Andrew This was how it felt like for my family when I was the one fighting for my life. It felt like hell... hell I tell you. My mum was a complete mess. She couldn’t eat a thing for almost a week. We could only get her to drink small amounts of beverages and a few bites of her favorite dishes. The rest of the time, she’d sit in Vincent’s hospital room, mopping at him, since he was brought out of the intensive care unit two weeks ago. Vin wasn’t out of danger yet. He was constantly and closely monitored by the doctors and my mum and dad of course. Sometime last week, he had gone into cardiac arrest and was briefly sent into intensive care again. But up until now, he’d been stable. Dad had to work, but being his hospital, he had the advantage of popping in now and then to see us all. Not that he couldn’t take some time off to stay with us, but because he needed a distraction. Cutting and stitching people’s heads gave him that. You could see, from how loosely his tailored suit hung to

Anne I stared wild-eyed at my mum as if she pulled off her clothes and started running around naked. “I told the doctor to keep it discreet. I didn’t know how you’d feel about it or what you’d do with the information,” mum said, rubbing her palms together in anxiousness. It was not just about knowing how I’d feel. I knew my mum was disappointed in me. I did the same thing she protected me against. The major reason I was prohibited, banned from getting a boyfriend. “I’m sorry, mum,” I choked out, covering my mouth to suppress my cries. “Shh! It’s okay sweetie,” she said, coming over and wrapping her arms around me. I’d just entered my room after seeing Vincent and had laid on my bed when mum told me she needed to tell me something. Somehow, I knew what she was going to say before she did. I’d felt it that time I was alone in Vincent’s room. Nausea, restlessness, and everything I felt right before that call. I am pregnant. One month pregnant. This meant I was two weeks pregnant

Anne “Who allowed you in here?” Rebecca whispered angrily. She didn’t want to shout because of her son, but I could see her anger alright. She even had tears in her eyes that showed the deepness of her anger and hatred towards me. Scared I clung to Vincent for dear life, silently hoping he’d open his eyes and tell his mom to stop. But I did promise I would fight for us, right? I wasn’t going back on that promise. “No one,” I responded in a shaky voice, trying not to get anybody else in trouble. “What do you mean, no one?” she asked in disbelief, turning to look at the guards who were already inside the room, fidgeting in their suits. I opened my mouth to say that I sneaked in but then I heard, “I let her in,” from the door. When I looked behind the raging woman, I saw Dr. Arya wriggle her way through the two bulky men and enter the room. “What?” Rebecca whispered, transferring her angry darts towards Dr. Arya. “I made her let me in,” I threw in, trying to take the heat off of h

Andrew “What did you do?!” This was one of those times my dad allowed his emotions bare. He was downright furious with my mum. We just found out that mum had ordered the security to send Anne and her family out of the hospital, then banned them from entering the premises. “I did what I had to do. I can’t let a mere child send both my sons to the hospital! I gave birth to them… she didn’t. Why does she have to make them fight for lives she never created?!” “You are way out of line, woman. This is my hospital, and they were under my care! You had no rights!” Dad boomed. “I do! I f**king do! When it comes to my babies, I would raise hell to protect them!” she yelled into his face with eyes wide and dangerous. This was happening in dad’s office, hours after we saw Vincent and were told of his current state. “Maybe you’ve forgotten, but he’s my son as well. He deserves to know about the woman he is in love with,” dad countered. “Over my dead body! You hear me, over my dead body! My

Anne Of all times to get faults, the taxi chose today. I slipped out of the back seat, threw cash to the driver, and sped off on foot. As I dashed on the sidewalk of the busy road, I could hear Pamela’s voice in my head, yelling my name. I remember my heart sinking into my stomach at the urgency in her voice. I’d thought something might have happened to Makayla or Joan, but when she told me, the news was grave all the same. Earlier that day, I woke up to a gnawing pain in my belly, which got worse as the day progressed. I informed mum, and she took me to our gynecologist immediately. I didn’t charge my phone the previous day, after Joan played games with it, running down my battery, so my phone died on our way to the hospital. I got tired of running real quick, screeched to a stop, and bent over with my hands on my upper knees to catch my breath. My breathing came in gasps and pants as if my lungs were about to explode. The blistering sun scorched my skin, making me sweat profusel