Secrets and Lies

Chapter 9 - Mugged

My lungs screamed for mercy, begging me to stop running, they felt as if they were being scorched yet I carried on. Forcing myself forwards, I refused to look back in case Tyde was following me. After what felt like hours of running I finally saw it.

The hospital doors loomed in front of me  like the welcoming doors of ecstasy, I urged my feet on the last few meters. The smell of disinfectant and ill patients smacked me in the face as I  went through the automatic doors. Ignoring the pain rioting through my legs I ran to the reception desk, only aware of my sweaty demeanor as I looked down at my drenched t shirt.

The receptionist was laughing in the phone, her index finger twirling a strand of ombre hair whilst chewing her gum obnoxiously loud.

"Um excuse me Ma'am, I'm here to see Joe Freeman hes been..."

The lady placed a hand in the air ushering me to stop talking, she cupped the phone to her chest,

"One moment sir" she muttered, before retuning to her phone call giggling like a pubescent teenager would at at boy she liked.

I shivered in anger my nostrils flaring as blood seethed through my veins. I slammed my fist on the oak desk, grabbing her attention, her head snapped towards me before she muttered a goodbye into her phone.

"Can I help you sir?"

" YES YOU FUCKING CAN, MY GRANDPA COULD BE ON HIS DEATHBED RIGHT NOW  AND YOUR HERE TALKING ABOUT YOUR FUCKING PLANS TO YOUR GODDAMN BOYFRIEND" I screamed, a vein pulsing on my forehead.

The lady 's jaw dropped  from shock she fumbled with her glasses before returning to the computer screen.

"y-yes of course sir, apologies for before" she stuttered as she tried to find the patient  files."His name please?"

"Joe Freeman, he was admitted a few hours ago," the words tumbled from my mouth, I looked at the clock hanging on the wall, what if I'm too late? What if hes already gone? I bit my lip drawing blood.

"Please... please hurry up," I felt my voice crack as a lump formed in the back of my throat choking me up.

"He's in ward 15 intensive care second floor" she said. "Sir, I apologize..."

Ignoring her, I ran in the direction of the lift  clicking the button multiple times . The lift pinged as the doors opened, a male nurse was pushing a patient in a wheel chair, tapping my foot on the cold marble floor, I waited until he was out.

Your too late Con hes dead... My mind taunted. The lift dragged up slowly as if purposely taking its time.

"Goddamn it hurry up" I muttered feeling claustrophobic in such a tight space. Once I was out onto floor 2 I maneuvered my way through patients and parents finding the intensive care unit, a nurse tried to stop me but I tore myself away from her grip running through the doors of doom. I saw grandma Jill at the end of the isle , her face nested in her palms sniffling,

I ran to her, "grandma!" Wrapping my arms around her frail body as she wept into my shoulders. To see her so upset, so unhappy broke my heart. Tears pricked my eyes as we clung onto each other for what felt like eternity.

"Oh Concon, I'm going to lose him" she wailed as I slowly left her arms, her hands finding her face again. "Hes in a coma the blow to his head knocked him off his feet and may have caused internal damage"

I saw PC Brown in the corner of the room, she gave a slight wave to me as I acknowledged her presence.

I walked towards grandpa Joe. The blood had dried from the cuts on  his face, he looked deceased, finished. His skin hung from his bones, still as a monument, frozen for eternity, in peace. I stared at his fragile face.

Who could do such a thing?

 Fire burned in eyes as chaos controlled my mind, whoever did this will pay I will rue this day.

I saw his hand, sickly purple bruises caressed his old, frail skin. It reminded me of mum, I tried to repress the memories but it was to much and I found myself thinking back to that day February, looking down at her body. Her jaw cracked, the puddle of blood surrounding her slowly leeching the life out of her. I tried to keep the memory at the  back of my mind but I couldn't. It felt like an internal battle in my mind and it seemed to be winning.

"Connor are you alright, you've gone very pale."

I felt PC brown hand on my shoulder gently shaking me. I couldn't bear to lay my eyes on grandpa Joe as it reminded me of it all. Guilt washed through  my body as I felt the bile burning at the back of my throat. This was all my fault. If I had shown the note maybe everything would have been different.

"Excuse me for a moment" I muttered.  

I shook her hand away, swallowing back my vomit before sitting down next to the window my back facing away from grandpa Joe as i watched the rain beginning  to patter outside.

"Who did this to him?"

"Connor, the attackers got away, we don't know who it was I'm sorry" PC Brown said.

The SL thugz.

It had to be them, it had the  written all over it, it was their mark to show me they were close, and ready to get me.

"Connor its not the gang SL Thugz," PC Brown said, reading my mind. "Your safe, it was not a coincidence, just a random attack."

I shook my head, fear creeping up inside me again they were ruthless, and they wanted me,

"No it has to be them!" I said,adamant.

" Connor your safe here, they don't know where you are you have to think rationally, everything we've done is to ensure your safe, you have to trust us."

Grandma Jill reached out for my hand, tears streaked her weathered face " She's right Connor, there's no way they could have followed us" she affirmed.

As much as I wanted to believe it but I couldn't.

Because of the letter they had personally sent me. Because they knew how close I was with my grandparents.

Because they would go to any extent to get to me

Because I broke their code.

Because I had betrayed them.

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