Chapter 39- He will.
I could hear the sirens ringing out from a far, but I couldn't feel a thing, I just wanted him to be okay.
Kyle picked me up from the floor when the ambulance came to pick up my father. He took me in to his arms and I sniffled in to his chest.
"He'll be okay," he whispered into my ear. I wasn't convinced, but I listened to him.
"He can't go yet," I sniffled. Kyle put a hand to the back of my head as he cradled me.
"He won't go yet, baby," he replied.
A man dressed in green and supported a neat moustache came up to us after a couple of minutes.
"We have to take him to the hospital, are you his daughter?" He asked me, I nodded my head. "Okay, we'll be emitting your father to St James hospital," he continued.
"I'll take the car and follow you, you go with your father, love," Kyle demanded softly, I looked to him and felt an over rising sense of panic, I didn't know why.
"Come with me," I pleaded. "I don't want to go alone,"
"You won't be alone," he stated. "It's better if I take the car, it'd be easier," I was hesitant but I nodded and sighed.
"Okay," Kyle pecked my lips and he used his hands to cradle my face. His thumbs came out to wipe the tears which managed to slip out.
"You'll be okay, you're strong,"
"I'm strong because of you,"
"Well I'm here, aren't I? So you have no reason not to be the strong girl you are," he smiled down at me, but I knew it wasn't a happy one.
We stayed in silence with me in Kyle's arms as my father was lifted up and wheeled away.
"Are you coming?" A young woman asked, I nodded my head and began to follow her.
"I'll follow after you," Kyle stated and I nodded my head before making my way over to the ambulance.
When the doors opened I jumped into the vehicle and sat beside my father. He looked so ill, and he didn't look like the father I knew and that hurt. It broke my heart.
"Dad," one simple word, and my tears began to fall again.
"Don't cry, Miss, here," the young woman gave me a tissue and I thanked her quietly. She had a kind looking face, short blonde hair and caring brown eyes. "It's quite alright, I wouldn't worry too much if I were you, your father is in good hands," she smiled reassuringly at me.
"Thank you," I replied and I managed to lift the ends of my lips to politely smile at her back.
The ride seemed longer than what it really was, and I'm sure I aged a couple of years. My heart was beating frantically as I watched my dad immobile on the bed.
I was hoping he would open his eyes and be okay, but he never did open his eyes. He didn't move a muscle, and time killed me more than anything.
When the ambulance finally stopped and the engine was killed, I jumped up from my seat and the young woman opened the doors.
"Just wait out there and you can follow us," she pointed to the floor and I did as I was told. I looked around and I saw Kyle park in to a spot just a few yards away.
He made his way over to me after locking the car with his keys and came to stand beside me. I could feel his heat, and it gave me just enough support to see this through. Maybe.
The paramedics pulled my father out of the ambulance and Kyle and I followed them in to the hospital. Kyle grabbed my hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze, I did it back and I hoped he understood how grateful I was.
The hospital smelt extremely clean and strile. The walls were a boring white and there were many people crowding the corridors.
The paramedics finally got my father in to a room and got him on to a proper bed.
"He won't be able to stay in this room all night because this is the emergency unit, later on he will be moved to another unit," the older man stated. Kyle and I nodded.
"So he will be staying over night?" Kyle asked, the man nodded his head and my heart sank just another inch.
"Yes, I'm afraid," and we knew it was confirmed. I hoped he lasted a little longer, I needed to say a proper goodbye. He can't go this soon. "The doctor will be here to check up on him soon,"
The man and the younger woman left the room with a small reassuring smile and soon it was just Kyle, my father and me. I sat on the chair while Kyle closed the curtains.
"That's better," he came over and lifted me out of the chair. He sat down and placed me on his lap. I snuggled in to his chest. "Sweetheart?" I hummed in response. "I think you should call Tammy and tell her what happened," Kyle explained. I nodded my head in agreement as I shot up from the chair quickly.
I fumbled for my phone and dialled her number quickly. I placed the phone to my ear and as I waited for Tammy to pick up. Kyle mouthed ,"don't worry," and I tried to calm down just a little. My heart was beating frantically and I didn't mean to panic so much.
"Hey, Cali, what's up?" Tammy's voice came through the speaker of the phone.
"It's dad," was my only reply. I heard Tammy's gasp at the other end of the phone and the silence became deafening.
"Oh, God, where are you?" She asked.
"St James hospital," I replied as my lip began to quiver. I heard her sniff the other end of the phone and she let out a shaky breath.
"Right, I'll be down now, give me ten minutes,"
"Okay," was my only reply.
"What happened?"
"I'll tell you when you get here, just hurry," I pleaded. She was always the strong one.
"Okay, is Kyle with you?"
"Yeah,"
"Good, I'll be ten minutes," she hung up without a goodbye. I lodged my phone back in to my pocket and looked over to Kyle.
He motioned for me to sit on his lap again and I did. He kissed my head as I snuggled back in to his chest and I welcomed his body beneath me.
No sound was made and I was grateful. I wasn't in the mood to hold any kind of conversation and I knew Kyle respected that.
Thankfully the doctor finally made his appearance and Kyle and I jumped up as soon as he opened the curtain.
"Hello Miss Johnson and Mr..."
"Knight," he smiled at the doctor and held out his hand. His charming side was always there whatever the occasion. The doctor shook his hand and moved to the other side of my father.
"Well, I'm going to do a few tests on Mr Johnson," he stated. "Are you his daughter?" He asked and I nodded my head.
"Yes, is he going to be okay?" I asked.
"It says here that he has cancer, lung cancer to be exact,"
"Yes," I croaked. Kyle's arms came around my waist.
"And he collapsed?" I nodded my head not finding the words to speak. "I think the cancer has something to do with this," he muttered to himself as he wrote on the piece of paper in front of him.
"Do you think he'll be okay?" I asked, mentally biting my nails and pacing around the room.
"I don't know as of yet, I'll have to do a few tests first, it won't take too long, I'll take your father for an X ray in a few minutes,"
"Thankyou," Kyle said as the doctor left. I looked down at the floor, not knowing what to do. It could go either way.
I looked over at my father and I closed my eyes briefly. I didn't know what to do or how to help.
Suddenly, I heard the curtain open again and I turned around to see Tammy fluster into the room.
"Is he okay?" She asked as she made her way over to his bed. She took his hand and looked down at his body. I shrugged my shoulders, I didn't know what to say.
"The doctor is doing an X-ray on him soon," Kyle replied. Tammy nodded as she looked back down at our father.
The doctor came in to the room only a few minutes later and rolled my father to the X-ray room. The three of us stayed in the empty room just waiting for the results.
Tammy came over and took me in her arms.
"He'll be okay, little sis," I nodded my head but I still was convinced. How come everybody seemed convinced he would be okay when I knew he wouldn't be? Or they were too busy trying to protect me and resorted to lying even for themselves.
I hugged my sister back, and I was glad we were loving sisters again. She pulled away and gave Kyle a little hug before sitting down on the only seat in the room.
"Of course you can have my seat, Tamilika," Kyle said as he tried to brighten up the atmosphere. I laughed at the use of Tammy's full name, I hadn't heard it in years. Tammy hated it. She cringed even now.
"Fuck you," she poked her tongue out at Kyle and he chuckled slightly.
A nurse suddenly appeared through the curtain but without my father.
"Mr Johnson has been emitted to another unit, follow me," her voice was rather husky but extremely gentle. We all followed her and the mood had shifted again to a rather upset one. We were all apprehsive again now he was in a different unit. We knew he wasn't okay. Well I knew it.
"Is he okay?" Tammy asked as she led us to his new room.
"The doctor will tell you more," was her only reply. She opened a wooden door until we were in a private room.
Dad was connected to an IV and many other machines. His heart was still beating, I could see, and that helped lift my spirits just a little bit.
The doctor finished sorting dad's things out while the nurse shut the door behind us.
"How is he?" I asked. The doctor had a look of sympathy on his face and I'm sure my heart just cracked in half.
"It's not looking so good, I'm so sorry, he's only got a few days to live, he will wake up, so you will be able to say your last goodbyes, but he won't be able to leave the hospital," his words left his mouth and came flooding over until I heard the words and understood them.
It felt like the world had stopped and turned on its axis. It felt like the sky had just gotten darker and everything was in slow motion. My heart broke in two million pieces. I thought he had longer than that.
My hands came up to cover my eyes and I ran out of the room and leaned my back against the wall. I slumped down on to the floor when my legs gave out.
I heard the door shut and my body was pulled forward before a body came to sit behind me. I was pulled back in to a chest while long legs sprawled out from my both sides.
I sobbed in to my hands as a pair of hands came out to hold me. I sobbed and sobbed until I was hiccuping into my own hands.
"Baby," Kyle breathed. I felt a tear fall on to the open skin of my neck and I cried more when I realised Kyle was crying with me.
When no tears could form any longer, I sighed.
"I don't want him to go,"
"I don't want him to go either, love," Kyle whispered.
"He's going to miss so much, he's going to miss his first grandchild, and he's going to miss walking me down the aisle," I stated. It hurt knowing he wouldn't see those things. I wanted him to, more than anything. "I wanted him to walk me down the aisle," I looked down to the floor as yet another tear slid down my cheek.
"He can walk you down the aisle," Kyle whispered as I felt his heart begin to pound.
"No he can't, not if he's going to die, Kyle, he won't be there to give me away,"
"He will,"
"No-"
"Marry me," I stopped breathing.
"What?" I whispered. "What did you say?" Kyle let out a shaky breath.
"I said marry me,"
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I think it's a little short but I hope you enjoyed it!!
Vote if you want Cali to say yes:)
Xx