Stop it! uncle

Chapter 2

  DAMIEN
I rubbed my temples as I leaned against the back seat. Today's meeting had been hectic, but the merger was finally successful.

What I'd wanted for years had finally been accomplished. My staff had been working nonstop for weeks. They all deserved a bonus. I made a mental note to tell my secretary to do that later.
    
“To the mansion” I said to the driver as soon as he started the ignition. After working non-stop for weeks and sleeping at the office, I just wanted a time out from everything.

I closed my eyes to take a short nap when all of a sudden the car screeched to a halt with the driver muttering a curse. “What happened?”. “Sir a young girl just ran in front of our vehicle”. I looked up and saw a young girl being blinded by the car lights with a biwildered look on her face before she dropped to the ground.
     
I rushed out to check and there she was, unconscious on the road just in front of our vehicle. Cars were honking behind us but I didn't care. I took in the state of her appearance, disheveled black hair, bruised cheek, dirty white dress stained with blood.

‘What the hell’ I thought to myself as I picked her up and put her in the back seat. I looked up and saw the driver looking at me like he just saw a ghost enter the back seat and not his boss.
     
He kept on glancing from the girl to me with an unsure expression. “Sir are you sure? We can just call 911 or your secretary to take her to the hospital”.

Well, I couldn't blame him,everyone knew how I hated being touched by other people or people invading my personal space not to speak of the 'other gender'.

Women were conniving, clever creatures willing to do anything to get what they wanted. An embodiment of deception and seduction, so I liked to keep them at bay.
      
But as I looked at this unconscious girl beside me, her face had a look of pure innocence nothing like the other women who tried to get close to me and I was almost compelled to protect her from all evil.

I consoled myself by telling my mind I was doing my civil duty. “Drive” I said to my driver who flinched at my harsh tone, I was somehow irritated by the whole situation and not knowing why.

'It's because she's affecting you' the voice in my head mocked. “Sir the hospital or…….”. “hospital” I said leaning back into my seat. I glanced at the girl next to me.
     
She was so young, probably 13 or so and skinny too. I looked at the bruise on her lip, suddenly getting angry at the thought of someone hurting her.

I looked further down and noticed the bruises on her neck, my gut telling me those bruises extended downwards way more than her neck area. I gritted my teeth “drive faster” and the driver picked up his pace.
      
We arrived at the hospital and she was taken to the ward of my personal doctor, Amelia, a woman in her late fifties. “Tend to her” I said and walked out of the room.

I was about exiting the hospital when my mind wandered to the little girl alone in the hospital who would wake up frightened at where she was.

I thought of her wounds and now I suddenly didn't trust my doctor to handle her. “Sir aren't we leaving anymore?”. my driver asked, cutting through my thoughts.

“No” I said in yet another irritated tone. “We wait till she wakes up”.
      
He looked stunned with eyes bulging out of their sockets like I had suddenly grown another head. I wasn't one to care for others but I wanted to protect this little girl.

I walked back to her ward and sat outside, my mind occupied by the little girl.

  CRYSTAL'S POV
         
I opened my eyes, shutting them quickly from the brightness of the room. I opened them more slowly this time adjusting to the brightness of the room.

I noticed my surroundings and realized I was in the hospital but having no memory of how I found myself here. I tried to sit up but a groan escaped my mouth as my body protested at the change of position.

All of a sudden, I noticed a dark figure looming in front of me.
      
My eyes were at the level of the figure's chest as I realised this figure was a man. I looked up slowly and observed the man.

He was handsome, I looked from his pink full lips to his high pointed nose and finally his deep blue eyes which somehow reminded me of the ocean I saw in the books I read.
   
I found those eyes staring back at me. It seemed this man was the one who saved my pathetic life which I was not sure I should be grateful for as I had run in front of his car to end my life in the first place.

“How old are you?” I heard a deep husky voice asking me which obviously belonged to this strange man.

Wait wasn't the question usually supposed to be ‘are you okay?’, ‘does anywhere hurt?’, ‘should I call your parents or the doctor?’ or where the movies wrong?.

But this man had a very commanding aura and I was compelled to speak even when I didn't want to. "I-I a-am…." I struggled to say, my voice very hoarse. It hurt to speak.
     
Suddenly there was a glass of water in front of me. “Drink” the man with the commanding aura said and I was compelled again to drink.

I grabbed the glass and brought it to my lips my hoarse throat screaming in delight at the cool liquid passing down.

I gulped the water ferociously not stopping till I drained the last drop. I felt much better now. "I am fifteen, today is my birthday so I'm fifteen today" I said to the intimidating man in front of me.

I knew there was no need for the additional information I said out, but I just wanted someone to know that it was my birthday today.
      
"Give me your parents number" he finally said what was supposed to be among the first sentences you asked someone who was just involved in an accident or didn't this man know that, maybe he probably got confused. What a strange man!.

I thought back to the question he asked and I knew for sure that I didn't want to go home.
        
My little accident was all from me running away from home in the first place. Going back would be a waste of effort.

So I pondered on my next question which was to ask this stranger for help. He looked like he was in his early twenties. "I don't want to go home sir".I croaked in a small voice.

“Why?’’he asked, getting irritated but I didn't mind and went on to narrate everything to him, from my mother's death to my father's second marriage and my step mother's treatment towards me and me running away from home,all the while looking down to avoid contact with this man and finally finished my story.
      
“I don't want to go back there” I pleaded with tears in my eyes “no one loves me there, I can come and work for you. I can clean and do any house chore if you can just provide a roof over my head and…” I blabbered on.

This man was obviously going to say no but I was helpless and desperate now so I clutched the corner of his well tailored suit. I mustered the courage I needed and looked up at him “please don't make me go back there”.