Just Listen

Chapter 9✔

KP's POV

Never in my wildest dreams could I have ever thought that daddy would be the first one to leave this world. It all happened so fast, one minute his car crashed. The next, people began flooding in as well as the paramedics. I had sunk to the ground by then. Watching daddy's car burst into flames. Luckily, the paramedics got here in time. I watched them struggle to get daddy out until the jaws of life were used.

Saying that he was badly injured would be an understatement. He was unrecognizable.

"DADDY! I WANT MY FATHER!"

"Young lady, we have to get him to the emergency room as soon as possible. You can come with us but, just know that you will not be allowed to enter the ER when we get there." One of the paramedics said to me as I was holding the wheeled stretcher. I nodded and boarded the ambulance with them.

Along the way I pleaded with God to let my dad live. For him to stay with me because, he was all the family I've got.

I couldn't stop the tears that stained my face. Please be okay daddy. I need you. When we arrived at the hospital, they did not allow me to be inside the emergency room with my father. I waited. Seconds turned to minutes. Minutes turned to hours. I paced about not knowing what to do. From my hazy view, I saw that lady I once met... Marley Owens, walking towards me with a dreadful look.

When she stood next to me, she didn't utter a word. She just hugged me and I broke down all over again. We sat down at the waiting room, comforting each other. We wondered how he was doing.

The wait was agonizing. It was approximately 5 hours from the time daddy came in here when a doctor approached us. "Any family members of Mr. Michael Maeve?" He called out. I scrambled up from my seat.

"Here! I'm his daughter."

Marley trailed behind me. The doctor cleared his throat. "Hi there little lad-"

"-Please, just cut to the chase. How is my father doing?"

"I'm very sorry to say this. Your father suffered fatal injuries. From severe head injuries to broken bones and ribs as well as..." he paused. "Darling, your father is unrecognizable to say the least. He's covered in bandages from head to toe and still is in danger. He's in the intensive care unit. You can see him if you like, but you won't like what you'll see. Just a friendly warning. We tried all we could, the rest is up to him."

My world came crushing down. Of course I wanted to see him. As bad as he was, he was still my father.

I entered his ward. What I saw made me nauseous. I felt a sting of melancholy and confusion. My face contorted as though I was struggling not to cry. My life seemed to be seeping through my fingers. I stood next to him. The sad part was, I could not even see his face. The fear of touching him enveloped me. "Oh daddy, why?" My face crumpled like a used tissue.

Few minutes later, Marley walked in. Her voice, thick with tears, "I am so sorry Kamilah. You shouldn't have to see your father this way."

She embraced me. I felt the comfort of her arms and I remembered how I have never felt my own mother's warm embrace. Did she ever think of me? Did she even love me? Where the hell could she be? I had a handful of unanswered questions. Suddenly, the machines keeping daddy alive beeped hysterically. "Marley what's going on?" Daddy's body was convulsing.

I rushed to his side and tried to wake him while Marley called for help. "DADDY! WHAT'S WRONG! WAKE UP! DADDY, PLEASE. DON'T LEAVE ME!"

Momentarily, nurses and a few doctors rushed in. Two of the assistants yelled at me to leave. "No! I am not leaving my father!" I blew a fuse. They ganged up on me and shoved me outside. I couldn't help the tears that oozed out. I sobbed and slumped against the door. Pulling on my hair like a deranged person. "God, why," I choked. Cradling my body.

I felt despair envelope me. A dark cloud hanging from above me. A terrible grief weighing me down. I felt cold and numb. Empty...

"Sweetheart, you need to stay calm. Let's get you something to eat." I heard someone say, crouching next to me. I felt hollow. I couldn't see anything, my vision was blurry. It wasn't long till the doors from Daddy's ward flew open. I slowly wiped my tears away. The moment my sight cleared, I came face to face with with the doctor.

"I'm, so sorry...we, did all we could" he mumbled.

At that very moment, I saw my life flash before my eyes. A minute passed and I just stood there, staring into nothingness. Then two. I turned around to walk away when I felt an electric shock somewhere on my body. "WHAT!?" My brain seemed to have caught on with the doctor.

"Miss, I-"

"Where is my dad?"

"He's gone. We couldn't save him"

I chuckled and grinned. I didn't know how, but I found myself clinging on his neck and some people tried to pull me away from the doctor.

"Leave me alone! You killed him!" I screamed, tightening my grip on his neck.

"Kamilah stop it! Violence won't bring your dad back. He's gone!" Marley croaked.

"Shut up! I want my daddy! Bring him back! Bring. Him. Back. Or I will kill you! I swear to God I will strangle you to death...."

"Please," I finally broke down, loosening my grip on him. The nurses managed to separate us. Leaving me cradling myself on the floor in a fit.

Marley's eyes were bloody red. She hesitantly took me in her arms. "I'm sorry," rocking me back and forth. I hung onto her blouse.

"He's gone Marley. My only family is gone. I have no one left now." We both sobbed.

It must have been hours that Marley and I had been on the floor with the hospital personnel surrounding us. I'm pretty sure they were just ensuring that I did not do anything stupid. Losing my dad took a huge toll on me. It killed me from the inside out. I was all alone now. My mother left first and now him. Am I that hard to love that life decided to permanently make me a loner? Without family. Or friends. Without nothing....