Chapter 4 Hospital

She's in an accident they said, nothing big but she still needs to stay for a week for internal injuries.

Why does this feel like a deja vu? I remember the day when I first saw the horrors of a hospital, the day when I lost the precious thing of my life, the day that is responsible for all the loneliness nights I've spent all this time, 

I know Kelly would be okay, she has to. I can't afford to reminisce this day too whenever a hospital comes into my view like now, 

Thinking about my dad, his fading heartbeat, and how I missed his last words  of him cause I was busy chasing that woman,

17 years ago,

"where is your, mom child?

The lady at the hospital asks me. My mom, she was supposed to come five hours ago but she didn't. Her flight got delayed.

"Is this the child that came with that man?" a man wearing a white coat asks the nurse.

Tears keep flowing down my cheeks as I saw my dad in the hospital bed, covered with bandages, tubes, and a few life support machines. Six gunshots and six holes were in his body. He was dying and I know that even though the doctors tried their best to keep it from me.

I am seven, not stupid. I can see my father fighting for his life. Why did he do that? Why did he take the shots? Why left me here alone to deal with this pain? WHYYYYY???

He wanted to protect that lady, right? She should be here. She should see my father, dying because of her. "WHERE ARE YOU?" I yelled, my face covered in tears, as I run like a maniac in this big hospital looking for that woman.

"Veronica" I heard my mom. She was crying... why is she crying?? Dad is still alive... He is still breathing... right?

I ran towards her and tightly hug her, "Dad" I try to speak; my voice breaking with each tear. She pick me up and took me to see Dad for the last time but it was too late, 

The machines betrayed him, his pulse was not showing on the monitor, and even though I know what the next words of the doctor would be, I fooled myself into believing that he'll live, but he didn't. 

The monitor was showing a flat line, with no pulse, no heartbeat, "I'm sorry Mrs. Walker" the doctor finally said the words breaking my mom forever, 

The next day all the Tv channels, the newspapers, and magazines praised my dad's bravery. They honored him as a fearless cop who risked his life for a civilian. Every headline mentioned my dad.

"BRAVE COP DIES AFTER SAVING A PREGNANT LADY FROM A BANK ROBBERY"

"FEARLESS COP JOSH WALKER DIES A TRAGIC DEATH"

"A COP FOR THE RESCUE DIES FROM A BANK ROBBERY"

They all praised him and soon the words spread about his bravery but they forgot one thing, he had a family who silently became a victim. For them, it's an honorable achievement, but for us, it was the loss of our loved ones. My dad died, my father ... he left me and mom alone to deal with this baseless sympathy."

Present

When I got the call from the hospital, I was afraid; Terrified actually, knowing I can't handle the loss of another loved one. Kelly is one of my closest friends, we have many shared memories together, but, I don't want to count as one.

I suddenly remember the day when it all started, the pain I felt that day was unbearable, it was so suffocating, I couldn't breathe, and I couldn't stop crying. I was hopeless....a part of me died that day when I realized what I lost. My father, my life, my pride, my everything left me.

I took a deep breath trying not to remember that incident... god I can't believe, I found myself again in this situation...

I know the doctors said it was minor but, I can't help picturing the worst, hospitals terrify me.

It took us forty-five minutes to reach the hospital, where we quickly filled out some forms and made our way to Kelly's room.

She was sleeping when we got there, she wasn't badly injured but it didn't look good as well. She had a big cut on her left arm and a few bruises on her face, looks like she got into a fight.

The doctor checked on her and told us not to worry. She needed rest and a few vitamins to completely heal. I was going to ask how she ended up here when we heard the door slide.

It was April, Kelly's younger sister. She slowly closes the door before greeting the doctor on the way out, her arms also covered in cuts.

"April you good?" Lexi asks taking her arm and gently pressing the wounds,

"Yeah, I'm fine"

"What happened?" I ask

She looked scared at first, but eventually, she calms herself and told us what happened.

About a week ago, she found out that her ex secretly taped her. He was blackmailing her with that tape when Kelly found out.

She was going to get the tape from him that he saved on his hard drive and she actually managed to take it. But, later on, we found there was never a tape to begin with, he lied.

So, Kelly did her best to get a drive that never existed in the first place; what is this supposed to mean? what drive did she take then?

"What about that drive then?" I ask

"That drive is the reason she is here" April replies as she calmly takes her sister's hand and rests her forehead.

"What are you talking about? April",

"Do any of you guys heard of Leonard King,?"

Lexi and Ed shook their heads, no, but I seem to have heard that name somewhere. I click my finger a few times, something I do when I try to remember. Where did I hear this name?

"You know him", Ed asks

I gesture to him to stop speaking before he breaks my focus. I did hear this name, was it in Singapore? Malaysia? or..... yes, I remember, it was in Berlin when I heard this name.

I was there for a cover shoot for the latest fall collection back in 2019 when I heard it. Leonard King the current CEO of King Enterprise, was our sponsor.

" Are you talking about Leonard King, of king enterprise?" I ask April

She quickly got up from her seat and came running to me, she slowly took my hands and looks at me with hope. I guess it's him,

"How do you know him?" Lexi asks,

"I don't know him actually, but he once sponsored a cover shoot in Germany"

"Germany?" Ed looks at me trying to remember the last time I visited Germany.

"Yeah, remember last year around Thanksgiving I had an important cover shoot in Berlin"

"Oh, the time you didn't eat Lexi's famous turkey crust" Ed mocks only to receive a smack from Lexi,

"What about your scrape food? Huh," she speaks folding her arm annoyingly,

"But what does this drive have to do with Mr king," I suspiciously ask,

"The drive actually belongs to him,"

"What?" don't tell me he is responsible for this, 

April slightly nods " he uhm tried to get it from her"

"get it from her? how exactly?" I clenched, wanting to know what he fucking did to her that made her look like this.

"I don't know if it's him but someone planted stalkers on us "

"You guys were followed?" I swallowed,

"Yes and I told her to report it to the cops, but she didn't agree, she said she'll deal with it"

"See that's the thing I don't like about Kelly," Ed spoke, "she's always been like this, carrying all the burden by herself"

I release a breath and massaged my forehead "April, what happened next? how did she deal with them?"

"That's the thing I don't know, she just said she knows someone from king enterprise but wasn't sure if he'll help, so she decides to go down herself and ask for help when she suddenly she gets this message" She got up and showed me Kelly's phone,

I saw the text messages and the number look unfamiliar, the name was also weird but that's Kelly. She likes to name stuff in her weird humorous way, but why LeKing? Who is LeKing?

"I feel like I'm in a thriller movie" Lexi muttered under her breath,

"Tell me about it," Ed speaks,

"Umm this message? when did it start?" I continued

"Two weeks, I guess" 

"This has been going on for two weeks?" Lexi dumbfoundedly asks,

"The Leonard person is the one who did this?" Ed questioned,

I was staring at her phone trying to connect the dots of this name but nothing rings a bell "Well, the facts lead to him" I raise my head and passed the phone to April, "I mean it was his drive so it's not surprising that he tried harming her"

"Well, what are we supposed to do now?" Lexi asks,

"For starters, we need to find who Leonard King is?" I folded my shirt and took a seat beside Kelly, "Leave that to me" I look around and settle myself when,

"Um, Veronica can I talk to you privately" April softly ask me,

I slightly shook my head and leave the room, making our way to the cafeteria,

April was looking very stressed, I kinda feel bad for her, whatever happened she still is a kid. Seeing her sister in a hospital must've been hard on her. I couldn't imagine how she must be feeling. If only there was something I could do to help them.

I could see she was still struggling to say something, I gently took her hand and assured her. "Just tell me April"

"Veronica..."

"Hmmm,"

"Kelly's uh..p..pre..pregnant"