Calah had woken up in a secluded room. White ceilings and white walls. The curtains, too, were as bright as the walls, a little creamer, with patterns that interlocked into each other.
The only source of light she noticed were the bulbs above her head, which were too bright and caused her to shut her eyes. She could barely see anything more than that. Her head was strapped in a neck brace, and her leg was hung far from her reach as well.
She couldn't move her head or any part of her body. But her hearing and sense of smell were perfectly fine, and she could tell that Lori was there with her. She couldn't tell if she was sitting or standing, but she felt her eyes on her.
"Good evening, ma," Lori greeted sympathetically, already noticing her eyelids had opened. "How do you feel now?"
Calah kept her eyes shut and said no word.
She tried to bring back the memories of what happened earlier and why she lay in a room that didn't look like hers with a drip on her hand.
"Calah, if you can hear me, I'm always here in case you need anything." Lori concluded, and Calah moved a finger to show understanding.
She made a move to go outside but was stopped abruptly by the opening of the door.
Senator Rocks came through, leaving his escorts outside.
"I was just about to call you, sir; she just woke up."
He nodded curtly and walked past her to the side of the bed where she had been sitting earlier.
"Dad" Calah managed to get out.
"Hello baby" All of the senator's rigidity had disappeared, andhis fatherly figure overshadowed him instantly. "How're you?"
She tried to speak, but it turned into a watery eye.
"Dad," she said again. She couldn't get all of his presence at once, as this was the first time she had seen him in a year.
She felt hurt again, emotionally. She had missed him so badly, and he had been busy running his political affairs.
She lost her CEO aura and melted like a baby. She wanted to cry so bad in his chest. She was hurt more that he had to see her in that state.
He had taught her to be strong, self-willed, and courageous. He had raised her alone and was ready to sacrifice anything for her.
She was a really plus-sized kid while growing up and had to deal with bullies. He taught her to defend herself and never fall.
Never fall. And she grew and grew, rising and beating her peers even though the side conversations never ended.
But she was the total opposite sometimes, mostly around Zach.
As much as her father was really sorry and sympathetic to her, she could read his disappointment. She never gave him excuses, and she will not now.
She doubted if he knew what exactly had happened, and she prayed he didn't ask her.
"What happened, Calah? How did this happen?" He finally asked her.
She sank into herself where she lay. She didn't know whatever backstory Zach may have told the hospital, and if she said something else, it might arouse his suspicion.
"It was an accident, sir." Lori had any "I know that, Lori. What type of accident was it? And how long had it happened before you called through?"
"Oh, that, um, happened in her home. I think she tripped down the stairs yesterday night." She glanced at Calah, who gave her a sign to go on. "And it wasn't that serious."
The senator shot her a dead glance. "If it weren't that serious, she wouldn't be here." He picked out his phone to check something. "What time exactly was this accident, Lori?"
"I wouldn't know, sir, that Mr. Zach had brought her in."
" Zach!? " He asked, suddenly angry. "Calah, what Zach is she talking about?"
Calah couldn't hide from this; she couldn't even twist her head to avoid the question. She just laid there still, like she awaited judgment.
He turned back to Lori. "And what ward is he in at the moment?"
"Ward? He wasn't admitted, sir."
"And you, where were you when all this was happening?"
"Dad, please stop," Calah's voice resurfaced.
He sighed in frustration.
Outside, Lori, I need to speak to my daughter alone."
"Yes, sir," she replied curtly, scrambling out of the room before he thought of another question.
The senator moved closer to the bed, taking a look at her. He had memories of her growth flashing through his head that very minute. And as much as he was angry, she was still his baby.
He stroked her hair, gently tucking loose strands behind her ear.
"Calah," he began softly.
"Daddy?"
"Tell me the absolute truth," he continued softly. "What happened?"
She looked at him, as if pleading with her eyes to let her off.
"Go ahead. What exactly happened?"
"He pushed me off the rail of the stairs, but I promise you, it wasn't his fault. We had a fight."
Senator Rocks thought he heard something wrong as everything in his head started hooting. A man had pushed his daughter off a rail and was out walking freely!
Every other thing Calah was trying to say wasn't making sense any more.
"Where is he, Calah?" He turned back to her. "In fact, never mind, I got this." And out the door he went, to give instructions to his men.
"Dad!" She cried out, knowing his capabilities. "Dad, please listen to me!"
"What is it, Calah? You want to say something? Go ahead! I didn't raise you as a weakling! I put you through bars only men would go through because of things like this, and here you are, hospitalized by a human!"
He was pacing this time, leaving her quiet.
He took another look at her. Her condition was sorry enough, and he felt more Pity than anger all over again.
"I thought we talked about Zach," he continued softly, "And you promised you were done with him."
She said nothing with her eyes shut. She missed him, but not this part. Not this stern part that had so many rules, and as though it wasn't hard for her to keep up, his standards were set high.
After another look of pity at her, he stood up to leave.
Halfway to the door, he spoke again. "I'm sorry, sweetheart, but Zach won't get off my hook this time."
He went out without any more words, and Lori squirmed in.
She thought hard about what her dad could do, and this was mainly not because she was his daughter, but because it was something he wouldn't stand for as long as he could do something about it. While she was growing up, she remembered him coming to her school to talk to a 7-year-old child who bullied her.
One could call it petty, but he called it discipline.
As of then, he was a nobleman in politics; regardless, he had discharged his escort and gone there by himself to give the kid a piece of his political mind.
She took a milestone to actually imagine whatever could happen to him.
"Lori, call my dad."
"Yes ma'am"
It rang for a while, then he picked it up. "Anything baby?"
"I'll deal with Zach myself; let him be."
"How long did it take for you to conclude that this should have been a finished fight?"
She sighed over the phone.
"If you don't do it right, I will."
"I shall, papa, just to your taste," she replied weakly.
'Your taste' definitely meant a slow death. As much as she felt sorry, she had to act.
And she turned it off.
"Get me everything about him, including other girls he's been seeing," Calah said.
"Yes ma'am." She replied sadly. She could tell how hurt Calah was to admit that she knew he'd been cheating on her. With numerous girls.
In the meantime, have him locked up for the time being and have him tortured."