Tension hung still in the air.
It deflated when Rosa suddenly popped up behind. "What's going on here?" She studied Bob and intentionally giving diamond a rigid shoulder.
"Is everything ok, darling? Was she bothering you?" Rosa stole a contemptuous glance at the disappointed girl who was fuming silently.
Bob's adam apple danced nervously in his throat. He tucked his hands inside his jeans pocket and looked away from Diamond to Rosa. "No problem. Diamond was just about to take her leave".
"What!" She gasped, shooting Bob a look of betrayal. One minute she was hoping Bob was less of a jerk by telling her the truth which she longed to hear. Fire shot through her and it took great resilience to hold it together. She knew the problem here. Rosa held Bob spellbound. If she could just talk him out of it... convince him.
"Diamond", Bob continued, "You need to go. Your mother needs to to to tone held an apology that Diamond didn't buy.
Rosa who had been smiling smugly all this while, "Oh poor Diamond, I heard your mother had an accident. Is she ok now?
Still preserving the fire in her, Diamond looked at Rosa, her eyes snapping. "I'm sure you don't need to worry".
Rosa shook her head and Bob was just standing there awkwardly.
"Are you going to tell me?" Her eyes were glassy and there was nothing she was able to do to stop him from seeing her like that. God, why was she so emotional these days. "I know you are not my real father but I'm not begging you for money, I just want to know his name. Why won't you tell me?"
Bob shut his eyes. Even this was strangely hard for him.
"Please go and never come back", was his reply.
Rosa took Bob into the house and shut the door. Again. Rejection was painful, but so was disappointment. Somehow, the combination of the two was disheartening... that was how Diamond was feeling.
[IN THE HOSPITAL]
"It's like a miracle, your vital organs are improving so fast, Mrs Freda". Doctor Seth told Freda who had a deadpan expression on her face. He flipped through some files on the cabinet.
"Where is diamond?"
Dr Seth had expected the question. Honestly, he had no idea where the girl was. He had found her in the morgue last night. Who knew where she'll be now. The whole thing got him exhausted.
"I'm sure she'll come around. She must be tired", He said assuringly.
"No Freda shooked her head. "She's mad at me". Doctor Seth looked at the sorry woman and thinned his lips. He looked at her for a long moment. "How so?"
"Just some family issues going on", Freda said. "I wish I could go back in time... I swear, I didn't think everything will turn out like this".
She did look so remorseful and Dr. Seth thought about what he had overheard. He had taken Diamond's side and was honestly upset about all the trauma she was facing. Freda on the other hand said she was protecting Diamond. From what?
But he didn't ask her.
"She hates me now all because I never told her who her true father was. She grew up all these years thinking my husband was her father". Then she winced. "Bob tried to take advantage of her".
Freda didn't know why, but she just spilled everything out to this unknown doctor who had been treating her.
"This Bob guy," Doctor Seth chipped in, "He seems nasty. But Mrs Freda, most times, telling people the truth is the only protective way to show that you care about them".
Freda knew that she didn't need a lecture, but the only problem they didn't know was that the father of Diamond was dangerous. He abandoned her. Freda didn't want that kind of man in her life, or her daughter's. Why was everyone making her look like the bad person? All she wanted was to give diamond a loving father. Not like she later got one anyways, She sighed.
"I'm drawing closer to my grave and I've offended my only child, big time. How would I ever be able to forgive myself". Freda wailed. Doctor Seth sat down on the cabinet. "You should tell her the truth".
"But she's not going to come back. She hates me!"
He sighed. "I'm not so sure about that".
Freda botted upright and looked at him like he was talking gibberish.
He continued. "Two days ago, your daughter handed me the money for your brain surgery. I was going to ask her how she came about it, considering the condition of things but she told me not to tell you and gave no reasons why. She only said she wanted you alive".
"What? How?" Freda whispered to herself, finding it hard to believe. They were poor... Bob was wretched and a surgery would cost a fortune. "How much for the surgery... how much did she give you? And why didn't you tell me?!"
Freda looked so stupefied that doctor Seth began to reconsider what he was going to say next.
"You have to calm down. Don't overreact". He said carefully, studying the stress faced woman, then he said faltering. "The surgery is close to four hundred thousand dollars".
A sudden rush of pain rang through her head, to her spine, and immediately she was weak. doctor Seth knew she was highly susceptible to another concussion despite all the medications. He knew the worst could happen if Freda stressed too much, and that could lead to a coma or permanent brain damage.
He should say something to her before she passes out for good. A creeping feeling clouded him. He should do something he can't imagine losing Freda, Diamond would go crazy. He realised the best prescription to a patient was emotional support. Everything about Diamond and her mother made him remember the woman, the first patient he lost and her heart condition. That was another reason why he took Diamond's case personal.
"Don't worry", He walked over to where she sat, looking down at her crestfallen face. "I will put a call across and I know she'll respond. She's a child, no matter how angry she is, she won't avoid you forever. She can't survive out there, alone.
"I hope so, doctor, I am so scared and confused..."
"I understand. Just give her some time".
Freda was mute, thinking about the whole thing. She knows Bob couldn't afford that amount of money, so where did Diamond get it from? It wasn't from her part-time job, then how?
How she hated Bob. Where have he been this whole time? Was Diamond still living in the same house with her stepfather who tried to rap* her even in her absence.
Like the saying goes, the fear of the unknown was the scariest. Freda is just sitting down on a bed 24/7 and many terrifying things may be happening to her daughter.
She had to do something. She looked up to him. "Is there a way I can go home and see Diamond?"
"I'm afraid no. You can't go out like this", He said.
"But her life could be in danger". In fact, the more she thought of it, the more worried she got. "Please, I need to see her. I don't trust her being alone with Bob".
And doctor Seth found a good point there. He has only heard about Bob, and god dammit what he almost did to poor Diamond. If he did anything to her, he won't stop blaming himself for not doing anything about it. If Diamond got into any form of harm, that would also affect Freda's health... permanently, and it will be his fault.
This was not all about prescribing drugs for patients. It was about experimenting other options to make a patient feel better than drugs. If reaching out to Diamond physically was the only way to pacify the panicking woman who was at risk of death then he had to do something and he knew a better way.
"Then I'll go", He said confidently. Anyways it was already time for him to go home his shift was over.
She gave him a sharp look. "No way, that's not even your problem".
Yes it wasn't his problem, but she didn't know what it felt like to lose a patient, especially one you've gotten involved personally. "You are not in the perfect condition to leave the hospital and in no circumstances until the surgery is successfully carried out. I will help you. Meanwhile I suggest you do something about your husband, he's a wanted person".
"And what can I actually do to him. He's my husband", She said shamefully.
His face crinkled. "He's your husband, yet, he wants to hurt your daughter".
She breathed. "Thank you for helping me reach my daughter, here's the address" She quickly wrote something down and gave it to him.
He gave a slight nod, took the files, the paper, and left the room.