Forgetting You - Episode 46

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*** JASON'S

POV TWO HOURS LATER.

"That'd be all Mr Michaels. Thank you for your cooperation"

the policeman tells me, closing the file in which he had taken my statement. I just nod and sigh. I'm too tired to make out any words. I lean back against the chair where I'm currently sitting at the waiting area of the hospital. I shut my eyes and sigh again . I feel so drained.

"Brother"

I open my eyes at the sound of the voice and turn to see Theresa seated beside me.

"Hey Tess"

I smile weakly.

She doesn't reply.

Instead,she wraps her arms around me, hugging me.

I wince in pain and she pulls away immediately. 

"S..sorry"

she apologises and I just nod.

"You should go see the doctor too"

she suggests and I shake my head.

"Until the doctor comes of the theatre to give me good news regarding Hailey's health, I'm not moving an inch"

"But brother, she needs you to be healthy too. Just look at yourself."

"No Tess, I'll be alright only when she is"

I insist and she sighs.

I shut my eyes again, feeling a headache starting.

I groan.

"You're sick Jason. Just let a doctor treat you please"

I shake my head pressing my fingers to my temple.

"Hank

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/forgetting-you

. Is he dead?"

I ask ignoring her previous statement.

"No. He's being operated on as well"

she answers.

I could have as well finished him off.

I wouldn't have minded turning into a murderer because of him.

But then again I don't want the blood of a f*cking murderer like him on my hands.

I sigh.

If those policemen hadn't rushed in and stopped me, I would have released the fifth bullet right into his head.

I would have killed him and had no regrets whatsoever.

It's because of him Hailey was separated from Olivia in the first place.

It's because of him she was separated from me as well.

It's because of him Hailey's fighting for her life right now and it's f*cking because of him Olivia fainted after all the gunshots.

She got scared,so scared that she almost had another attack.

"Where's my son!"

I hear the commotion and I reluctantly open my eyes.

She was moving around, her eyes darting frantically around.

"Mother"

I call out and thats when she spots me.

Relief washes over her features as she spots me, quickly running to my side but then stops when she sees Tess by my side.

"Ate you okay Tess? Are you hurt? Where does it hurt?"

As my mother continues to rain questions on Tess while inspecting her for bruises, I stare him.

My father. He's standing behind my mom.

He doesn't say a word, he just stares at his feet with his hands in his pocket.

For just a split second, I thought I could see worry etching his figures but then I scoff at my own thoughts.

Who I'm I talking about? Gregory Michaels? Worried about me? Never in this lifetime.

Feeling my headache worsen, i groan slightly and lean back into the chair shutting my eyes.

"I'll go check on Alex mom. I'll be back"

I hear Tess say before I hear her retreating footsteps.

Not long after, I feel the familiar warm hands on my cheeks and I open my eyes to meet my mothers sad ones.

"Son"

"Mother"

"I met one of the policemen outside and he told me what you did"

"It wasn't just me mother. Tess,Alex and Hailey too"

I swallow hard as her name slides off my tongue painfully.

"I'm proud of you Jason. You helped catch such a dangerous man. And I'm glad you didn't get shot"

I chuckle humorlessly

"I wish I was the one who had gotten shot instead mom. But Hailey. She... She took the bullet for me. She f*cking took the bullet"

My mom cringes at the cuss word I used.

"Sorry"

"You love her don't you?"

She suddenly asks and I lick my dry lips.

"Don't deny it"

she urges and I sigh

"I do. I really do mother. I've loved her since I was sixteen"

I blurt out and her eyes bulge almost out of it's sockets.

"You... Hold on. It's her? The girl whom you had painted when you were in high school?"

She asks and I cringe at the memory.

She had caught me one night making a painting of Hailey when I was in my final year.

The same painting I had gifted to Hailey just before school vacated and she never came for the WASSCE examination.

"Yea mother. The same one. And.. And.."

I pause taking a deep breath for what I'm about to say next..

"And I lied. Olivia's mother never had mental problems. Hailey. She's Olivia's mother"

I confess and from the corner of my eye, I see my dad's mouth drop open.

"What?!"

My mother shrieks dropping her hands from my cheeks. I rub my temple again and I lick my lips.

Maybe it's time I told them the entire truth.

It'll still come out anyways.

And so I do just that.

I proceed to tell her how Hailey appeared in my cottage on the day I had walked out of my marriage to how I had helped her deliver, her escape, our meeting again after three years and then the duel to the plan... Everything.

I just tell her everything without missing a beat.

And when I'm done my mother stares at me dumfounded with her jaw literally dropping.

She opens her mouth to speak but then closes it again probably at a loss for words. "So...you mean to say..."

"Yes mother. The man I helped catch was the one who has been holding Hailey captive for ten years now. And she run away leaving Olivia behind just so they wouldn't hurt her"

"Oh my. Poor girl. She's suffered a lot"

"That's not all mother. Did you know it was Hailey who saved Theresa's life five years back? On her nineteenth birthday?"

She gasps

"Really? It was her? Oh my God, why didn't she say so?"

"Because that's Hailey mother. It's who she is. She doesn't go about telling people of the good she's done to others. She's beautiful inside and out. She has a heart of gold,she's selfless, naive yet smart. And that's why I feel like shit right now because I'm unable to help her mother. She's being operated on at the moment and I can't do a thing to help her. I'd never forgive myself if anything happens to her mom. I'll.."

I trail off unable to continue as I feel tears burning my ears.

Am I crying? No I can't. I can't break down before my parents.. I bite my lips and blink rapidly to push back the tears.

"Oh Jason."

My mother wraps her around me and I hug her back immediately, blinking continuously yet the tears manage to escape anyway.. My chest hurts at the thought that I might lose Hailey.

Never have I remembered crying.

Not when I was constantly bullied in school for being a nerd.

But now, a full grown ass man like me is crying.

After a while, I sniff and pull away.

My mother wipes my wet cheeks with her thumb and I smile.

Sh*t! I'm a mama's boy.

"She's going to be fine right?"

I ask after a moment.

"She will be. She will be Jason"

She tells me and I sigh. I groan. F*ck! I hate this headache.

"You need to see the doctor Jason. Your face is is all swollen"

she says with concern.

This time I don't argue.

I just nod and get up.

F*ck! I hiss in pain.

My entire body hurts like hell.

The beatings of Hank's men is beginning to have an effect on me.

I groan.

"Let me help"

the deep voice says as I feel strong arms around my shoulders.

I look up and I almost stumble at the sight of the person helping me.

My father is staring at me with a soft expression.

What the.. Am I hallucinating? This is too good to be real.

"Uhh dad?"

"It's okay son. Let me help you. You can barely walk on your own. Let me do this for you,please"

My jaw drops. Did he just say please?

"Uhh. Sure"

I say uncertainly wondering if he's playing tricks on me but no.

Surprisingly, he helps me get a nurse to attend to my wounds. I bite my lip hard as the nurse cleans my wounds with the peroxide.

It stings,damn! Twenty minutes later,she's leaning into me as she cleans and bandages the cut on my forehead. I see her blush due to our closeness.

I shake my head fighting a smile.

Done,she steps away.

"Ugh nurse can I please get some painkillers?" I ask.

My entire body feels like it was run over by a train.

"Sure Sir"

she answers and reached into the large box containing some medical supplies and hands it over to me along with a glass of water.

I take it gratefully and pop two tablets into my mouth and then drink.

"Ugh could you please show me to the children's ward?"

As much my entire body hurts like hell, I want to see my baby.

Before the nurse could answer,my father beats her to it.

"Don't worry. I'll take him"

"Should I get you a wheelchair? seeing as you can't walk properly."

The nurse suggests and I shake my head.

"No thanks"

my dad answers moving to where I'm seated on the bed to help me up.

I stare at my dad in shock as he wraps his arms around me to steady my steps as we trudge out of the room.

Who's this man? Why is he being so sweet all of a sudden.

As we get to the hallway, I hear a click sound and I turn to realise my mother just took a picture of us as she gushes.

Oh Lord. I roll my eyes and continue walking.

I better not get used to my dad's nice treatment, he might snap back to being rude again.

****

Reaching the children's ward, I push the large door and step in letting my eyes roam over the numerous beds, some of which were occupied and others empty.

I step in further and stare at the farthest end of the room and that's when I spot her. Sighing in relief, I trudge slowly towards where she lay.

There was a doctor attending to her.

"Hey baby"

I say softly.

She's awake.

I bend slightly to kiss her but she doesn't react.

She doesn't giggle like she usually does when I kiss her. Olivia just blinks at me. I sit on the bed and begin to talk to her.

"How's she?"

I ask the female doctor

"She's fine. No bruises whatsoever but..."

I don't let her finish and turn to Livy. That's all I needed to hear.

"Hey honey,how are you?"

I ask. No reply.

"Olivia? Won't you talk to daddy?"

She stares at me.

No reply.

"I'll buy you your favourite chocolate. Pinky promise"

I grin. And again,she doesn't react or speak.

"Sir, your daughter Is in shock"

the doctor says and I snap.

"Shock? What? How?"

I ask.

"Whatever happened before she was brought here had traumatized her and.."

Again, I don't let her finish and I lift Olivia off the bed settling her on my lap.

"Olivia say something. Come on. Please. Talk to Me.. Talk to daddy"

I push her hair away from her face.

She just stares at me for a moment and then opens her mouth to speak.

I see her lips move but no words come out.

No no no.

This can't be.

I can feel my heartbeat accelerating a thousand times as I watch her lips move frantically but no words come out yet again.

"Olivia. Talk.

Read " The Last Virgin " by the same author ( eliza )

. Please baby. Say something. What's happening!"

I scream in exasperation.

"As I was trying to say Sir, she's in shock and as a result she isn't able to speak"

"What? This is not possible doctor. It's not. Olivia come on, prove them wrong and say something. Talk to daddy please"

I literally plead This can't happen.

Not to my baby. Not her.

"What can be done to avert this situation?"

I hear my father ask, his hands on my shoulder,reassuringly.

"For now nothing. She's just too young to have witnessed such a horrible scene. We just have to wait and hope for the best. It might take days,weeks or months for her to start speaking again. It depends on how fast she recovers from her shock"

The doctor explains and I glance at Olivia who's just staring at me without reacting.

F*ck this can't be happening!