AUTHOR'S POV
Jane lingered indoors, pacing back and forth, her mind consumed by thoughts of the situation at hand, it was 20 minutes already since David left. Quietly within her, she held onto the hope that all was well with David. She took out her phone and tried to reach out to her dad, thinking he had an idea on what happened. Yet, as she made the call, it became apparent that even he was still on his way to the park, as unaware as she was.
As she stood there, enveloped in her thoughts, a faint knock reverberated through the door, drawing her attention. she cautiously approached, stealing a glance through the peephole to ascertain the visitor's identity. It was a young man, seemingly of the same age as David.
"Hello, Jane! Are you in?" the young man's voice reached her ears, carrying a touch of urgency. "It's Phil, David's friend" he disclosed.
She let out an "Oh!" as she remembered David saying she should go in and wait for Phil. Hoping he would have the answers to her questions, she gently opened the door welcoming Phil inside, subsequently closing it behind him.
Physically mirroring David in stature, Phil possessed a pair of warm, brown eyes that held a depth of emotions, harmonizing seamlessly with his brown hair.
"Hi Jane" he greeted, his smile tinged with a trace of sadness.
"Um, hello" Jane managed to return, her voice a touch hesitant. "Where's David?" The inquiry escaped her lips.
"He's with his dad" Phil responded, his words cautious and measured. "Something came up unexpectedly" he added.
Jane's heart felt heavy with apprehension. "Is everything alright?" she asked
He nodded gently, accompanied by a soft-spoken "yes." "I'll take you to the park" he continued "David asked me to"
She let out a heavy sigh and nodded as she trailed behind him.
They drove quietly to the park. Phil's demeanor appeared burdened and an indistinct worry nestled in Jane's consciousness, she thought that something was wrong, but she didn't know what it could be.
"Do you think I could see him one more time before I go?" Jane asked Phil as he parked the car in the parking area. They could see Her dad and Lisa, her cousin already waiting next to the car.
"Uhm! I'm not sure if he would want that" Phil replied with a bittersweet smile, his eyes holding a reservoir of understanding "Don't worry too much about that crazy guy, he's going to be alright" he chuckled, making Jane smile back.
"I'm not sure. I really hope so," she responded
Opening the car door, Jane stepped into the embrace of the park, reuniting with Lisa and her dad. Phil followed behind her.
"Dad!" Jane greeted her dad with a hug
Mr. Daniel, her dad let out a sigh of relief as he pulled from the embrace "You got us all worried" he said with a frown
"I'm sorry" she replied and gave Lisa a warm smile before giving her a hug also.
"What's the matter? Are you okay?" Lisa whispered into Jane's ear.
"Yeah" Jane let go and nodded with a forced smile.
"And where's Kingsley Junior" her dad asked them "I need to thank him properly"
"He left in a hurry" Jane replied with a sad countenance
"Is everything alright?" he went further to ask Phil
Phil was about to reply when her dad received a call. "What? Mr. Kingsley was shot?" Mr. Daniel exclaimed.
"What!? Is that true?" Jane's eyes widened in disbelief, turning to Phil who wore a façade of concealment, his gaze dropping to the ground. "Why didn't you tell me?" Jane's voice trembled with emotion, her tears tracing paths down her cheeks.
"He didn't want you to know about it" Phil replied with a heavy tone.
"What?" Jane scoffed "Dad! We need to go back" she cried, the thought of David breaking down made her heart ache "We need to!"
"Let's go" her dad responded as he hung up and quickly move to his car
"Jane relax, it's going to be okay" Lisa said patting her shoulders as they entered the car and left for the hospital with Phil leading the way.
Arriving at the hospital, Mr. Daniel made his way directly to where David stood outside his father's operating room. David's countenance was one of dejection, evident even from a distance. Joan was there with him, she stood beside him, her hand resting gently on his shoulder.
Jane hesitated, realizing that her presence might not be necessary, considering her dad had already gone to meet with him. She couldn't muster the strength to face him directly. The sight of his fragility and sorrow was heart-wrenching, and she found herself unable to take another step forward. She stood at a distance with Lisa by her side, swarmed by a swirl of emotions. She had no idea if it was feeling of helplessness, unsure of how to be of assistance, or simply the grip of fear that held her back?
"Hi David" Mr. Daniel's voice calm
David lowered his head in a gesture of respect. "Hello, Mr. Daniel" Joan doing the same.
"How did this happen?" Mr. Daniel ask with sincere concern
David proceeded to recount the details he had received from his assistant, Mr. Martins. He explained how his father had been seated outside his well-known restaurant when an unexpected bullet pierced his chest.
"Who could have committed such an act of cruelty?" Mr. Daniel's voice quivered with anguish. Swiftly, he brushed away his tears, concealing his grief. He needed to project strength for David's sake..
"According to the doctor, the bullet entered the chest region and passed through the lower section of the right lung sparing vital organs." David added
Mr. Daniel gave a sigh of relief "He's going to pull through, you know" he managed a bittersweet chuckle, his hand tapping David's shoulder gently. "He's a fighter, always has been" he affirmed with a series of nods. "And God is always in control so he'll come out strong"
"Yeah" David managed a faint chuckle, his eyes glistening with unshed tears, that he was holding back.
Mr. Daniel stood beside David, both watching Mr. Kingsley within the confines of the operating room. After a while, Mr. Daniel signaled that it was time for them to go back home, giving David a reassuring tap.
"Thank you, sir" David's voice carried a profound sense of gratitude as he bowed his head.
"No, David. Thank you" Mr. Daniel replied with a somber sincerity, his words carried a weight of sadness.
"I'll keep my dear friend in my prayers" he added before taking his leave.
David glanced in Jane's direction, noticing her standing a short distance away. His gaze lingered on her for a moment before he sadly averted his eyes.
* * *
Their drive home was quiet, Jane felt a void within her, uncertain of what action to take. A pall of emptiness enveloped her spirit, the weight of sadness pressing down. Gazing out of the car window, tears slipped from her eyes, carried away by the wind.
"Lord, please grant healing to Mr. Kingsley," her voice trembled "So that David may find his happiness again." She prayed.
On getting home, Mrs. Daniels enveloped her daughter in a warm, reassuring embrace. It was evident that she understood why Jane was sad.
"Everything is going to be alright" her mother gently assured.
"Yes" she nodded, offering a faint smile before retreating to her room, her steps devoid of their usual vivacity. Lisa followed her quietly into the room.
Jane, lost in thought gently sat on her bed and Lisa took a place beside her.
"Hey! he's going to be okay" Lisa tried to cheer her up
"I should be there with him right now," Jane's voice trembled trying to hold back her tears
"He has his friends there with him, I'm sure he'll be fine" Lisa responded in a gentle tone
"He's the type to always prefer solitude, even in pain," Jane's responded
"You can always call to check on him babe" Lisa suggested, her hug gentle as she enveloped Jane, resting her head on Jane's shoulder as they sat together. "So, it seems the gentleman managed to find his way into your heart" she teased playfully.
"No! that's not true" Jane quickly responded denying the fact
A knowing smile tugged at Lisa's lips, her response edged with playful sarcasm. "Sure Jane, I can clearly see that" she let out a soft chuckle.
"I think..." Jane's sentence trailed off, she nearly revealed her belief that David reciprocated her feelings but she stopped herself, the image of David and Joan together in the hospital room clouded her thoughts. She hesitated, realizing that she wasn't entirely sure of David's feelings towards her.
"You think..." Lisa echoed
"I don't think I can return to my regular routine."
"Speaking of routines, your mom mentioned that your final exams are approaching in three weeks" Lisa brought up the impending reality.
"Yeah" Jane's sighed
"Are you prepared?" Lisa inquired gently
"Honestly, no" she replied "I wish I could just go back to Sydney"
"Hey, let's regain our focus here" Lisa implored gently
"I don't want to" Jane's voice carried the weight of her emotions, causing her to sink onto her bed.
"I get it, I do, I went through similar experience with Mike, Remember?"
Mike was Lisa's ex who she was madly in love with. Her affection for him had been so intense to the point that she once passed up a rare and remarkable job interview opportunity just to tend to him during his illness. But her sacrifice ended in heartbreak. On getting to Canberra all the way from Brisbane, she was met with the reality that he was already in the care of another woman, someone he was concurrently dating. Mike had been oblivious to Lisa's impending visit, and that made Lisa emotionally devastated. The aftermath left Lisa grappling with heartache for an extended period of six months.
"My heartfelt encouragement pulled you back from seeking psychiatric help yunno!" Jane smiled
"Yeah! Yeah" Lisa laughed "However" she continued, "we must remember to align our priorities for the sake of ourselves and those who care about us." A sigh accompanied her statement.
Jane absorbed Lisa's words with a slow, contemplative nod. Slowly, she turned, offering Lisa a genuine smile, her gratitude shining through the depths of her eyes. "I guess you're right"
"Yep!" Lisa settled down beside her, mirroring her smile.