From Cradle to the Grave

Chapter 42

Jasmine's POV

I heard him.

I heard each and every word he said. Each and every word that pierced through my heart.

As soon as the words started falling out of his mouth, I wanted to slap the shit out of him. How dare he say something like that?

But as I tried to wake up, I couldn't. My eyes felt heavy. He started saying goodbye and I panicked.

No. This can't be happening.

I heard the scraping of the chair against the floor and realised he was going. Not knowing what to do, I gripped his hand tightly. He stopped and I could feel him tense up. A few seconds passed by and then he pried my fingers apart and took out his hand. As soon as he let go off my hand, I tried lifting it up to reach for him. But just like my eyes, my hand felt heavy too. I couldn't understand what was happening and started to freak out.

His footsteps started moving away from me and fading away. I screamed at him in my mind but I knew it was useless. I kept on trying to move but nothing was happening.

As soon as I heard the door closing, I felt my eyes slowly feeling less and less heavy. With difficulty, I opened them but blinked as soon as the light entered.

After a few seconds, I slowly adjusted to the light and looked around. I was in a hospital and was hooked to the IV, that was for sure.

And then I returned to the matter in hand.

I tried to get up but fell back on the bed as my head started spinning and a piercing pain ran through my back. I squeezed my eyes shut and gritted my teeth, waiting for the dizziness and the pain to subside.

I heard the door opening and saw my mother with her eyes wide open and mouth agape.

"Jasmine." She cried and rushed towards me, engulfing me in a gentle hug. I rested my head on her shoulder and sighed. I missed her too.

She cried and kept saying sorry, for what though I don't know. Just then, my father also entered the room and rushed towards me.

Soon we three became a tangled mess of hugs and kisses. Mom and Dad kept fussing about me and asking me whether I  was comfortable. After assuring them for the hundredth time that I was indeed fine, and after even the doctor confirmed that I was fine, I finally asked the question that was flooding my mind.

"Where's Chris?"

At once the whole room went silent. The only sound that could be heard was the heart monitor beeping. I looked at Mom and then Dad. Both of them looked a bit panicked.

I heard what Chris had said. But I didn't want to believe that it was my Dad that proposed we both should stay away from each other. It's not that I think Chris was lying, but I didn't want to  blame my father. But if it really was Dad, I would've to talk to him about it.

"Uhh he is.....he went home. We told him to go. He hadn't left the hospital since you were admitted. So we asked him to go home and rest." Dad said slowly.

I looked at Mom but she was avoiding my eyes. I sighed. No more beating around the bush then.

"I know you know Dad. And I know you asked him to go away. I heard him when he came to say goodbye." I choked at the last word.

Mom and Dad both looked alarmed. They seemed to be at loss of words.

"I don't blame you Dad. I can see why you would do that. I'm trying to see it through your eyes, and I know all you see right now is your little girl with a man a decade older than her. And that too, I took a bullet for him. I know it's your protective side talking right now. So no Dad, I don't blame you."