It’s been three days since June was moved into the VIP ward.
Luis was a mess and Rafael was doing his best to ensure that she had all the care she needed to awaken. However, the doctors had warned that she had a bleak chance of ever getting up if she didn’t open her eyes by the end of the day.
June slept soundlessly in the ICU being watched from a glass in a hallway that was rented both to suit her needs and supervise the situation while she fought for her life.
“You have to go home,” Rafael said to his son when he returned from work. “I will watch over here until tomorrow.”
His son hadn’t spoken a word since he found his auntie dragged out in a pool of her own blood. He only cried and sat in front of the glass, never letting his eyes off June who slept too peacefully.
Rafael was worried.
When his son made no move to leave, he beckoned on the security official to lead the way as it had been for the past few days. Thankfully, Luis didn’t throw a fuss and followed his security to the car home.
Certain that his son was fine, Rafael resumed his position, waiting for June to wake up and end the entire nightmare that was becoming his life. Ever since the incident, everything seemed to be going wrong.
Rafael was a dark cloud to be around and it was showing off in his work. The number of deals he had rejected was meeting an all-time high, and a part of him knew it had nothing to do with the quality of the deals.
While he sat in front of the glass, a nurse came in through the hallway with her head bowed as she pushed in a trolley. Rafael got on his feet on instinct.
The blonde-haired woman nodded her hair in a silent greeting and pushed forward inside the room. After kitting up, the woman entered the main room, ready to administer some injections to June.
As the woman drew out the liquid into the injection, her hands shook as she tried to keep her head low. Unknown to them, she had been paid to terminate the life of the woman in this ward.
It was a usual business for her in the hospital but with the amount of security and the man standing outside watching her intently, she felt her faith waver. If she got caught, she might as well kiss her license and freedom goodbye.
Nevertheless, she had been paid handsomely for the job and she had every plan to deliver. After which she would boot out of the hospital and lay low until the aftermath fizzled out.
Just when she was about to administer the shot, the injection fell off as a result of her shaky hands. She bent to pick it up from where it was rolled over under the bed.
By the time she got up to continue her mission, she saw the soulless eyes of June, who stared at her, giving her the shock of her life. Seeing the opened eyes of the patient, the woman stepped back in shock, giving Rafael who had been watching their interactions like a hawk a clear look at June’s opened eyes.
“Call the doctor!” He roared to one of the security details.
The nurse with evil intentions suddenly felt lost. If she administered the drug with the patient awake, it would cause an instant death, as opposed to the subtle one she intended.
Which would no doubt implicate her. She could not administer the drug, nor could she wait until the doctor came and found that she wasn’t an actual nurse!
Her decision was made when she suddenly took off from the room, pushing her cart with her but Rafael cornered her on the way, asking her questions.
“Can I step in? Is it safe? You didn’t administer the drugs to her.” He looked confused and short of what to do, so much so that he didn’t notice the odd characters the woman before him portrayed.
“The doctor will be here soon. The drugs were supposed to help her awaken but now she is up, there is no need for this anymore. Please excuse me.”
Rafael wanted to question the woman more but when he saw the doctor rush through the hallway, she was old news. Doctor Carson came as soon as he was notified. So much in a hurry that he didn’t notice the nurse slip by with her cart.
Soon enough, June was seated on her bed and having her vitals checked by the doctor. Rafael stood on the side, having not said a word to her since she woke up.
“How do you feel?” Doctor Carson asked as soon as he was done checking.
June who was served a bit of water winced at the almost foreign sensation of water going down her throat. “Like I have been rammed over by a truck?”
She managed to joke even in her incapacitated state. That was the only way she could cope with the pain coming from her waist which was wrapped in a bandage.
“You had an emergency surgery carried out. Thankfully, we are out of the woods. Now, the only thing we need is to get you on your way to recovery.”
“How long?” June muttered, “I hate hospitals.”
“Three months,” The doctor says, then shares a look with Rafael. “Good thing you are going to spend the remnant of your recovery outside the hospital.”
June corked her brow in confusion.
“A word.” Doctor Carson said to Rafael and against every part of him that wanted to stay and guard his wife all day, he stepped out of the room. Not failing to send a look at her from the glass window every now and then.
“I have bad news.” The doctor went for the throat.
A wince. “Spill.”
“The hospital cameras have been hacked. All footage from three days ago disappeared from the archives without a trace.”
A cold aura shot out of Rafael. “I have my men working on it.”
Doctor Carson nodded in understanding.
“Until we are certain, I think it’s best to move her to the house.” The doctor suggested. I could come around every day to check on her progress. I really feel like she would be a lot safer there than here.”
“She can’t walk.” Rafael pointed out.
It would be risking a lot to have her moved when her wounds were still so fresh. He didn’t want her feeling any more pain than she already is.
“We can have her moved without straining her wounds. I will be here to oversee it. I just need to get her to safety.”
Seeing the doctor’s persistence, he agreed and there, they planned to get her out of the hospital before the night fell. Meanwhile, at the Rivera house, Evelyn and her mother sat in the living room, waiting for news of June’s death.
Suddenly, a burner phone rang and April was quick to pick it up.
“It is done.” A voice said and immediately dropped the call.
Evelyn watched her daughter for some time, waiting to hear the news. Instead, April broke into a smile, a far stretch from her countenance in the three days they had performed damage control on her impulsive attack.
“She’s dead! We are free! I won!” She snickered, hugging her mother tightly.
Unknown to her, she would soon realise how wrong she was to think that it was over when it was just the beginning. That night, June was smuggled out of the hospital in an ambulance as a dead body, alive for one reason.
To get even.