Chapter 6

Tasha opened her eyes, she sat on the bed and frowned her face, confused.

"Where am I?"

She scanned the room, and she was surprised to see herself in her room. 

"How did I end up here?" 

She troubled her head to recollect how she ended up in her room, but she remembered nothing.

She tried to stand up, but she was too weak to stand up, and she took a deep breath.

Malachi came, smiling, with a cup of tea in his hands. “You open your eyes already?”

"How are you?" He asked. He walked closer and placed the tray on the table.

“How do I get here?” She raised a question.

"Are you asking me how you get here? Hun?!" He queried.

"I should ask where you went and what happened that you drank to stupor till you collapsed on the street, and people watched you like movie.”

Strength zoomed into her body out of nowhere, and she opened her eyes in disbelief. 

She stood up and walked to him. “Are you serious?” She asked. “Where did you see me?”

"At the roadside. Had it been I didn't arrive on time…" he said and paused, putting her in suspense.

"What would have happened?" She has in curiosity.

He turned his back to her and looked down in pity. "I am not sure, but I met three guys luring you to the corner." He spoke out.

"What?!" She shouted. She touched all her body to see if she was okay.

He put his hand on her shoulder and smiled at her. “I am kidding. You fell into my arms before you collapsed.”

She frowned her face him and hit him lightly. “How can you make a joke about something so serious?”

She placed her hand on her chest and breathed out. "I am scared…"

"Are you sure you are scared?" He looked at her.

"Of course I am. That's an embarrassment. We are in the social media world. Things go viral within a blink on eyes," she said.

"If I truly fell on the roadside and people record me, do you know where the video would have reached by now?" She said her worry.

"Soap can't wash away the embarrassment it would cause."

"If this scared you, be careful so it won't happen. Had it been I wasn't there at the right time, anything can happen." He cautioned her.

"Okay, sir. I will be careful." She promised.

He smiled, grabbed her hand, and took her to the bed. 

She sat down, and he gave her the tea. “Take.”

She collected the tea, but its odor wasn’t smiling at her, and she quickly took it away. 

“What’s this?” She questioned.

“It’s an energy tea. I got it at the store. You are weak, and you need it. Just drink it.” He said, appeasing.

She hissed and placed the tea on the floor. She pointed to the tea disgustedly and voiced out. “How can you tell me to drink this?”

“It smells horrible. If I drink this, I might not open my eyes again.” She uttered.

"It's fine if you won't drink it, But Tasha, must I force you?” He inquired.

“Hun?!” She looked at him.

“If you don’t drink it while I am calm with you, I will feed you. Should I?" He dared her.

“But I will vomit if I drink this.” She gave him an excuse.

“Don’t worry, you can vomit. I am always here to clean up your mess.” He assured with a smile.

“Okay, I believe you because you fulfilled one of your promise, and you came to help me even though I didn’t call you.” She smiled. 

He smiled back at her, picked the tea, and gave it to her. She acted sluggish, not wanting to collect it, but after he gave her a warning gaze, she wore an insincere smile and collected it with her two hands.

She looked at it for a few seconds and sighed before she drank it up. She closed her eyes and shook her head.

He gave her two minutes to rest and asked her. “What weakened you that much till you collapsed on the street?”

She wore an unbright smile, and squeezed her hands in each other, placing them on her laps. 

She looked down and tears fell from her eyes. She wiped the tears and explained. “Last week, I called the hospital ambulance to rescue a guy, but Talon didn't allow anyone to treat him," 

"They didn’t perform x-ray surgery for him, and he might not wake up again,”

“I begged him but he didn’t accept, and he gave me a condition to resign if I want him to save the guy…”

She paused and cried a little more. She wiped the tears to continue, but she couldn’t control it.

He moved closer to her and placed her head on his shoulder. “You resigned, right?”

She nodded. “Yes, I didn’t want the guy to die.”

“It’s fine, but why are you crying when you already did the right thing?” He asked.

“I am worried about Talon, he has changed completely, and he might hurt himself if he continues.” She said her worry.

“It’s okay, you have done your own part. You have done the best thing that shows you love him. It is his decision to choose which part he wants,” he consoled her.

“Don’t be sad, focus on how to get a new job to take care of your mother and sisters.” He said.

She shook her head. “Yes, maybe I will take a part-time job at the restaurant for the meantime.”

“I have prepared lunch, go and fresh up so you can eat.” He said.

She took her head from his shoulder and hugged him with emotion. “Thank you.”

He quickly took her body away from his body, and stood up, blinking his eyes. 

She lifted her head up, asking. “What happened?”

“Hun?” He used a minute to think of an excuse to give her. “I want to get something in the store. I forgot to buy it earlier.”

“Okay, I will fresh up while you go.” She stood up.

“Okay…” he said and ran out hurriedly.

“What’s wrong with him?” She wondered.

She walked to the door to close it, and as she wanted to take off her cloth, Adele ran.

Adele’s eyes were red, and her body was shivering in a mixture of sadness and fear.

“What happened?” Tasha asked.

“Mum and Noelle!” Adele cried.

“What’s wrong with mum and Noelle?” She asked.

“Someone hit Adele and ran away. Mum’s condition got worse, and we rushed her to the hospital!” Adele explained.

“Which hospital?” She asked.

“We rushed them to the usual hospital.” Adele answered.

“Take me there.”

Adele led, and Tasha followed her.

************

"Come back to me, Malachi. You can't live a happy life without me. You need me." Mr. Brook said.

"What if I proof you wrong and let you know you have nothing to do with my happiness?" Malachi raised a question.

"You are not the sources of my happiness, you don't have any contribution in it." Malachi added. He looked at his side and saw Tasha and Adele running.

“What’s wrong with her?” He whispered.

Mr. Brook looked back and investigated. “Who?”

Malachi stood up to run after her, but he retreated because he didn't want Mr. Brook to know about Tasha.

"It’s nothing,” Malachi answered, he picked up his phone from the table and put it in his pocket.

"Mr. Brook, I think you have overstay your welcome, take your leave,"

"Please, go and never look for me. I will leave my life the way I want"

“Okay, but I bet you can’t leave your life without coming back to me.” Mr. Brook said.

Malachi looked at him deadly, and sweat fell from his neck. He ground his teeth with each other, and set his hand to punch him in the face, but he controlled himself, and stood up without saying a single word.

“You can come to me anytime you ned my help.” Mr. Brook said.

He looked back at him and walked out of the restaurant.

He dialed Tasha’s number continuously, but she didn’t pick up and he ran home.

*************

Tasha ran into the hospital in a flash, leaving Adele behind. She ran her mother's ward was and met her mother lying down helplessly on the floor. The look on her mother's face illustrated she was at the breach of death. 

Tasha burst into tears as she slowly walked closer to her mother. She stood beside the bed and promised.

"Mum, I will save you no matter what it costs."

“Come and look at Noelle.” Adele’s voice came from behind.

She turned to Adele, and they went to where Noelle's ward.

“Noelle!”

Tasha screamed, seeing her sister covered with blood like they sucked her in it. She ran to Noelle’s side and shook her with her tears falling on her. 

Adele ran to her and called. “Noelle, Tasha is here. Tell her everything you want to say.”

Noelle slowly opened her eyes, and Tasha held her hands.

“Tasha,” Noelle called, and paused. She was weak.

“Yes, Noelle. Talk to me.” Tasha said.

“Please, save me…” Noelle pleaded. She closed her eyes, and hot tears rolled out.

“Noelle! Look at me!” Tasha cried. But Noelle didn't open her eyes again.

“Mrs. Tasha, is that you?” A nurse called from behind.

Tasha looked back at the nurse, answering. “Yes.”

The nurse entered the ward and walked closer to her. She gave her test results. “Take. Your sister said you are a nurse. You should be able to read them, right?”

Tasha collected the paper. "Yes, thank you."

She read the paper, and seeing what was wrong, more tears rolled out of her eyes, down to her cheeks and some fell on the paper in her hands while some fell down on the floor. 

“What’s the next thing, please?” She asked with pain eating up her heart.

“You should make a payment as fast as you can. We gave them the little treatment because you are also a nurse, and leaving them is like betraying a fellow professional.”

“How much is the money?” Tasha asked.

The nurse dug her hands into her pocket, and brought out the receipt, and gave it to Tasha. "Everything is here."

"Okay." Tasha collected the paper.

“If you can’t pay everything at once, you should at least pay ninety percent as fast as you can.” The nurse said.

Tasha looked at the paper and raised her eyebrows in shock. She covered her mouth and shouted. “1.5 millions dollar?!"

“Where will I find this amount?”

The nurse took a step closer to her and placed her hand on Tasha’s shoulder. “Crying won’t change anything. If you love them, find money.”

The nurse went out and Adele walked closer to Tasha. "What's the next thing, big sis?"

"Will we watch mum and Adele die?"

Tasha wiped the tears off her faces and turned to Adele. She put her hand on Adela's shoulder and patted her. 

She faked a smile, so Adele won't be sad. "Don't worry Adele, I will go out and I promise you I will come back with money,"

"We won't lose either mum or Adele."

"Thank you, Tasha. I hope we will support you one day." Adele cried.

Tasha wiped Adele's tears and smiled. "Why are you crying?"

"Stop crying because I don't like it. Don't let mum see you crying when she open her eyes, Hun?"

"Okay." Adele ceased the tears and feigned a smile.

"Stay here with them till I come back. I won't be late." Tasha said.

"Okay." Adele shook her head.

Tasha inhaled deeply and brushed her hands over her face. She sighed and walked out of the hospital.

She stood for minutes, caging her waist in her hands.

"Where do I start from?"

"Will I have to go to Talon?"