The Grand Viper

19. Upheaval

"Dad! I brought this gold medal! See!" The little girl said excitedly, holding up the shiny medal to him. "All these years of strict practice got me this!"

He was slightly taken aback as he looked at the shiny metal and he immediately threw it away. "I told you to stay out of competitions!"

"But- dad, I worked so hard in taekwondo classes?-"

"Shut up! I don't want to hear anything." He glanced back and walked away, leaving the little girl stunned.

She kneeled and started grabbing the medal. Her vision was blurry from all the tears she held but they fell against the wooden floor as she clutched the medal in her hands.

"Why are you like this dad?" She sniffed as she held the gold in her chest. "Mom would be so proud."

What changed you dad? 
_

I clutched my arms tightly when the cold breeze hit my bare arms. It helped me come back to reality whenever I started drifting into thoughts. The trees covered either side of the quiet road, the only sound being the wheels sliding on the road.

"Still nervous?" Theodore glanced at me.

I took a deep breath. "A little," I said breathily.

Just then the car came to a stop in front of a huge and seemingly rusty white building. In big bold letters "Roofus Mental Clinic" was written.

As soon as I stepped out of the car, chills ran down my spine from the cool breeze. Theodore parked the car and rushed towards me. He gently placed his coat on me and we entered the building.

"Good afternoon. How may I help you?" The receptionist dressed in all white said. She momentarily glanced up from her computer to look at us.

"I was called by Robert Gunn. He was admitted here." I said. She glanced at me and gave me a questionable look.

"There is no one admitted with that name, ma'am." She replied. I squeezed my eyebrows in disbelief.

Soon, Theodore interrupted, "Vincent Steele. Is anyone under that name?"

She typed in something on the computer and she replied, "Yes. What would be your relation with him ma'am?"

"Fath-" I cleared my throat and said, "I'm a close relative. I came to visit him."

"The visiting hours will be over in an hour. Please move to room no. 207." Before I was gonna leave, she promptly said, "He ran away recently so he is a little unstable."

I nodded and turned on my heels. Taking a few turns and climbing the stairs, I finally reached room number 207. Despite my hands trembling, I pushed the door open. The slow creak of sound seemed louder than it was in my head.

There he was.

Sitting on a simple bed looking outside the window. His hands were inside this sweater which was tightly knotted, preventing him from moving further.

"Fa- father..." I said as I walked in. Theodore closed the door behind me as the door came to a shut.

He turned. When he noticed me, his eyes grew wide. His eyes were filled with tears as I approached him.

"Sapphire..." he said as I sat opposite him in a plastic chair. He suddenly looked as if he was ashamed but I didn't understand why.

"You seem ashamed to see your daughter." I scoffed but deep inside, I was trying my best to not break down.

"No, sapphire. No." He said, looking away. "I'm ashamed to see how bad of a father I have been to you. I'm ashamed to show myself to you." He started wailing with tears in his eyes and lay on his bed like a scared child. His screams gradually increased.

"I didn't come all the way here to hear you whine," I repeated the core memory of my father telling me. I could feel the bitter taste lurking on my tongue as I spit those words. "Why are people after you, father?"

He started ticking his head as soon as I asked. "Victor... Victor took it from us. Happiness, money, everything! I trusted him!" He started wailing louder. "I couldn't save your mother! Forgive me- Forgive me, my child! I did it all for you! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Forgive me!"

As he was screaming and crying in front of me, all I could do was freeze looking at his miserable state. He was crying his eyes out and yet- I couldn't take a single step towards him to console him... I didn't know how. How could I show compassion to the one who never showed me, love, when I needed it? I raised my hand to try to touch his tears but before my finger could touch it, I reluctantly withdrew my hand.

He seemed to have noticed Theodore waiting outside the slightly agape door so he sharply said, "Someone is with you?!"

When I looked away he searched my eyes, desperately looking for an answer, "Did I not tell you to not trust anyone?! You fucking bastard!"

There you are, father.

He suddenly got out of bed and started storming towards me. His nose was wrinkled and his eyes showed pure rage and I stood there paralyzed by what I was witnessing. I was reliving my past. But surprisingly, I stood calmly on the chair without budging.

Before he could do more harm to me, the nurses barged in the room. Theodore caught my hand and escorted me out of the room. The surroundings dissolved in my view as he held on to me.

What kind of a daughter had I been?

Is this all my fault?

***

"How are you feeling now?." Theodore rubbed my shoulders and looked down at me.

I looked around reluctantly. When he noticed my confusion, he said," We are still in the clinic. You zoned out for a bit. The doctors advised you to stay for a while. How are you feeling now?"

"I feel-" I got up on my feet, "I feel okay."

"Now, let's head home."

"No." I sharply turned my head to look at him.

"You are not in the state, Ruby.", He said, strongly holding my wrist.

I clenched my jaw and glared at him. "I said I'm okay. I'm not going to zone out again so, let me go."

He's being brought back from the emergency room. Wait for a while." His grip was still hard as steel. I squeezed my hand out of his grip and started walking toward my father's room. When he saw my stubbornness, he decided to tag along. As soon as the elevator doors opened, I saw my father coughing up blood on a stranger's shoulder. My father gasped for the last breath as he looked at me with tears in his eyes and mouthed 'Run'. I couldn't listen to anything as if my ears were deaf. I could only look at him as he stabbed father again and again till he coughed up blood. My body was running on its own towards him while my head was dark. Theodore wrapped his arms around me and shut my mouth tightly.

"Don't. He will kill you.", He whispered in my ear. My body went limp but my eyes only gazed at my father.

I was reliving the same moment I had last seen my mother. His blood was drawn out of his body, forming a similar pool of blood to my mother's. It was not a nightmare I could wake up from. I was living this. Blatantly look at my father, his lifeless eyes staring at me.

When the stranger glanced to the side, I realized he was no stranger to me.

Reece?

***