" Sorry, Ma'am...we lost her~" The words kept echoing in Camella's ears– her eyes instinctively glistened with unshed tears; her face flushed with shock and she staggered, her knees spontaneously felt numb. Celia, Celine, and Mr. Parker just remained rooted in their steps– shock and confusion written all over their faces.
" Scarlet?... dead?~" Celine muttered, a sudden chuckle spontaneously followed like a person having a mental defect. "... wait, this can't be possible "
" Is a kind of joke, right? ~ this isn't funny if it's one" Celia cried and the doctor instinctively tilted her head in response.
" No, ma'am... a life is not something to joke around with~ she couldn't make it." She affirmed. Her face verbalized her seriousness. Camilla couldn't hold back any longer; it felt like a knife tearing apart her heart from her chest.
" Scarlet..." the words escaped her lips almost like a whisper as she managed to settle in one of the seats along the corridor– her hands trembled and the tears silently trekked down her cheeks. " Scarlet!!! " She howled and shook in heart-wrenching tears.
Soon thereafter, they noticed the OR door flung open, followed by a few nurses and doctors along with Caleb on the stretcher being pulled away.
" Caleb... they are done, mum" Celia announced and they instinctively closed up on them.
" How is he now, doctor?~ how is my son? " Micheal asked in a single breath and their expectant gazes remained fixed on the doctor without a blink.
"Well, the operation was successful with no complications at all~ " He explained and a sense of peace lingered in their eyes but then he added.
"... but sorry to announce that, he might not be able to walk as he used to unless with the aid of a wheelchair. This can be temporal or permanent– the situation can't be assured."
Camilla's voice failed her as the tears threatened to drown her on hearing his son's condition– a double blow in a single second. Losing Scarlet was already hard enough and now, his new condition.
" How is he going to take it all after waking up?" Her heart wrecked apart for him– her mind couldn't comprehend the outcome. Celia and Celine instinctively embraced her and the tears they fought back rolled down their cheeks like a broken dam.
This was so unexpected for the Parkers– it was supposed to be a day of jubilation not mourning. For an endless period, Micheal stood rooted to the spot in shock. His thoughts chased each other through his mind in a chaotic manner. " Where did I go wrong?... to what do I own such punishment? " The words finally verbalized.
Hours had passed, Camilla with the girls and Michael waited patiently behind Caleb's door as the nurses finished up his room. Soon they came out and Micheal along with the whole family went in to see him– the three ladies just broke down in silent tears at the sight of him. His pale face was covered in bruises; his head and legs were bandaged with tubes running through his nostrils and hands.
THE BLUES' MANSION
With a face beaming with smiles, Sean Blues along with his wife and son, Bianca and Drake glided out into the mansion from their car which finally pulled up at the garage after an hour's drive from the hospital.
" This calls for a celebration, Bianca..." He chuckled, a sinister smile lingered on his face as he settled on the couch. " How can he come back and head the company looking like that?"
He laughed and Bianca added with a chuckle. " A cripple handling such a huge business?~ How can he even handle the affairs ?"
" Now is the time, son... you'll replace your cousin and I'll make sure of that. But make sure to make good use of this beautiful opportunity – That kid shouldn't be the one ordering you around, huh?."
" Trust me on this, dad~ I've waited so long for this," Drake replied. " ....no mistakes or omissions on this. " He affirmed as he raised a glass of wine in mid-air. " Cheers..."
" Cheers to our victory " Drake added. " Cheers..." Bianca chuckled and they all burst with laughter.
Being the stepbrother of Michael Parker and the older one, Sean had wanted to head over the company after their father's death but then, everything took a different turn when the secrets of his embezzlement came to light. His share was drastically reduced to 25% with Michael gaining the larger share of the company.
Soon afterward, he got demoted and Michael took over after him – which Caleb later inherited from his father after his graduation with a Master's Degree in Marketing and business management.
This brought a secret rivalry between the two siblings with Sean trying every means to get his son to his lost position~ and the incident seems to be a perfect answer and solution to their worries.
**********
The night silently journeys into the day with news of the accident and Scarlet's death still making waves in the news headlines, front papers, and across the country.
Celia and Camilla had stayed the previous night to watch over Caleb, in case he'd gain consciousness in the middle of the night and needed something– but soon fell asleep without notice.
While the two were still fast asleep, Caleb's eyes twitched– pictures of the accident flashed before his eyes~ Scarlet's screams echoing in her head. Slowly, yet with great struggle, his eyes flung open. Swiftly but steadily, he scanned through the room with uncertainty written all over his pale face. Just then, a flash of the accident~ Scarlet's blood-covered face stormed his memory – kicking him into reality.
" Scarlet... Scarlet~ ." He grumbled, straightening his back in the process as he managed to pull himself up from the bed– a wince instinctively spread through his face with the pain which followed. He tried moving his legs but then, felt nothing.
" What's happening?... why can't I feel my legs?" He cried. Terror overtook his face– his eyes shimmered in tears.
Camilla, who was sleeping next to him with her head closer to his hand; felt the sudden movement which followed the faint voice. This spontaneously jerked her out of her dreams– she instinctively panicked at the sight of Caleb who was almost off the bed.
" Caleb!!..." Her voice echoed. This spontaneously pulled Celia out of her sleep as well. She instinctively rushed to his brother's help at the sight of him.
" Caleb!" She cried.