They drove back to the hospital. Chorale was still in the emergency room, being operated on. Like earlier, the doctors just kept going and coming, for more than three hours and even Caleb was scared now. Mama Rica had called both their numbers several times but they couldn’t answer. She was calling again on Kay’s phone, but he just stared at it till the call ended. She called again and he just kept staring till Caleb snatched the phone from him and answered it,
“Hello, Mama Rica,” Caleb greeted in a low voice.
“Caleb, did you find Chorale? How are you? How is Kay? Are you safe?” She asked in a very fast agitated voice. Under different conditions, Caleb would’ve made a joke out of it.
“Mama Rica, Kay and I are okay. Chorale…” he turned to Kay to confirm from him if it was safe to tell Mama Rica for he did not want to risk her having any hypertensive episodes. Kay just stood up and walked away. Caleb sighed heavily, “Mama Rica, Chorale and the baby, they’re not doing so well. Chorale was shot close to the heart and she’s in very critical condition.”
There was a long pause and then he heard a loud cry from Mama Rica. It broke his heart but he had to be strong for all of them, now that Kay was behaving so guarded and reticent, probably blaming himself for what Chorale was going through now.
“Mama Rica, please pray for them” he told her and hung up.
He searched around for Kay but did not find him. After about an hour of sitting at the reception all by himself, he felt thirsty and was going to the cafeteria to take a bottle of water.
The hospital chapel was on the same side of the hospital as the cafeteria. He saw Kay, sitting on one of the benches in the chapel, with his head in his hand. Caleb noticed that his body was shaking. He was trying to pray but the words weren’t coming out, all Caleb heard were low whimpers.
He walked inside and sat on the bench behind him. After some time when he was sure Kay was a bit calmer, Caleb moved to sit beside him, looking directly ahead of him. They sat there for a long time, not saying anything to each other, for there was nothing to be said.
A doctor came in and they both stood up at once,
“Mr. Sanders?” the doctor asked, his gaze shifting between the two men. It was a different doctor from the one he met in the afternoon.
Kay stepped forward, “I’m he”
“I’m sorry Mr. Sanders,”
Caleb held his friend’s shoulder. ‘I’m sorry’ was never followed by good news.
“…we tried all we could and were able to remove the bullet but,” he paused a while.
Kay could not look the doctor in the face. He covered his mouth with trembling hands.
“She’s not responding to anything. She lost a lot of blood and the baby’s heart also seems to have stopped beating.”
The tears just spilled freely, even Caleb had tears in his eyes.
“Usually, the outcomes of cases like this are not very good. We feel the need to inform you so that you can be prepared for anything.”
Kay left the chapel. Caleb nodded at the doctor and run after his best friend.
He met him sitting in the car. He looked a mixture of furious, hurt and guilty. Caleb sat in the driver’s seat. They sat in silence for a while before Kay spoke up.
“Where was the body of her colleague doctor sent to?”
“They sent it to the morgue in the Military Hospital.” He answered.
YOU ARE READING
CHORALE SANDERS
Romance"I cannot tell you anything right now, but promise me, Mama Rica. Promise me you'll take care of him for me, now that I won't be here to." She took the older lady's face in her hands, looking at her with very teary eyes. "Don't leave him like I am...
