Wednesday.
Hamish came to pick up Elisa to go to the hearing.
After recovering in the hospital for a week, the current Elisa could now sit up, and her stomach didn’t hurt as much as before. But her body still lacked strength.
Knowing Elisa was going to court, the nurse prepared a wheelchair and hung up two bags of IV fluid. As soon as Elisa saw the full two bags of medicine, her hand started hurting.
“Can I not get an IV today? It’s not convenient for me to go to court,”
“No.” The nurse firmly interrupted her words, “Dr. Baker personally said the medicine cannot be stopped. You still have to come back to continue hospitalization after the hearing.”
Elisa glanced towards the corridor and asked, “Where’s Micah?”
The nurse replied, “He’s doing rounds now. Oh yes, Dr. Baker also asked me to tell you, if you don’t properly get the IV, he won’t discharge you.”
What else could she do? Words spoken by Micah would never be taken back. Plus his personality, if she dared to disobey, she would probably be tied to the bed and forced to listen to his nagging.
Elisa could only nod helplessly, watching as the nurse hung up the IV bags and started the infusion.
Her phone vibrated twice. Elisa picked it up with her left hand and glanced at it – Hamish had sent a text saying he was at the hospital entrance.
“Go get the temporary discharge paperwork done,” Elisa pointed to the drawer under the bedside table, “The forms are all in there.”
The nurse took a bag and stuffed all the forms into it, then wheeled Elisa to the billing desk at the front.
Bankshire Hospital had many patients, afraid someone might bump into her, the nurse wheeled her into a corner.
“Miss Powell please wait here, I’ll go get the paperwork done.”
Elisa nodded: “Thank you.”
After the nurse left, Elisa took out her phone and texted Hamish back, telling him her location. She had just sent it when her phone rang.
She thought it was Hamish calling her, but the caller ID showed an unknown number.
Elisa hesitated for a moment before answering the call, “Hello?”
The phone emitted all kinds of chaotic sounds, no one answered her. Elisa thought someone had dialed the wrong number and was about to hang up, when Koby’s voice came through suddenly.
“Elisa, it’s Dad.”
“Dad?” Elisa frowned, “Aren’t you on the way to the courthouse? And whose phone is this? Where are you?”
An ominous feeling rose in Elisa’s heart, all kinds of doubts crowded into her brain. She involuntarily gripped the phone tightly, her expression becoming serious.
“Elisa, Dad owes you all these years, I’m not a competent father. When I’m gone, I’ll leave your brother to you.” Koby’s voice trembled as he spoke.
“I’ve always owed you a word, you are excellent, outstanding enough to make me proud. I’m sorry, Elisa, be careful of Hamish,”
“Where are you going? Dad! Koby, answer me!” Elisa anxiously kept calling his name. Usually, Koby would have started scolding her already, but not this time.
Suddenly, the phone emitted a loud boom, like the sound of wind, or some kind of vibration.
Then a shrill, frightened voice came through, “Someone’s about to jump off the building!”
Who was going to jump off the building?
“Dad, don’t stay silent, tell me where you are and I’ll come find you. I’ll agree to anything, I’ll give Powell Group to you and brother, I don’t want anything,” Elisa said hurriedly.
The phone emitted all kinds of sounds but not a single word from Koby. Elisa’s breathing became rapid, her voice shaking abnormally.
She was so anxious that her whole body was drenched in cold sweat. Tears kept streaming down her flushed face. She started sobbing and pleaded softly.
“If you come any closer I’ll jump down from here!” Koby’s voice rang out like thunder.
Before Elisa could respond, a horrified scream pierced through the phone, as if it would shatter eardrums.
Then Elisa heard a sound like a boulder hitting the ground, a muffled thunder, shockingly loud, making one’s heartbeat and breathing stop.
The surroundings suddenly became very quiet, a sense of tremendous collapse and despair enveloped everything.
Elisa’s mind went blank. She trembled as she moved her lips, carefully calling out, “Dad?”
No one answered her anymore.
Elisa’s mind was empty. She tried calling out a few more times but there was only silence. She put down the phone, the screen had gone dark already, she didn’t even know when the call got disconnected. She hurriedly called back, but there was no answer, only a cold automated response.
“Sorry, the number you have dialed is switched off,”
Tears rolled down Elisa’s face one by one, blurring the phone screen. She reached out a trembling hand to wipe it, but no matter how much she wiped it wouldn’t get clear, just like no matter how many times she dialed, the call wouldn’t go through.