CHAPTER 84
LILY’S POV
“NO!!!…” I kept screaming, whipping my face from side to side as my entire body quivered uncontrollably. “Don’t take them away from me… Please don’t hurt them…they’re just kids…”
Shivers ran through me as I felt beads of sweat and goosebumps pop out all over my skin, perhaps due to the heat from that intense fire. I felt a pair of strong hands pressing my shoulders down against the surface to stop me from moving.
Believing it was Robert, I forcefully slid my eyes open to push him away and throw him a punch only to realize it was Noah.
“It’s okay, Lily,” he calmed me, holding me down by the shoulders to keep me from thrashing around. “It’s not real. It’s just a dream. You’re safe, okay?”
I stared at him, wide-eyed and confused, as he kept reassuring me that I was safe. Glancing around, I realized I was still in the hospital. The steady beeping of the heart monitor and the hum of other medical machines filled the room. Outside, I could hear the faint voices of people mingling with the sound of footsteps and squeak of wheels being pushed down the hallway.
“I’ll go get the doctor,” Noah said and quickly raced out of the room.
I can’t believe all that was in a dream, the fire, endless hallway and rooms. I could have sworn it felt so real. I checked my dislocated upper arm and shoulder only to realize it was in perfect condition, and I didn’t feel as weak as I felt before. A huge sigh of relief escaped my lips on realizing that.
If all that was a dream then I didn’t have to worry so much. But it was a very terrible dream. One that shook me to the bones. And it could only mean one thing. Robert had my kids. He was the one that took them from the park. He was doing this to take them away from me and make me suffer. What a bastard!
I glanced around the room with the faint hope of finding a clock or any device that measured time. I needed to know for how long I was passed out. But I couldn’t find any.
Notwithstanding, I began to carefully remove the wires attached to my body. I had no time to waste. I needed to catch the next flight to New York and get my kids from Robert. I don’t want them to spend even a minute of their lives with him. In the dream, they were terrified of him and said he was hurting them. I can’t imagine what he was doing to them. He must be trying so hard to make them forget me.
“What are you doing?” Noah asked in disbelief as he rushed to me on the bed. “You can’t take those off. You haven’t been cleared yet.”
“For how long have I been passed out?” I asked, ignoring his question and continuing with what I was doing.
“You were unconscious all of yesterday evening and through the night,”
“What?…” My breath caught as I stared at him in shock.
How is it possible that I have been unconscious for that long? I thought it was just getting to dusk yesterday. Whatever that fake nurse injected me with must be something very strong. That meant my kids spent half of the day and the whole night in captivity with Robert. No…this can’t be happening. I must hurry before it’s too late.
I started taking off the wires attached to my body very quickly when a gentle masculine voice stopped me.
“Please don’t do that. You could hurt yourself. I’ll have the nurses come do it shortly.”
I lifted my gaze to see a doctor dressed in a white lab coat and a pair of clear reading glasses that gave him a professional look. Around his neck was a stethoscope and in his hands was a clipboard with a pen attached to it.
“How are you feeling now?” he asked with a gentle smile as he approached. His demeanour and warmth reminded me so much of the doctor who had revealed to me I was pregnant with twins.
“I feel great,” I said quickly. “Could you please call the nurse now to take these wires off? I’m in a bit of a hurry. And my clothes and bag too. Tell her I need to my clothes and bag.”
I remember entering the room taxi driver was admitted with my Taser and hammer. I wasn’t able to take them away before I passed out. I just hope Noah managed to somehow get rid of them before the officer stationed at the room arrived. Though the Taser came in handy as I used it to take out that fake nurse, I don’t want anyone suspecting me of violence or any criminal activity.
“I will do that,” the doctor reassured with a smile as he stood beside the bed. “I understand you’re eager to leave, but I need to check a few things first.”
He took out a small flashlight from his pocket. Leaning over, he shone the light into my eyes and also checked my heartbeat with the stethoscope. “Have you been experiencing any chest pain, heartburn or dizziness since you woke up?”
“No, none at all,” I replied, shaking my head vigorously. “I promise I’m fine.”
“I asked because you were injected with a lethal substance known as potassium chloride. In high doses, it can stop the heart and brain activity, leading to instant death. Fortunately, in your case, the dose was small enough that we were able to counteract its effects with rapid administration of calcium gluconate and other stabilizing treatments.” The doctor explained.
My eyes widened on realizing that a fake nurse wanted to kill me and that taxi driver instantly. I couldn’t imagine dying and leaving my kids all alone in this world, in the hands of Robert. I wondered if the taxi driver made it alive because the dose that a fake nurse injected into his IV tube was pretty high.
The doctor glanced at the monitor beside me and jotted something down. “Your vitals look stable, but rushing your recovery isn’t ideal. You know that, right?”
I nodded like one being scolded.
“I’m sorry,” I muttered as I looked away.
The doctor sighed. “Alright. I’ll sign the discharge papers, but on one condition: you need to take it easy for the next few days. If anything feels off, come back immediately and let me know.”
I nodded eagerly, already throwing the blanket off my legs. “I will do it. Thank you, Doctor. I promise I’ll be careful.”
He nodded and made his way towards the door. On reaching the door, he stopped and then turned his attention back to me as though he forgot to mention something. “Miss Jones?”
“Yeah…” I answered.
“You’re a hero.”