Chapter 91: Chapter 91

CHAPTER 91

TWO DAYS LATER

SARA

The first thing Sara saw when she opened her eyes were the blinding white lights in the room, and the pungent smell of medicine and blood that made her want to puke.

She lurched, her head almost springing up from the soft bed she was laying on, but she stayed still.

Where was she? She began to wonder, her mind spinning as she tried to recall any event, but her head was blank.

She tried to say something, but her voice was stuck, her throat sore and it felt like she hadn’t eaten or drank anything in days. Worse, she felt weak, all her body ached and she still had the strong urge to puke her stomach out.

“Sara? Sara are you there?” Someone was saying, and blinking twice her vision still blurry, Sara saw two pair of hands waving over her face.

“Sara? Can you hear me?” The ever familiar voice said again, and nodding softly Sara finally managed to say, “I can hear you. Ariel?”

“Oh Sara… I was so worried.” Ariel said, and instantly Sara felt the bed dip as her best friend leaned closer hugging her tightly even though she was still plastered atop the mattress.

“Where am I Ariel? Why do I feel pain all over? What happened?” She asked in a rush, her voice creaking and she coughed painfully.

“It’s a long story Sara.” Ariel said sniffing and Sara could swear that her friend was crying even though, she had no idea why. “Here…” She heard again, and then she saw Ariel stretching a cup of cold water towards her.

“Give me your hands.” Ariel said softly, helping her up and as she sat upright, she placed her left hand on her forehead, caressing softly.

Accepting the cup with so much gratitude, Sara emptied the contents in one go, quenching her unexplainable thirst.

“Are you okay now?” Ariel asked, and she nodded satisfied.

Her vision clear now, Sara’s dark eyes flickered around the room, and she felt tremors all over her body when she recognized the building.

She was in a hospital room, and she had no idea how she had been brought here. Was this some kind of dream, or stupid hallucination?

“What am I doing here Ariel?” She began after some seconds of silence, her left hand still on her forehead as she tried to soothe herself.

“You don’t remember that night, you fainted in the room? We had to rush you here, and you’ve been unconscious for two days.”

“Wait what?” Sara’s lips dropped open in shock, as she listened to Ariel narrate everything that had ensued in her state of rest, finishing with a rather cryptic statement at the end, “The doctor already declared you fit last night, and he says if you wake up then you would be discharged but… There is some rather absurd news Sara.”

The intense feeling she had felt earlier on crept back, and a chill running down her spine Sara said softly, “Talk to me Ariel? Stop making me feel this nervous.”

“Um… it’s…”

“Wow, you are awake already.”

Looking up, Sara saw a nurse walking into the room, coming straight to her bedside, tray in hand as she smiled warmly at her.

“How are you feeling now?” The nurse asked, placing a hand on her forehead and grumbling Sara replied, “I’m feeling okay. I just feel a bit disoriented but that’s it. I can’t seem to remember what happened some days past

too but…”

“You’ll surely remember everything. Your friend here must have talked to you right?” The nurse inquired, as she continued to check up on Sara, and she could only nod in response.

Still on the bed, Sara watched as the nurse proceeded to remove all the drips and cannula needles attached to her.

When she was done, she took a step back and bringing out a paper, and a bag which looked like it was full of drugs, the nurse then handed it to Ariel and said, “Does your friend know about her condition?”

“What con…” Sara queried, but just as she asked that a wave of pain coursed through her, a splitting headache that had her whimpering out loud, and just as she placed a hand on her forehead, some memories began to flood her.

“Sara, are you alright?” Ariel asked, but Sara just kept mute, rubbing her forehead as she recalled everything that happened the last time she had woken up.

She remembered it all. The news about her pregnancy, and the hysterical way she had responded to it.

Her calling out for Christian, but seeing him nowhere and just before she could say a thing again, a nurse had injected something in her that probably made her pass out.

“Fuck!” She cursed, letting out a gasp as she clutched painfully at her chest, and looked up slowly at a confused Ariel and the nurse who had worry etched on her face.

“Are you okay Sara?” Ariel asked promptly, rubbing at her shoulders, but Sara said nothing instead feeling a tear roll down her face at that question.

She wasn’t okay! She wasn’t at all.

She was freaking pregnant, and apart from the grave punishment this would cause back at the shelter home, she still didn’t want to believe that Christian hadn’t come to see her.

He was nowhere to be found at all, and Sara had her answer already.

She recalled the moments before she’d even been brought to the hospital. Ever since that carnival festival night, she hadn’t heard from him and now she was more than worried yet again.

“What is that paper?” Sara asked softly, speaking for the first time in ages, and Ariel with a solemn face said nothing, just handing the paper to her while she took a brief look at it.

It was the pregnancy test, and she was almost 9 weeks gone.

“I have to go now… I have too see him and inform him about…” She stuttered, at the same time dragging the hospital sheets out of her body.

“Sara, Ariel…” A familiar voice called out and they all turned to see who the person was.

It was Daniel, and the second Ariel saw him, she let out a gasp standing up to hug him as he came closer.

“How are you doing Sara?” He gently asked her, his hand going to the back of her neck, and smiling gently she replied weekly, “I’m okay as you can see. I just want to leave and go meet Christian. There are some things I have to say to him.”

“Oh…” Daniel mumbled, turning to look at Ariel, a cloudy expression over his face, and Sara didn’t miss it.

“How’s your friend? He hasn’t come to see me and I know you have an idea where…” Sara began to ask him, but before she could finish he interrupted, “Sara I don’t know how to put this, but yes I’ve seen Christian. I’m just coming back from a mini errand, and I did see him. However I can only say you really need to see him. He told me some really grave stuffs and it won’t be in my best interest to divulge that information.”

Sara’s heart plummeted, as she began to think of what Daniel was talking about.

That chilling feeling that went down her spine arose again, and she couldn’t help but hold onto the thought that something bad had happened, or was about to happen.

“Daniel, can you please…”

Before she could ask anything further, the nurse in the room interrupted asking for her hands, syringe in hand.

“I need to check your vitals, and give you some shots and meds before discharging you. The doctor has given me the all clear to let you go.” The nurse chimed in, a smile on her soft face and all to sharply Sara obliged.

She needed to get out of the hospital more than ever, and with the words of Daniel nagging at her back, she just couldn’t wait to see Christian.

It took about thirty minutes before the nurse finally let go of her. Handing her bag of medications and prescriptions to Ariel, the nurse faced her and said albeit solemnly.

“There are still a lot of checkups you need to do, regarding your situation.” She paused, pointing at her belly while Sara just listened and she continued, “The doctor in charge of you is so busy, he would have been the one to see you off, but you’ll have to come for some physical counseling and fare bidding in three days time. Then he would be present to discuss at length with you, and then you would talk to a therapist and the hospital would know about your decision with your growing fetus.”

Amidst all the talks, Sara could already diffuse what the nurse was talking about, without much further ado, and as she placed a hand on her belly once again, squeezing a little too tightly, she already made up her mind.

Despite the consequences of whatever would happen at the shelter, as long as she had Christian by her side all would go well.

She would have this baby, and nothing on earth would stop her from taking care of her child.

That foreboding feeling arose again, but she quickly tamped it down, and standing on her feets with the help of Daniel, Sara nodded as the nurse told her some other safety measures in dealing with her condition, and soon they were out of the hospital room.

Since she was on health insurance provided by the shelter, she really didn’t have to bother about paying any fees safe for the meds, and Ariel and Daniel promised to foot the bill for that.

“So you are pregnant right?” Daniel asked the second they got outside, and Ariel quickly flagged an incoming cab.

“Yes I am Daniel.” She replied curtly, hands on her forehead, and as they took some steps forwards to meet Ariel, Sara whispered in her best friend’s ear, “Give me the tests Ariel.”

“What, why?” Ariel began to ask, brows raised.

“I’m going to Christian’s house this instant. I can’t put it off any longer.”

“No Sara, you have to rest and we all can go see him tomorrow when you are much better.”

“This is something I have to solve on my own Ariel, and believe me when I tell you I won’t have any peace of mind or rest until I talk to him.”

Silence descended for a while, as Ariel handed her the test papers, and grabbing her hands, she said again, “Okay, let’s go with you then. Whatever it is that’s going to happen, we can be there to give you some moral support.”

The cab driver honked indicating that he was being delayed, and looking at him and back at her friends, a tear falling down her face, Sara quickly swiped at her cheeks, and said softly and assuringly too, “I’ll be fine Ariel. I need to do this on my own.”

“Are you sure Sara. We could be of some kind of help and…” This time it was Daniel speaking and Sara just waved him off, as she got into the cab.

“Sara are you sure. I don’t like this and…”

“Shhh, Ariel I’ll be fine. I’m going to see Christian remember and not some random person. Besides the earlier I’m done with him, the better for me. I can come back to the shelter and rest.”

“If you say so then. Good-luck.” Ariel muttered, waving her hands as she proceeded to lock the car door.

“Thank you…” Sara mumbled in response, waving at them as she quickly rasped out Christian’s street to the driver and he took off.

The cool breeze seeping through the car window, Sara placed her head softly on the headrest behind her, and closing her eyes she allowed her thoughts to elude her.

…….

CHRISTIAN

“Okay, that would be fine. I and my family will be boarding the train in three days time right?” Christian questioned and the lady at the end of the line, replied positively.

He continued discussing with the lady, making plans and just when he hanged up some minutes later, a knock resounded on his door and before he could say a thing, his sister Bianca opened the door albeit slowly.

“Brother… Can I come in?” She asked, her head peeking in through the door, and with a small smile he nodded.

“What is it miss?” He asked, standing up and dusting his sweaty hands at the back of his trousers.

“Someone is here to see you.” She began, standing straight and looking at him weirdly.

“Who is that?” Christian asked again, his hands going to his hair and raking through as he began to think thoroughly.

He wasn’t expecting anybody today, so who could it be?

“Bianca?” He called out, his back to her as he turned around to face her and that’s when she replied, dropping a bombshell, “It’s Sara. She’s out by the door, waiting for you. I would have let her in but you said we should not do…”

Christian didn’t let her finish, as he felt a hot surge of anger coursing through him.

“What the heck is she doing here?” He thought out loud, his fists crackling, and he began to breathe heavily.

“I can go tell her you don’t want to see her. Or I can just tell her you are not at home and…”

“No don’t!” He cut in, his fists clenching and unclenching, and shooting a glance by his bedside drawer where the photos were kept, he began to walk towards them.

Ever since that day he received them, he had tried so much to get rid of the pictures or even try to burn it, but he just couldn’t because one - He still hadn’t talked to Sara just yet, and also the pictures were his only evidence.

Now was the time to talk to her. He had vowed never to visit or check up on her even when Daniel had told him she was sick, and now that she had come to him, then he would just get this over with once and for all.

“Brother, I can just go…”

“I’ll go meet her Bianca. Don’t worry.” Christian assured, as he took the envelope out of the bedside drawer.

“If you don’t mind me asking though, what happened between you both? Is she not coming to Seattle with us? Did you fight or something?” Bianca began to ask, but Christian just deflected her questions, as he walked out of the door.

All through the corridor, and down the stairs, Christian finally came to a standstill in front of the entrance that led outside his home.

Letting out the breath he was holding, and praying to God that he wouldn’t crumble inside when he saw her, he stretched his hand out and twisted the doorknob.

Finally, here comes doom!