My Best Friend's Brother

23

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Joe's POV

Oh my love.

She looks so fragile. It's been two weeks since the accident. Not that it was an accident really.

I have hardly left this place ever since. Only went home on mother's persistence and even then I couldn't sleep even if I wanted. Her falling has become a scene in my every nightmare.

The doctors say she's been recovering gradually. He encouraged us to say things that will let her know she's still wanted in this life. That would help her fight and not give up.

I kiss the inside of her wrist. She's still breathing through a regulator.

A nurse comes in to take her daily tests. She asks me to step outside, just she always does in the mornings.

I walk out and find Kyle King seated in one of the seats outside. I've let him get close to my Erica but only after finding out he's gay.

What? Don't judge me. I don't trust any man around my girl. But Kyle is friendly. He has already wiggled his way through everyone's heart. Even mine. Though not much. He's like family.

"How's Mohammad Ali doing this morning?" He asks.

I chuckle remembering the time I punched him in the face and broke his nose. I hadn't trusted him then, thinking he was like Dimitri. Immediately Denise walked out, I had rounded on him. Good thing we were in the hospital to have his nose taken care of.

"He's doing a little better. With the love of his life showing progress, yeah. He's better."

"You have it bad!"

"I know! C'mon, I've loved her for the past eight years, what do you really expect?"

"Wish I find the one, too."

I clap his shoulder, reassuring him. "Don't worry. You'll find the one, I'm sure."

Around lunch, another nurse makes her way into Erica's room. That's odd! Tests are taken every morning and evening. Never during the day.

I walk into the room and find her injecting a drug into the IV. She has a surgical mask covering her mouth and nose.

"What's going on?" I ask.

"Um... The doctor asked me to administer this drug immediately. It'll help her recover sooner." She says.

I calm after hearing that. At least my baby girl will be fine. I let the nurse do her job and walks out the door.

I take a seat by the bed and start whispering sweet nothings to her. I get a reaction a few minutes later. But the reaction I would expect.

The machines go haywire, beeping rapidly and continuously. Fear clogs up my throat.

I frantically press the button that alerts doctors with my added voice summoning them.

Nurses fill into the room pushing me out. The doctor follows suit and the door closes. What's happening?

I thought she was getting better. So why were the machines beeping.

I fall to my knees on the side of the hall. Hands come up around my shoulder, pulling me into a sitting position on the seats.

Twenty minutes later, the doctor comes out of the room, walking towards me.

"Is she alright?" I ask as I spring off my seat.

"She is going to be alright. Patient is stabilising. But we're going to take further tests to make sure everything is alright. Mind telling me what happened in there?"

"Nothing. I just sat there and started talking to her after the nurse walked out. A few minutes later, that happened."

"Did you say, a nurse?"

"Yeah, the one you sent. She came and said you had asked her to administer some drug that would help her recover sooner." I say, a bit puzzled.

"I haven't sent any nurse." What? "We only administer drugs to her in the morning and evening, according to her schedule. But I'll look into it. What did she look like?"

"I didn't quite her face. She was wearing a mask. But she had black hair and brown eyes about 5"9."

I can't believe what's happening.

"Okay, meanwhile please refrain from going into the room until test results are ready. You'll see her then."

I want to see her! It's been two hour since the tests were taken and the doctor isn't back yet. I get more and more impatient by the second.

I have already contacted both families informing them of what had happened. Now, Jenny, Moana and Star have arrived, seated on the seats.

I've been pacing the hall, desperately wanting to go inside but have to listen to the doctor. I don't want to risk anything.

The doctor walks back to us, holding a clipboard and a stethoscope around his neck.

"It's bad news, I'm afraid," he says.

Oh God no!

"Please tell us, what's wrong," I say.

"We found poison in the patient's bloodstream and the IV tube. I'm fairly certain someone is trying to kill the patient." What? "The description of the nurse you gave us and the CCTV footages don't match any nurse in our database. I think we must inform the police."

Denise!

This must be the work of Denise. She's the only one with such a motive. It was a mistake to let her go without paying.

I involve the police this time round and hire bodyguards to station outside the hospital room.

No one enters without validation that you're indeed part of the hospital staff and one of the assigned nurses to her.

Over the next several days, the police came up with nothing in their investigation. Apparently, Denise has gone into hiding. But I'll find her. And when I do, she won't survive my wrath.

••••••••••

This chapter is pretty  short, but I didn't want to drag it on for too long.

I want to finish this book as fast as I can so I don't keep you waiting next time.

Let me get back to writing.

Don't forget to vote and comment.

TQ17

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