Chapter 9- The heart attack

Mark Holmes felt a sharp pain on the left side of his chest, and his breathing became shallow. He was drenched by the sweat, and his vision turned blurry. He clasped his chest to endure the pain, but the pain was so intense that he couldn't stand it anymore. He extended his left hand to call Lisa who was standing a little far away from there facing back to him. But his voice didn’t come out. Slowly he lost his consciousness.

Thump......

He fell to the ground. Lisa kept staring in the direction from where Daniel Brooke left but when she heard the dull thump sound she turned around to look back and saw her father, lying on the ground motionlessly. 

A shiver ran down her spine and immediately ran to her father, "Dad, Dad, what happened to you?"

Tears streamed down her cheeks, and she called him continuously. But he was unconscious. She quickly dialed her mother's number. The call connected after a few rings, "Hello Lisa. Are you coming home?"

"Mom, please come down quickly. Something has happened to Dad."

Linda Holmes panicked and asked, "What? What happened to your Dad?"

"Please come down quickly."

She disconnected the phone and shouted "Help.....Help....."

But there was no one. She thought something and said, "Dad, wait here awhile. I'll bring help. I'll come back soon."

She rushed towards the apartment and found the guard. She pleaded to him, "Please help... My Dad..... Something has happened to him. He is over there please help. Call someone."

"Miss, don't panic. I will call someone."

She then rushed back to her father and started rubbing his hands. Very soon, Linda Holmes and a few neighbors came there. 

Linda Holmes started crying to see unconscious Mark Holmes. 

One of the neighbors said, "Let's take him to the hospital."

They reached the hospital in no time, and Mark Holmes was pushed inside the emergency room. After dropping them in the hospital, the neighbors went away one by one. 

Linda Holmes was crying uncontrollably. Lisa was pacing back and forth, rubbing her palms.

After some time, Linda Holmes asked, "What happened to your father? Why is he like this?"  

Lisa stopped pacing and looked at her mother fearfully. She was too scared to reveal the truth. She walked towards her and held her hand, “Mom, don't worry. He will be fine."

"Why is he like this?"

Lisa couldn't hide anymore and disclosed the truth, "He saw me with Daniel."

"What?"

"When he came down he saw me with Daniel."

"You... You went out to meet Daniel?"

Linda Holmes was so angry that she wanted to beat her to death. She glared at her and scolded, "You lied to us. What should I do with you? Why did you meet Daniel? If something happens to your father, I'll never forgive you."

Lisa kneeled and shuttered, "Mom, p-please f-forgive me please." She started crying miserably. She wanted to comfort her mother, but Linda Holmes was not even looking at her. She was feeling helpless and lonely at the same time. Both of them were crying outside the emergency room.

After some time, the doctor came out of the emergency room. Lisa rushed to the doctor and asked worriedly, "Doctor, how is my father? What happened to him?"

"He had a major heart attack. Now his condition is somewhat stable. We have to examine him thoroughly. Make sure you shouldn't give him any shock. He can't handle a second attack. We are shifting him to the ward. He is sleeping now. You can see him but don't disturb him."

After that, the doctor left. Hearing that, her father had a heart attack, Lisa's world was about to collapse. She staggered and fell to the ground with a loud thud. She was blaming herself for this. 

Linda Holmes stood up to go to see her husband. She glanced at her and asked, "Are you coming?"

Lisa was not ready to see her father at that moment, so she said, "You go first."

Without saying anything, Linda Holmes went inside the ward.

Lisa hugged her knees, rested her head on the knees, and started crying. Who knows how long she cried like that.

After a long time, she went to the ward to see her father. 

It was late at night. The hospital became quiet. She slowly opened the door and went inside. Her father was sleeping on the sickbed. He was in ventilation. Some wires were connected with his chest. Her mother was sleeping on the sofa. She slowly went near her father and held his hand. Tears rolled down drop by drop, and she whispered, "Dad...."

She sat down on the edge of the sickbed and stared at her father with teary eyes. After an unknown period of time, she fell asleep on the sickbed. 

When she woke up it was already dawn. She went to the bathroom to freshen up and came out quickly. She went out to bring breakfast. She bought some sandwiches and came back to the ward. 

When she came back, she saw her father opening his eyes. Her steps froze on the spot, and her eyes grew wide in surprise. For a few moments, she couldn't react. She regained her sense when she heard her father's feeble voice, "Come here."

Lisa put down the sandwiches on the table and approached her father. She held his hand and murmured, "Dad."

"Are you angry with me sweetheart?" Mark Holmes asked feebly.

"No, no, don’t say that. I am not angry. I am the one who has made a mistake."

Lisa started crying, hanging down her head and sat down on the edge of the sick bed, holding Mark Holmes's hand.

"That man is not suitable for you, darling. I will not live at ease if you have a relationship with him. Promise me, you will never contact him. Promise me that you will marry Mr. Carl Black."

Lisa nodded slowly, "I promise you, I'll do whatever you say."

A faint smile appeared on Mark Holmes's face and said, "That's my good girl."

Meanwhile, Linda Holmes woke up and warned him, "Don't talk much. You need to rest."

The door cracked open and the doctor came inside, "Good morning, Mr. Holmes. How are you feeling today?"

"I am fine, doctor. Thank you."

The doctor looked at Lisa, "I have contacted the famous heart surgeon of our hospital, Dr. Valentine. From now on, he will take care of Mr. Holmes's case. Once he comes to see Mr. Holmes, you can talk to him in detail."

"Thank you, doctor," Lisa responded.

The doctor left after the check-up. Linda Holmes was sitting beside the sickbed and wiping Marl Holmes's face and hands with a wet towel. 

At that time, Lisa's phone rang. She saw Anna Green’s number on the screen. She quickly answered the phone, "Hello, Anna."

"Where are you? I came to see you but your house is locked."

"Anna, we are in the hospital. Last night Dad had a heart attack."

"Oh My God. How is uncle now? Which hospital are you in? I am coming."

Lisa disconnected the call after telling her the hospital's name. Just then, she received a call from Daniel Brooke. She cut the call. Daniel Brooke was calling her again and again. She got so irritated that she switched off the phone and put it inside her bag.

By the time Anna Green reached the hospital, Mark Holmes fell asleep. Lisa sent her mother back home to rest for a while.

Anna Green asked worriedly, "Are you alright, dear?"

"I am scared, Anna. It's my fault."

"What do you mean?"

She then explained everything that happened last night. Anna Green was also shocked to know everything. She comforted Lisa and after accompanying her for a few more hours she left. 

Anna Green wanted to tell her something but after seeing her situation, she didn't tell her anything.

Linda Holmes came back after some time. She brought lunch for them. After having lunch Lisa went back to her house.

When she reached the apartment, she saw Daniel Brooke's car near the gate. She knew Daniel Brooke would show up at her apartment. She decided to talk to him clearly, so she went towards the car and knocked on the window.

He quickly came out of the car and asked worriedly "Where have you been? You switched off the phone. I was not able to contact you. I even went upstairs to check you, but your house is locked. Are you alright?"

"Oh please, stop all this nonsense. Why are you here?"

Daniel Brooke held her hand and apologized, "Lisa, baby, I am so sorry. Last night I- I lost my control. I didn't mean to hurt Mr. Holmes. Please forgive me."

She brushed off his hand and exclaimed, "Is that all? If so then I have to go."

"Lisa, wait...."

But he was interrupted by a phone call. He looked at his phone and said, "Wait for a while. I need to take this call."

She rolled her eyes and shook her head.

He answered the call, "Hello."

He frowned deeply when he heard something from the other end of the phone, "Ok, wait for me."

He disconnected the call and looked at her, "Lisa, I have to go now, but please don't switch off your phone. I'll call you and I promise, I'll solve this problem. Ok, baby."

She lost all interest to talk to him so she kept quiet.

When he left, she went inside her house. She was too lazy to think about him. Her main concern was her father. She was worried about him. She wanted to give him the best treatment and was ready to meet the heart surgeon Dr. Valentine. She went to the hospital again after freshening up.