angel baby (heavy editing)

30.0

         If life gave you shit, expect hell. Right now, Lia was in hell. After almost colliding with another car on her way to the hospital, she had a flat fire halfway there and couldn't find a mechanic nearby or enough concentration to change the flat herself. She took a cab and out of the blue, traffic started. Not willing to sit still, she alighted and ran all the way to the hospital. She was in hell.
        Lia walked into the hospital and rushed to the Emergency Unit. In the crowded hallway, she saw her son before he saw her and rushed towards him. When she got close, he noticed her and immediately stood up from where he sat with Derek and rushed to hug her. He immediately cried out. Eighteen years and not once had Chris ever cried out.
"She wasn't waking up", his voice broke as he hugged her even tighter.
"She wasn't waking up. She just laid there"
"Shuu, shuu, it'll be alright"
Lia wasn't sure. She had received a phone call from Chris's voice. Derek was the one who called because he was too delirious to talk. Kathy had fainted and wasn't waking up.
She swore she was alright.
She fought with every will in her to keep her tears at bay. If Chris saw any tear from her, she feared he would finally break.
Right then, she noticed Oliver. She had been informed Oliver found her. She tried to say thank you with her eyes it didn't seem to work. The tears were about to fall.
She pulled out of the hug,
"Has the doctor said anything, baby?" She grabbed his cheeks. He still looked delirious.
He managed to shake his head. That was not right.
"Stay here with Derek. I'll find out something"
Just then,
"Guardian of Kathryn Cameron"
Lia immediately moved forward.
"Here. I'm the mother"
Chris moved closer to her. She grabbed his hand. The grip at which he held back almost surprised her.
"Mrs Cameron, Kathy has fallen into coma"
Lia felt a dizzy spell hit her.
" W-what? But- But she was fine this morning"
"It was caused by a necrosis that was discovered too late. Some of the essential cells in Kathy's brain needed for her wellbeing are dead or infected"
Brain. Dead. Infected.
"Is it caused by her tumor? The d-doctor promised they got it all out. They said she would be fine"
"Mrs Cameron, we need to operate on her as soon as possible. We'll get the best neurosurgeon available the moment you give your word and fill out some paperwork"
Paperwork. Money.
What would she do? What was she going to do?
"Without the surgery, what would happen to her?"
The doctor hesitated, looked at everyone standing by Lia before his gaze met hers back. He was at least in his late 50s, Lia noticed. Her daughter was going to die.
"More cells and eventually tissues will die. She would be pronounced brain dead, put on life support until..." He trailed off.
Doctors were so mean. They paraded around being all mean.
"Can you give me a few minutes to make a few phone calls?" She told him. She hoped she did. Was this even real?
" I'm sorry", she thought she heard the doctor say as she watched his retreating back.
"I'm be right back. Stay with Derek", she said to Chris pulling her hand from his or trying to. Chris wouldn't budge.
"Please, stay"
"I'm trying to save your sister. Stay with Derek!" She said harsher and louder than intended but it seemed to do the the trick. She walked away without turning back.  She couldn't feel guilty now. She wouldn't.
      She barely arrived at the hospital's restroom before she was throwing up in one of the bathroom stalls.
When will this end?
Lia was exhausted. She flushed the toilet and excited the stall and stood in front of one of the wash  hand basins to clean herself up a bit.
Lia stared at herself in the mirror, almost not recognizing herself. The light in her eyes died ages ago.
Who was she going to call? Who did she know?
But wait, she knew someone. The asshole left her to raise a child alone. He owed this one. No he owed her nineteen she spent raising a child alone.
Lia brought out her phone from her front pocket intent on calling him. Her phone rang just as she brought it out.
    Lena, the caller read.
Lia would smile if life wasn't royally fucking with her.
"Hello?" She said as she answered the call.
"Hey gorgeous. Are you still at work? Are we still on for tonight?"
Lia was going to cry. Their date tonight was supposed to change their relationship for good tonight. She had had that feeling all week until now. Would they ever go on a date ever again? Would Kathy survive? Would Chris survive it? She was going to lose everything.
"Lia, are you okay? Are you crying?"
"My daughter is dying and I don't know what to do"
" Wait, what? Lia"
" I can't afford her bills. She's going to be declared brain dead in a few days if she isn't operated on. What am I going to do?"
" Lia, calm down. You're hyperventilating"
" I don't know what to do. I have no one to call. I have no one. I haven't had anyone in so long. I'm so tired"
"Lia, Lia, listen to me"
" I'm so tired"
"Listen to me, Lia. I'm going to take care of everything. I'm going to take care of everything, I promise. Sit tight at the hospital. I'll join you soon. Lia, can you hear me?"
Lia was muttering something. What exactly, she didn't know.
" Lena"
"I'm going to take care of everything. I love you", she hung up.
" Lena, Lena. Don't go, I love you too"
Don't leave.
           Lena was someone who rarely broke under pressure. There was almost nothing that could come her way that could dishevel her but right then, she felt herself breaking. The anguish she heard in Lia's voice made her willing to go any miles to never hear that anguish ever again. She gently knocked on the door that could lead to the answer to every financial help Lia would need.
"Come in", the voice said.
Lena opened the door to see Jessica Borghese lying on her bed a magazine in hand. She was almost angry at her, almost.
"Lena, I thought you left"
"I was about to, ma'am but I needed to ask for a favor"
"Oh", Jessica dropped the magazine, "you almost never do. Is everything okay?"
"Um, my girlfriend's daughter is um at the hospital sick"
"Wait, your girlfriend's daughter, Lia's daughter, Kathy is sick?"
Lena hadn't explicitly told her boss she was dating Lia but she didn't hide it.
"Yes. It's very life threatening and if Kathy isn't operated on, she's going to die"
"She needs money", Jessica said.
Lena didn't know how to feel about Jessica's tone. It wasn't rude but it wasn't nice either.
"Yes. Lia cannot afford it"
She couldn't afford it either. Brain surgery was no joke. If she could, she wouldn't have bothered to come to Jessica.
"I'll help her, of course I'll help her"
Jessica felt instant relief. Thank God. What had she expected though? Lia was very connected to Jessica. She housed Jessica's birth son.
"Only if she agrees to the arranged marriage proposition"
The smile that was starting to form immediately vanished. Lena blinked. She must have heard wrong, right?
" Ma'am?"
" I'll help only if she agrees that my son, one day would marry her son"
Lena couldn't believe those words were being said by Jessica.
" Her daughter is dying"
" It only takes one word of affirmation from her"
WHAT ABOUT THE BOYS?! DID I FORGET TO MENTION HER DAUGHTER IS DYING?!!!
But of course Lena didn't say any of them out loud. It wasn't her place. She was only the assistant. In the past, she used to think the hate against Jessica was unwarranted. Maybe they weren't.
"Ma'am" she tried to sound as professional as possible. She should quit her job. She should yell in Jessica's face but she did neither, only turned and started to walk out.
"You and Lia. How long have you been dating?"
Lena stopped for a second.
"About three months", she said before adding, "I was going to propose tonight"

(A/N: I apologize for any error and typos whatsoever. I want to mention I am not in the sciences at all, like at all. I barely offered any science courses in secondary school or as the Americans would say, high school so I didn't go deep with the medical names so I'm not even certain if someone can be comatose so suddenly. Wait they can. Regardless, this is a work of fiction)