Roses & Thorns - Episode 2

 

"What's up with you?" It was James' best friend Edna, and yes she's a girl.

It was late in the evening, the wind whistled cold air into the room, leaves rustled in the dark....

It was getting creepy, still James remained silent.

"Why are you doing this to yourself? She threw another question but this time, she looked more serious than when she asked the first one.

James stared into the partially lit room, he wasn't deaf or dumb but he refused to say a word which of course frightened Edna.

"Our exams are around the corner, you better fix yourself," She got up adjusted her grey skirt and hung her backpack on her left shoulder.

James looked at her, his head stilll ached and for the first time, their eyes met. She could see the pain in his eyes, she knew he was helpless but she couldn't help him if he didn't tell her what was wrong.

"I'll be fine, Edna." He replied, noticing she was worried . His weak voice invigorated her, she gave out a faint smile and walked out of the room.

James had a little time to actually think..

His mum was here yesterday; she had been gone for weeks and he knew she would be gone even longer, leaving him with his little brother Michael.

He hadn't set his eyes on his father once, and his mum made him believe he wasn't a good man....

"Why?" He still wondered.

The creaking of the wooden door drifted away his thoughts bringing him back from imagination to reality,

There were two figures in front of jim. Two doctors dresses in the hospital coat with a nose mask on each of their faces..

         Something wasn't right.......

The fluorescent bulb began to diminish, the light was getting lower...

James was confused

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

. The doctors were not meant to be here, at least not by this time.

        So who were these two?

The fluorescent bulb went unstable, tripping on and off continually.

The two doctors got closer. One stopped abruptly in front of James' bed while the other went forward.

He couldn't see their faces clearly, but he....

"He's awake," the taller doctor closer to James said, staring directly into James' eyes. He wanted to shout, to call for help.

But he couldn't, he still found it hard to say a word, let alone move an inch.

The closer doctor brought out a syringe from his coat and prepared it..

James looked on terrified....but full of courage.

"How long would it take?" The other asked observing James carefully.

"Only a few minutes," he replied.

James took notice of two things. One was that the other doctor wasn't a doctor after all; he acted like a novice, as if he wast at his first day at work.

The second was oh dear! They were probably talking about his death!

"Shit!" He faintly gritted his teeth. He was terrified and couldn't do anything about it.

The doctor picked up the tube connected to his arm and was about to inject before nthe door creaked open, again.

          This time it was Edna.......

James loked at her helplessy, trying to tell her this guys weren't really doctors.

He tried telling her that something was wrong.. But the doctors kept their cool, acting like they were the real deal.

"My cellphone, I think i left it here," She walked forward, over to James' bed.

James could feel the phone, it was close to his wrist.

He got a hold of it after struggling with his body and held onto it tightly, as if his life depended on it.

Well from the looks of it, it kinda did..

Her prescence was paraamount,.. or?

"Give it!" Edna requested. He tried to say something, but the words won't come out.

"Is he alright Doc,?"' She faced one of the doctors, the one beside James' bed.

"He uh," He stuttered. "He's alright, just a little unstable." He completed, carefully wiping droplets of sweat from his forehead.

"Maybe i should call a nurse," Edna suggested already halfway through the room.James gave her that look, "No! If you go, they'll kill me!" 

"That won't be necesssary," The other doctor said, finally injecting the tube.

"Will he be okay?"' Edna asked looking a bit perplexed. She then gently took the phone from James' loosen grip.

James looked on.....

...His heart stopped racing, his body felt dead....At least that's what he felt.....

....SLowly, nothing felt real....