DIANA
My heart skipped the minute I saw him fall, what the hell just happened? I hope it’s not what I’m thinking.
I pushed his door and rushed out to see him on the floor, blood gushing out of him profusely. My heart failed me that minute.
“Branden are you ok?! Branden? Branden?” I screamed to his unconscious self. My world came crashing and fear saturated all over me. Automatically tears fell from my eyes.
Am I dreaming? The men already ran away, how would I help Branden?
“Somebody help!!” I yelled to whoever was listening but the street was completely empty as my yells reverberated across the area.
My knees caved me to the floor and my eyes watered my cheeks as I watched the only man I ever loved with everything in me lie half dead on the floor.
I wiped my tears and tried to lift him up, I pulled him with every muscle I had in me. My efforts weren’t yielding much but I didn’t give up.
I needed to take him to the hospital. I can and must, if he spends another minute here he might be dead.
He wasn’t fully dead but he was struggling to live, the sound of death groaning out of his lips.
I finally helped him get into the car and without wasting a second I zoomed off. I couldn’t help but look at him worriedly through the driver’s mirror.
He was literally dying behind me, the thoughts of loosing him came in and flooded my head, it triggering more tears to water my cheeks.
Few minutes later I arrived at the hospital. I couldn’t even spare a second to breathe, my shaky hands pushed open the front door and i ran into the hospital for aid.
“Please help, someone is dying” I begged the set of nurses I met immediately I got into the hospital.
They rushed in and brought back a stretcher to the pickup Branden from the car. Oh Lord! I need Branden alive. This wasn’t the way I expected it end.
I don’t want to loose him this soon, the one year of our separation hurts already. I can’t deal with a lifetime without him, I lost my parents I can’t loose him too.
They rushed him into the hospital and I followed them right Into the emergency ward.
“There’s a bullet in him, we need to take it out” The doctor in the ward said. Those were the only words I heard from the ward before I was restricted from going in.
They obliged me to leave and I did so reluctantly, I need to call his parents and his brother.
He needs his family by his side, he’s not leaving us.
I picked up my phone and dialed Mrs Joyce’s number. Luckily I still had it.
After few rings she picked up and aired through the phone.
“Hello?”
“Yes who is this?” she asked. Ofcourse she didn’t know who was speaking, it’s been a full year since we’ve spoken and I changed my number.
“It’s Diana ma, something terrible happened. Branden is at the Marens hospital” I uttered in my state of restlessness.
“Branden? What happened to him?” her worried high-pitched voice met my eardrums.
“He was shot” I replied.
“Shot? How? I’m coming there right now” she hanged up immediately.
My soul was restless, I couldn’t sit or stand at a particular position. Within thirty minutes his mom, dad and Sylvester came rushing into the hospital.
“Where is he? Where is my son?” Mrs Joyce rushed to me, her forehead forming lines wrinkled lines.
The whole family was tensed.
“He is in the emergency ward” I replied.
They attempted to open the doors but it was locked.
“The hell did you do to my brother?” Sylvester shot at me.
“I’m sorry, he was attacked while trying to save me. I tried my best to prevent it but he wouldn’t listen” I pleaded in tears.
We all sat close to the emergency ward and waited for someone to come out and explain Branden’s condition.
Our expectations were met the minute a doctor opened the doors and sauntered out.
We all stood to our feet and rushed over to the doctor.
“How is he doing doctor?” Mr Smith questioned.
“What happened to my son?” Mrs Joyce asked.
“You must be his parents, I’m really sorry but Branden is undergoing serious operations. The chances of him surviving are low but we are trying our best. His condition is critical” the doctor said.
My racing pulse doubled and my heart became heavy, Branden might die? No! I won’t let that happen. How can his chances of surviving be low?
“No he has to be fine doctor” I said.
“I’m sorry ma’am, I just have to say it the way it is. That man has lost alot of blood and the bullet cut deep into him, he was lucky the bullet didn’t get to his heart” the doctor replied.
“What do you want doctor? What do you need to save his life? Money? A thousand dollars? A million? I’ll give it to you, just save his life please” Mrs Smith pleaded.
“We are trying our best ma’am. I’ll give you a feedback after we are done” the doctor said before ambling away from us.
Fuck! Branden don’t leave me please! I’m the cause for all this, if I wasn’t foolishly walking on that lonely road then all this wouldn’t have happened.
My eyes were sore and swollen from crying, I dug my head in-between my knees and cried some more.
It’s official, I’m going to loose him, this time the distance between us wouldn’t just be physical.
“You can come and see him for now” a feminine voice said.
We all walked in, constant beeps welcomed us in as we saw Branden laying on the hospital bed with a drip on him.
Oh Branden…. It was never my intention to put you in this condition, I’ve already lost alot I can’t loose you too.
Yes you took my parents away from me but I still want the best for you. I still need you alive.
*******
It was 11pm at night, I sat beside Branden in the ward, staring at him intently. Wishing I could go back and rewrite the hands of time. Wishing I treated him better.
“Don’t leave me like this, I’m a mess without you. Don’t die on me, we promised never to leave eachother no matter what, I broke that promise and I’m sorry but please don’t go this way” I said to his unconscious being.
“I just couldn’t sit and act like it was all ok, I had to leave for my sanity but still… I was never sane after that day, please be well. I promise never to leave again”
Hearing those words from my mouth, brought back memories and triggered tears to rain from my eyes. Why did he have to act like the hero? Why didn’t he just leave the hoodlums and drive me home. Now he is in this condition because of me, because he he still cared about me and he was ready to fight for me even at the expenses of his own life.
I stood and tried to walk out of the room, just then Branden’s hand held onto mine.
I turned immediately to see his hand firmly gripping mine, I was beyond astonished.
Branden is alive!