I'm Nothing Without You Chap 13

‘Avie, what do you want to eat?’ Klive ask me gaily. I’m seated in my bed with two pillows to support my back from the board over my head. It is the second day since I regain my consciousness. I had already met his parents. He introduced me to them right after I stubbornly requested for a transfer. Jake and Katherine rushed immediately to the hospital after Klive give them the good news. They were both nice especially his mother. Katherine was been so attended with me even though I throw her my tantrums, she didn’t mind instead she just gave me a smile.

For the past two days I’ve learned that he is really the person he claims to be. Klive told his parents that I saved his life. To that, both Jake and Katherine were so thankful for me. They invited me to live with them to their mansion after my full recovery. They told me that they were only a few people living to their mansion so it wasn’t a big deal for them. For them it wasn’t but for me, it is. I don’t want to live in the city. This city brings out the hideous memories I’ve thought I can forget.

I didn’t answer him. For these past days, I’m always not in the mood of talking. I just stared at him wearing a blank expression on my face.

He gave me a fork full of salad, which by the way one of my favorites, but I just turn my head away from him. Klive pushes me to eat but he fails every time he tries. I know I could be as stubborn as a rock when it comes to this.

I heard him sigh. I look at his direction. The forkful of salad is now on the plate. ‘Avie you need to eat something. You need to take your medications and Dr. O’Connor emphasizes that it should be given with full stomach.’

I just stared at him.

He met my gaze, and for a minute we just stared at each other, looking straight at each other’s eyes without blinking. I’ve notice that my eyes moved from his expressive grey ones to the bridge of his nose and then it is now fixed to his cherry red lips. My eyes stayed there for the next minute. Moments layer I notice that he suppress a smile on his lips so I immediately look away from him.

‘Okay, what do you want?’

‘I want,’ I finally said. ‘to leave this hospital this instant!’

‘You’re not allowed to leave the hospital.’ He simply said. He tries again to forcefully feed me but I simply didn’t open my mouth. ‘Okay,’ he said in defeat. ‘after you eat and takes your medicines, I’ll tell your doctor about you concern. How’s that?’

I roll my eyes at him as if informing him that I’ve heard that before.

His smile is smug upon seeing me. ‘What’s wrong, Avie?’ he ask me moments later.

‘I just don’t like hospitals. There are so many deaths happening in this place. It is so disgusting it makes me want to vomit. I bet someone died in almost all of their hospital beds here, even this bed.’ I momentarily pause. ‘I don’t want to see a doctor. I’m sick of seeing a highly skilled doctor saving someone else life but they can’t save the life of the person they love.’ I said angrily but meaningfully at him.

He seated next to me, leaving the plate full of food in his evacuated seat. ‘But doctors are only human Avie, not God. Had you thought about that before? Okay, they are playing God by saving someone’s life but it doesn’t mean that nobody is going to die in their hands. Death is as natural as birth in their profession. Even a highly skilled one can’t prevent the inevitable.’

I looked at him in total shock. That would just exactly what Gareth would told me if he were here with me. This guy… I said to myself.

‘What?!’ he ask me. ‘Is there something wrong to with my speech?’ he said jokingly at me.

I look down and shook my head. I haven’t found an appropriate word to say to him. I’m just speechless because somehow, at the back of my mind I believe it; believe him, everything he’ll say I’ll believe it…wait! What am I thinking? This man is a total stranger to me? How can I believe him-

My thoughts were interrupted when he pulls me towards his arms and hugs me tightly. I stiffen inside his embrace. He smiled and buried his face to my hair. ‘Relax Avie.’ He whispers. ‘Don’t stress your self with that.’ he said as if he knows.

‘I really want to leave here. I want to go home. I want to see my Nana- I mean Mom.’ I said, out of the blue sounded like a child, still my arms are at my side.

He slowly pulls away from our embrace. ‘You’ll leave soon with the doctor’s order okay? But for now, you have to eat and take a rest so that you can recover soon.’

‘But-’ I protested.

‘No buts...’ he said firmly but with a smile on his face.

True to his words, I’m discharge from the hospital two days after that incident. Klive talked to my doctor and requested me to be discharge immediately. His reason, he told my doctor that it might be better for my recover if I stay home. Seeing me almost not comply his medication regimen, he agreed to Klive's suggestion. I signed consent before leaving for documentation purposes.

I thought I’m okay and fully recovered but as I stand up and started to moved on my own I felt the pain all over my body especially in my left chest area. My feet grown weak immediately after a minute of standing but I didn’t say anything to Klive. I insisted on walking on my own thinking that it might help to exercise my feet because of disuse but he insisted on me carried by a wheelchair. At the end he got what he wants.

‘What’s wrong?’ he asks me with a worried face. We are now at his car. He looks at my hand that is rested on my left chest.

I couldn’t breath. It is like something has stuck on my chest. Unconsciously, I pushed the side of my fist to my chest to ease the weird sensation. ‘I have chest pain.’ I inform him.

‘What?’ he said as he turns his face towards me. ‘That is what I’m afraid of! You keep on insisting for an early discharge, now look what happens?’ he starts nagging me. Funny thing though, he sounded like my Mom and Nana. ‘We should go back to the hospital, John-’

I wave my hand on his face. ‘No. I’m okay…’ I said weakly at him.

‘But-’

I put one hand on his chest to stop him, buried my face and shook my head. ‘I told you I’m okay. I don’t want to return to such horrible place…’ I trailed off. The last thing I knew before I past out my chest pain keep on increasing. I heard him calling my name.

I slowly open my eyes. There I see an unfamiliar room. Panic, I immediately gets up but I’m stop by the sudden pain I felt on my chest from my movement.

‘Hey don’t do that.’ he said and he slowly assisted me on a sitting position. ‘Your wounds aren’t properly healed yet.’

‘Where am I?’ I ask. I’m still disoriented from my location at that moment.

‘You’re in our place. From now on this will be your place also. You’re going to live here with us.’ He said as he puts a medicine on my hand and then pushes a glass of water on the other.

‘What?’ I whisper weakly, totally ignoring the medicines he give me. ‘Who told you I agree to that? Besides I’m going home. I need to know how Mom is doing.’

He stares at him as if can’t believe his ears.

‘What? How is Mom?’ I ask him. ‘Why is it that she hadn’t visited me at all?’ i said with a trace of pain in my voice.

‘Avie...’ he sighs and looks away from me. ‘Mom is…’

‘What? What happen to Mom?’ I ask nervously and I have a really bad feeling about what he is going to say. I brace my self for it.

‘Mom’s dead.’

I stared at him not knowing what to do, how to react.

‘Oliver's bullet hit part of her heart, enough for her circulation to be interrupted. She died right after you past out.’ He pauses as if giving me time to digest everything he said. ‘I promise Mom to take care of you in her behalf-’

‘No! Are you kidding me?! Mom is not dead! She can’t be dead.’ I shouted in my hysteria. 'She promise me... but she can't be... No!! No!! you're lying right? Tell me you're lying...' he didn't answer me. My tears starts falling from my eyes. 'You're lying... please tell me... she's not dead right?'

He hugs me tight as if it pains him to see me on my tears. ‘Ssshhhh…’ he tries to comfort me. 'I'm here. From now on-'

'I don't want to hear another promise!' I shouted at him, trying my might to pull from his tight embrace. 'All of them,' I said referring to the one I love who left me. 'promises not to leave me but what happens? They ended up breaking it! I hate this!'