WOUNDED

11. Daddy?

Spending time with her dad had helped a lot and Alex was feeling better. Though she spent most of her days hiding in her room, every now and then her dad would manage to drag her out. She'd met the woman her dad was seeing; Jennifer, who was the sweetest person ever. They'd gone out to get dinner together and gotten to know each other and she was a sweetheart. She was the exact opposite of her mum,laid back, no five layers of make-up on and overall a nice person.
      
Alex was so much happy for both of them and couldn't wait to see them married. The fact that Jennifer or Jenny as she preferred to be called, dropped by from time to time and even made them dinner was so lovely and sweet and Alex couldn't help but like her alot. Her dad looked happier and she knew Jenny was the cause of that.
          
Dave had lost a few pounds which Alex had noticed but dealing with personal problems she'd failed to follow it up. He had been a good listener when Alex confessed about her heartbreak and had even suggested beating up Dan on her behalf which was kind. Three weeks had passed on quickly and by the end of it she was feeling much better and ready to face school again.
         
Knowing that her father was being taken care of was also comforting and going back to school she felt at ease. Changing rooms was the first thing on her agenda and soon after arriving she made the necessary arrangements. Having made friends over the years it had been easier than she'd thought. Resuming classes eventually and getting used to school once again had become harder than she'd anticipated.
       
Having most classes with Dan was not as hard as seeing him together with her ex best friend. She had initially thought that it had been a one time thing but now she was seeing them all over the place holding hands. The heartbreak she'd tried so hard to overcome was resurfacing and her studies were getting affected. Hooking up with random people had definitely been a huge mistake, but at the time it was the only thing she could think of as a distraction.
         
The first guy had lasted about a month and as distracting as it was, she couldn't stand him any longer. From there on she'd regularly get on with different guys and the parties that she'd avoided so much at first had become the next best thing. From getting roaring drunk, to missing classes,she wasn't surprised when she was summoned to the office. Being a top student since year one to dramatically failing had definitely been noticeable. Having nothing to say for herself, her lecturers had stopped questioning her.
      
By the time the call came with news that her father had taken ill, Alex was not the same person she had been, prior to leaving her father's house. Dropping everything, she had driven insanely fast to go see her dad. As far as she could remember, her dad never got sick so hearing Jenny stuttering on the phone was worrisome. To make the matter worse, she had been instructed to drive to the hospital and not to the house.
           
Getting to the hospital, Jenny had been waiting for her at the reception and whatever she was saying, Alex could not comprehend. "Your dad is just not feeling a bit well so it's nothing to worry about when you go in there." Jenny's quacky voice was enough to get her worried, and looking at the older woman Alex felt a genuine wave of fear. Identifying herself as family she proceeded to the elevator afraid of what she might find.
        
Alex had never been a religious person but riding on that lift she couldn't help but say a little prayer for her dad to whatever deity was listening. Ward 44C was at the farthest end of the corridor on the forth floor.
       
Knocking slightly on the door, Alex pushed the door open.Whatever prayer she'd said had evidently not been heard because the sight before her was ungodly. The man lying on the bed could not be her dad. Some mistake had been made somewhere. Three months could not be enough to have such drastic changes on a person. He was thin, that was the first thing that came to her mind. The other thing to hit her was how frail he looked.
     
When he opened his eyes,the last restrain she had on vanished. His once grey beautiful eyes looked cloudy and dull. "Don't cry baby." His small voice that she couldn't even recognize brought realisation that she had tears falling.
    
"What happened to you daddy?" She hadn't moved from the spot at the door,her feet were not cooperating. "Dad what's wrong?" Her voice was betraying her as much as she was trying to keep it steady. "I'm so sorry baby,I didn't want you to see me like this, I told Jenny not to call you."
      
"What do you mean you told Jenny not to call me,what's going on?" Moving one foot after the other,she knelt at the bedside looking at her dad, that was not her dad. "I've not been feeling well, I wanted to tell you last time but you were going through so much and I didn't want you to get more stressed, but everything will be alright." Alex was going on a panic mode and couldn't comprehend anything his dad was saying.
        
"But I saw you last time and everything was alright,what are you not telling me?" She couldn't help the tears that were flowing so rapidly, this was her dad,her entire life lying on a hospital bed looking lifeless. Nothing could get worse.