Bought #complete (Sequel to Sold)

Chapter Fourteen

If I have sinned, what have I done to you, oh watcher of men, why have you made me your target.

With a soft moan, Tia's eyes flickered open. She glanced around, not recognizing her environment. Where was she? She tried to stand but something drew her back. She glanced at it; a cord, connected to her hand; drip. Next to her, Sisi sat with her head bowed, resting on the side of her hospital bed; she was in the hospital. What happened?

“Aunty” She touched Sisi's hand.

“Hm?” Sisi glanced up. Her face was swollen and stained with tears. Her eyes were red and bore a lot of sadness in them. “Tia, are you okay?” She leaned forward and touched her forehead.

Seeing her tears, Tia knew that Sisi was aware already. But why didn't she desert her?

“I'm sorry” She murmured and tears slipped down Sisi's cheeks.

“You knew?”

“Yes” She whispered. She knew, she had known for two years and had said nothing. She didn't have the energy to say anything or to speak to anyone about it. They would have rejected her, turned her away and left her homeless.

“Why didn't you tell me?” Hurt laced every word. “Tia, do you understand what is happening to you?”

“I'm Hiv positive” She nodded.

“What happened, how did you contact the virus?”

She looked away, not wanting to talk about it. She never wanted to talk about it; talking about it would mean reliving the past and she didn't want to.

“Tia?” Sisi beckoned but she didn't look at her, she couldn't answer the question.

****

Sisi fought against the urge to shake Tia. She was frustrated and angry. How could Tia do this to her, how could she keep such a huge secret away from her and as if it wasn't enough that the teen had lied to her all these months, she wasn't answering her questions.

Standing up, she walked out of the Hospital ward; she needed to think. She needed to think and cry and vent her anger on something, anything. Her vision blurred as tears filled her eyes.

“Sisi” She felt strong arms around her. Leaning forward, she rested in the comfort those arms brought her. She buried her head in his chest and cried some more. He held on to her. After a few minutes, she pulled away, trembling. “You need to eat something” She glanced up at Andrew as he touched her face and wiped her tears.

“I'm too angry to eat” She murmured.

“How about a drink?” He asked, a smile playing at the corners of his lips.

She shook her head. “Go home, Andrew. It is quite late and you have stayed long enough. You should rest”

“Sisi” He touched her face. “If you think I'm going to leave you here alone, you are mistaken”

“And if you think I'm going to let you stay, you are mistaken” She protested and he smiled.

“Still feisty, eh?”

Just then, the Doctor made his way towards them, the look on his face saying there was more bad news.

“I'm afraid there is more” He said. Instinctively, Andrew put his right arm around her shoulder for support. “She has Aids and a cancerous tumor has formed in her lungs”

Sisi felt her entire world spinning. She turned and buried her face once more in Andrew's chest. It almost felt like someone was taking her heart and ripping it to pieces. She couldn't live with this pain. A loud sob escaped her lips and the arms around her tightened it's grip.

“Everything will be fine” Andrew whispered.

She shook her head. Nothing was fine. Nothing was going to be fine. God had waged a war against her; he had transitioned from ignoring her to fighting against her. A wave of depression washed over her and she felt herself sinking in it once more. She needed Remi, she needed him before it was too late, before she drowned completely.