A Love Bargain

015: The hospital visit

Pearl

My heart pounded frantically as I perched halfway on the car seat, feeling sweat form in my palms. My heartbeat raced in sync with the car's speed as the driver weaved through traffic.

Anxiety had engulfed me

I trailed my gaze through the buildings, cars and people wandering up and down the roadside, while so many questions played out in my head.

What happened? What happened to Felicia? But if she was the one hurt why were they in a children's hospital? I wondered.

Y'all might be wondering why I was seated in a taxi, worrying about Felicia, the same Felicia who had mocked me for being single. But family is family and no matter how much we fight, we always had to be there for each other, especially in bad times and now was a bad time.

A few minutes after the driver turned into the road that led to the hospital, The big hospital building slowly came into view as we approached. I took in a deep breath and released trying to calm my nerves down. I didn't know what was happening but the tone my sister used, was making me want to shit in my pants.

I unzipped my bag, dug my hand in and brought out the money for payment. As I turned my face up to the driver, he had already halted in front of the hospital building. When he turned behind for his money, my hand was already stretched out to him. After I paid, I pushed the door open and hurriedly walked to the hospital gate.

I walked through the front gate and as I made my way to the Emergency unit, my gaze trailed up to the building where the name Moonlight Children's Hospital was crafted boldly on it. It was a very huge building at that. I hated hospitals, the antiseptic smell, the germs and the fact that people die in them, every day, always scared the shit out of me.

I approached the empty front desk and since no one was there at the moment, I dug my hand into my bag, whipping out my phone. But just as I was about to call my sister, a voice came from the side.

"Sis."

I turned my face and saw my sister approach me. She had on pink shorts, a black oversized T-shirt, and Pam's footwear. "They have been transferred to the ward." She said, halting in front of me.

"What happened?" I asked. She reached for my hand and side by side, we walked to the elevator.

"It's Felicia's husband again," She glanced at me. "This time, she was trying to escape her husband but Sophia got pushed and hit her head on the stairs." She said. I could feel her grip tighten around mine. We got to the elevator, I pressed the open button and we walked in.

"Why would he hurt his child?" I asked. Her finger rested on the 3rd-floor button and we watched as the elevator door shut closed. "Is she awake?" I asked, looking at her.

"Not yet but Peter said she will be fine." She said and shifted her gaze to me, "I feel bad for what I said to her at the wedding." I could see tears, forming in her eyes.

"Calm down Mara, you can apologise to her later," I said and she nodded. Silence fell through and not long after, the elevator door clicked open.

Holding my sister's hand, we marched down the white tiled floor, passing by the white painted wall, down the hallway as she led me to the unit where my family was. As we approached the ward, I saw my brother, Chike push Felicia's husband and next was Felicia's younger brother Kennedy, who landed a blow on his face. I and Amara glanced at each other before running up to them, our hands leaving one another.

"Chike!" I yelled as my brother landed another blow on his face. "Stop!" I yelled and pushed him away. I glanced in Kennedy's direction, my sister had already gotten a hold of him.