swelling on her brain and to do a hip replacement at the same time. She survived this marathon operation. Teams of specialists work on her simultaneously. We now keep her in a coma while she recuperates. Everything now depends on her and only time will tell. It may take quite a while. Your nephew is luckier. He hasn't sustained serious injuries. He will recuperate very quickly. I mainly treat him for shock This is why I don't want people with him that may influence his mood negatively. Therefore, this preliminary isolation. Come with me to my office. I want to prescribe something that will put you out completely, or else you are not going to sleep tonight."

Chloe follows him out of the unit to his office. He bends as he quickly writes out the prescription and hands it to her. She takes it while they are standing close together and look deep into each other's eyes.

"Chloe, you also suffered shock and Lyle will sleep till late tomorrow. You must get the medication at the ground floor at the chemist and drink it before you go to bed so that you can be strong and normal to support your nephew as soon as I let you know. We are neighbours and I will keep you up to date. I promise they are in good hands. I'm very impressed with the specialists and nursing staff thus far. I promise you they are getting the best treatment possible."

Chloe has a painful question: "What are her chances? Please be honest. Will she have permanent damage? Is she in danger of her life, doctor?"

Isaac's eyes are soft when he takes her hands in his. They feel warm while he answers: "She is out of danger at this stage, but we are monitoring her carefully in the ICU. The following next two days are crucial. Unfortunately, we will not know whether there is brain or nerve damage once she comes out of the coma. It will take a few days."

Tears now run freely from her eyes and he tenderly presses her hands. "I am here for you, Chloe, I will keep you informed of every step we take in this difficult path that lies ahead."

He takes a white handkerchief out of his pocket and dries her tears tenderly and strokes her hair as if she is a lap dog. She talks absentmindedly while she allows him to caress her.

"He was supposed to be sleeping in his hostel bed and to start catching up with lost schoolwork from tomorrow after his granddad's death and burial. His grandfather was his all in life. I was very worried about his peace of mind. Now there's a chance that he might lose his mother also and his good for nothing father is never there for him. My sis should have moved in last with me after she and his father had a hell of a quarrel."

She realizes that she is now discussing personal matters with a stranger and offers an excuse: "Sorry, doctor. I am blabbering about personal things."

He smiles at her compassionately and, looking in his eyes, once again she experiences some strange feelings awakening in her as it also happened at their first meeting.

"Just hang in there, my girl, the worst is behind us and please stop this doctor nonsense. I am Isaac, your neighbour, okay?"

Thankfully she looks into his sexy, blue eyes: "Thank you, Isaac, thank you so much for everything ..."

"Go and get the sleeping tablets, switch off your smartphone so that no one disturbs you and get a proper rest until you awake by yourself tomorrow morning. Tomorrow is another day. Do you realize that you saved them? They wouldn't have survived another night against that cold cliff. It's a wonder that they survived till now."