“Who are you and how did you get in here?” A middle-aged woman dressed in shabby clothes with a food basket in her hands shot a piercing gaze at the spot where Isabelle was seated with little Sabrina in her arms. Her physique was shakened with a hint of fear in her eyes which was a huge contrast to the bold stance she took.
“Grandma. Welcome,” Sabrina interjected with a cute smile as she threw her tiny body on the woman”What took you so long?”
“We were short of groceries, so I had to shop for some”The middle-aged woman responded with a softened voice without reverting her sharp gaze to Isabelle.” who is she, Sab?”
“Oh! Come. I want you to meet mummy’s friend, Isabelle”Sabrina introduced, pulling the woman over.”Isabelle, meet my grandma”
“Hi ma’am, sorry for intruding. I just thought to check up on her”Isabelle fidgeted as she tried to avoid the gaze of the woman. “I’ll leave if….”w
“Don’t bother”the woman interrupted after a rethink. The relationship between the lady and her granddaughter was close and she wasn’t ready to ruin it. “Thanks for keeping my family company”
“It’s nothing ma’am” Isabelle replied with a nervous tone as her gaze settled on the woman’s face which bore a striking resemblance to Penelope. The worrisome expression on the woman’s face made Isabelle wish she had a mother like her.” she’ll be fine, she’s a very strong woman… I can attest to that” she said with a hint of consolation in her voice.
“The last time I heard from her was when she called to let me know that she was fired. She refused to listen to my instructions on coming home immediately” the woman explained as she choked on her tears. “Next thing I heard was a call from the hospital telling that she was involved in a fatal accident”
“Grandma…” Sabrina sobbed seeing the woman’s tears.”Mummy is fine, right?”
“Of course, my dear. She’ll be with us soon” the woman assured as she too wiped her tears off to avoid making the little girl worried before an idea popped up in her head “Why don’t go play in the hospital’s garden? I heard there’s a lot of kids your age?”
A bright light lit up in Sabrina’s eyes as she ran out of the room”See you later” she yelled happily
“Haha…” the woman chuckled.”not having a father figure in her life has subjected her to isolation… She never had friends to play with. The only family she has are my kids and I” the old woman explained with a guilty expression on her face. Penelope had unexpectedly brought a baby home and refused to give the family an explanation. The truth was forced out of her by her siblings who found out that the father had abandoned her on the day of delivery. But, she had been tight-lipped about the father’s identity and location.
“I’m sorry about that. She’s an angel, I’m sure she’ll strive.” Isabelle remarked in a solemn voice.”You said she refused to come home after being fired, did she mention what she was up to?” Isabelle curiously asked.
“She just said that she had a meeting with a friend. Was that friend you?” The woman asked as she eyed Isabelle suspiciously. “Were you the last person she spoke with?”
“No, no. I haven’t heard from her for a while now”Isabelle stuttered surprised at the woman’s accusation. “it must have been someone else”
“Okay then….” The woman replied looking unconvinced.” the doctor said the car that hit her had caused a huge damage to her brain. She had to be induced into a coma to avoid any form of disorder. It will take a miracle for her to wake up”
“She will” Isabelle spoke confidently but deep down in her heart, there was no flicker of hope. “She has a daughter, she has to wake up for her”
Isabelle wanted to leave. “What’s taking Liam so long?” She asked inwardly. She knew that the chances of getting information from Penelope who had no assurance of waking up were slim. They had to find another way.
“Um… Ma’am. I need to leave now” Isabelle announced to the woman. “My partner is waiting for me”
“You came with someone.. a man perhaps” the woman asked with a busybody expression.
“Yes ma’am” Isabelle blushed at the woman’s question. “My fiance”
“Oh! That’s nice” the woman complimented like she was happy for her. “My regards to him. I wish you a blissful life and thanks for taking good care of my granddaughter, I owe you one” The woman had a bright smile on her lips. Even though Penelope was older than Isabelle, she still felt a warm feeling in her heart when she spoke to her.
“It’s not a problem ma’am, I enjoyed getting to know her,” Isabelle said with a dismissive tone. “I’ll come over some other time”
She walked out of the room after bidding goodbye to the old woman. She needed to find Liam. He must have found out from the doctor about the low chance of Penelope waking up.
***
“The damage done to her brain is fatal” The doctor gave an explanation to Liam who he suspected to be an intruder until he found out his true identity. “Even if she wakes up, she might not remember anything.. the person who hit should have been apprehended because the report I got from the radiographer shows that the hit was intentional which caught me by surprise… What motive does that person have to cause such damage?”
Meanwhile, Liam who was seated on the chair across the table was lost in thoughts. His anger was gradually rising but he couldn’t lose control, not in a hospital. He was desperate to get the information regarding the strange woman but the only ticket to that was lying unconscious on a sick bed with no assurance of waking up. He had to find another way.
“Here is the test result you requested” a young lady dressed in a nurse uniform spoke as she walked in. “The test shows positive”
“Mind you, you should be careful of what you take in. The drugs were almost used in excess which would have endangered your life” the doctor warned with a serious tone. “I’d advise you to take your medications regularly to get rid of the drugs completely”
“Thank you, doctor” Liam muttered distantly as he withdrew his finger from the table to pick up his ringing phone. ” Hello… Sarah”
“Sir… There’s an emergency at the company” she said frantically, the urgency of the situation obvious in her voice.” We need you here, right now”