Susan's heart raced as her phone incessantly rang, a mix of surprise and fear gripping her. Unsettled by the previous incident, uncertainty loomed. The driver, now uneasy, navigated through the ringing distraction, but a sudden blockade by a black car halted their progress. Perplexed, the driver turned to Susan, prompting her with a question cut short by the appearance of two men.
One of them went straight to the door of the back sit where she was sitting and began to knock on the window. Susan was so hesitant to opening the window because she was no longer sure how many enemies she had and who would have sent these two men. She also thought that these two might have been sent by the man from the previous incident but she was now wondering what could it be this time since her trip wasn't something suspicious in her opinion.
On another hand, as Abel and Nina headed to the hospital, he received a message from a subordinate revealing Susan's tracked location. Frustration and anger consumed him because Susan didn't heed his words. Thankfully during the incident earlier his team implanted tracking software on her phone during the commotion. The message served as confirmation that Susan had disregarded his warnings about taking a trip.
Attempting to contact Susan proved futile; she didn't answer despite multiple calls with his hidden caller ID. Annoyed, Abel transferred the signal to his team, instructing them to intercept Susan. Within ten minutes, his men strategically blocked Susan's taxi with two cars.
Abel instructed them to pass a phone to Susan once they apprehended her. Despite the persistent knocking on Susan's window, fear and hesitation prevented her from opening it. As the man was on the verge of breaking the window, the driver swiftly pressed the button, causing it to open. Without uttering a word, the man activated the phone's loudspeaker and extended it toward Susan.
"Going somewhere, Susan?" Abel's voice echoed through the phone and that moment Susan realised who was on the other side of the phone.
"Well, eh....ah....I," Susan stuttered, trying to find the right words that wouldn't put herself and Lisa in danger because the events that had happened earlier were more than vivid to forget.
"Woman, speak! I don't have all day!" Exclaimed Abel on top of his voice.
"Didn't I specifically warn you not to have some stupid trips or move around like a mad person? You know what, it seems you don't like your freedom, so right now get out of the car you are in and follow those men. Let me warn you, those guys are not so lenient, so make sure you won't cause them any trouble; otherwise, this time around, a bullet will literally kiss your brains."
Abel abruptly ended the call without waiting for Susan's response. She stared at the phone in her hands, deep in thought. Meanwhile, the man who had handed her the phone courteously opened the door for her. Susan, still processing the situation, silently returned the phone to the man and exited the taxi. The waiting man swiftly took her bags from the taxi and ushered her towards a car parked behind.
Wordlessly, she followed the man to the waiting vehicle. The other man efficiently settled Susan's belongings in the car and ensured the taxi driver was compensated before warning him discreetly not to disclose the events. The instructions were clear: silence was imperative for the taxi driver's safety. The men guiding Susan received explicit instructions to transport her to a distant district, far from her residence, the airport, and any readily available transportation. Additionally, they were given directives to closely monitor Susan, but with the provision that her living conditions should be comfortable, ensuring she didn't feel like a prisoner.
Abel's mood was noticeably affected by what Susan had done, he was frowning and sighing all the way to the hospital. Upon arriving at the hospital, they explained their plan to the doctor, who wisely suggested a brief pause for Abel to regain emotional composure. Following this, the doctor recommended ample water intake before proceeding.
After an hour, Abel was provided with pills designed to alleviate strain on his voice and protect his vocal cords. Once ready, they were led into the private ward where Lisa lay in a peaceful slumber. The doctor shared that Lisa's sleep was a result of exhaustion from nightmares and dream conflicts, allowing them to administer medication during this calm period. Encouraging the initiation of the process while she slept, the doctor believed it would enhance Lisa's ability to confront and overcome the nightmares, leading to a more rapid awakening.
Abel positioned himself near Lisa's head, maintaining a subtle distance, while Nina, unfazed by his peculiar actions, simply shrugged. She joined him, sitting close and tenderly caressing Lisa, as Abel took charge of the situation and began to speak to her.
"Luiza," he said with a soft voice, pausing for a moment. "Luiza," he called her again, his tone gentle and lingering. Continuing, he expressed remorse and a heartfelt plea, "I know I wasn't the best mum you've always wanted. I might have hurt you in many ways, and I'm asking you to forgive me. I promise to change, to be a good mother, to treat you better, and let you live the life you've always wished for."
With each word from Abel, Nina matched her caresses to fit the emotions conveyed. As Abel continued, she momentarily stopped, her gaze reflecting confusion and surprise. Abel, seemingly unaffected by her reaction, pressed on.
"Luiza, my dear," Abel's voice carried tender reassurance, "I'm right here with you. You need to know that mom is alive and well. It was just a bad dream, love. I'm waiting for you to wake up, surrounded by love and eager to see you again. Focus on that warmth, let it guide you back to me. It was just a lie to scare us, so wake up, okay."
The room held a delicate tension, with Nina torn between Abel's unexpected vulnerability and her own surprise at witnessing this emotional side of him. Abel, determined, continued the process as they followed the doctor's instructions for thirty minutes.
The doctor arrived to check Lisa's response and found her still in a deep, peaceful sleep. Encouragingly, he suggested repeating the process after another thirty minutes, allowing Abel's words to potentially impact Lisa and prompt her to awaken, discerning the reality from the dreamlike state she was in. They continued this for three hours until it was about 10 pm.
Exhausted and recognizing Abel's limitations in mimicking Susan's voice, they faced a critical decision. Abel, fatigued, needed rest, but his father insisted on maintaining the vigil to reach Lisa and the child. The doctors recommended that both Nina and Abel take a break, have a meal, and rest. The doctor assured them he would monitor Lisa, emphasizing the importance of their well-being. Both Abel and Nina took the doctor's advice, heading to a nearby restaurant for a meal before retiring to the rooms provided by the hospital for much-needed rest.
Around 2 am, Lisa gradually emerged from her deep slumber, the sterile hospital room coming into focus. The rhythmic beeping of the machines surrounding her created a disconcerting soundtrack. The doctor, alarmed, rushed to her room, discovering Lisa was somewhat awake, caught once again in the clutches of her distressing nightmares. He urgently called Nina and Abel to resume the comforting process. However, they couldn't immediately proceed, as both were still groggy, fatigued, and emotionally scattered. Composure was needed before they could begin anew. Simultaneously, Lisa's condition appeared to worsen, with the nightmares intensifying and the machines generating increasingly disconcerting sounds. The trio stood at a critical juncture, bracing themselves for another challenging round in their determined effort to pull Lisa back from the haunting grip of her troubled dreams.
Abel and Nina resumed the process after gaining a bit of composure. However, it became evident that Lisa was intensifying her struggle, with the nightmares escalating to the point where she even called out for her mother. The doctor encouraged Abel and Nina to persist, but the machines indicated a worrisome state, as if another coma was imminent. Swiftly, the doctor administered a calming injection.
As Lisa teetered on the edge of another deep sleep, her eyes flickered open in response to the process administered by Nina and Abel. With a faint voice and half-closed eyes, she weakly called out for her mother.
"Shshsh, I'm here. Just sleep for now, and we'll talk tomorrow," reassured Abel with a gentle voice. Lisa nodded slightly, closed her eyes, and slipped into another deep slumber. At that moment, the doctor ushered Nina and Abel to his office.
Once seated, the doctor shared his assessment, "I believe your process may have saved both mother and child, buying us some valuable time. Lisa seems to be struggling with PTSD. It appears she may have undergone therapy, but either she's still healing from past events or she deceived herself into thinking she had healed. If the latter is true, it poses a challenge as she may progress slower or never fully heal."
Abel and Nina absorbed the doctor's explanation in silence. Abel broke the silence, questioning, "Why didn't you administer the calming injection initially?"
The doctor explained, "We lacked medical information, so we needed to run tests and gather data without rushing. The injection might have worsened the situation. On another note, Lisa seems to have overcome her nightmares. When she wakes up, she'll likely want to speak to her mom."
"That will be arranged. Is there anything else?" inquired Abel.
"No, not at all. You can go back and rest. Lisa should wake up around 9 am tomorrow, and I hope everything will be ready. However, when she does, you might be the last person she wants to see, so maintain your distance until she's ready," cautioned the doctor.
Abel nodded and returned to his room to rest. Nina remained quiet, pondering Abel's next course of action.