The pain in my stomach is killing me but I manage to make it home, it's late and the streets are quiet, As I enter the house I notice the television is till on which is odd because my mum sleeps early, I move towards my mum's bedroom and the entrance floor is covered with a little puddle of blood, and my heart sinks, my brain begins to move on overdrive, I cover my mouth with my hands as I stifle a cry, "that bastard" I cry silently, he said he wasn't going to hurt my mum yet, I guess I gave him too much credit, I thought to myself as the tears rolled down my cheeks, I am too scared to move.
Relieve floods me when I enter the room and see mum stroking Mr pickles furs, my dad's cat, my mum is fine but Mr pickles isn't.
"Mum", I cautiously call out to her, the tears in my eyes do not stop as I rush towards her and throw my hands around her "what happened to mister pickles", my voice only but a whisper, "I don't know honey, I came into my room to get a shawl and I found him here bleeding, there was nothing I could do as he was already gone", she told me, her voice was low, really low, like at any moment she might break.
We stayed there for a while and eventually put Mr pickles away. I notice there is a note by the side of the door, snatching it so fast I look around me to see if mum saw me. "How do you like my motivation sweet peas", blood drained off my face as I read the note. I looked around me again to see if he was watching me but found nothing. My heart rate increased and my hands were shaking. I quickly usher my mum into the house.
My night is filled with restless dreams of crazy Patrick chasing me. I am glad it's morning again, I can now begin strategizing on how to raise money to pay back Patrick and pay for my mum's surgery and diabetic medication.
My mum isn't yet up so I head to her room to wake her up. "Oh mum…." I call in a sing song voice but she doesn't respond which makes me giggle, "mum" I say and shake her, "No, no, this can't be happening", "mum…." I shook her and screamed but there was no response, frantic, I reached for the phone on the nightstand, immediately calling 911.
My hands are shaking uncontrollably as we head to the hospital, the world around me seems to be spinning as the medics are trying to help. Mum is taken to the emergency ward, and I have been told to sit and calm down that she is going to be okay, but I can't seem to do that. As I pace, my eyes are bloodshot and my hands doesn't stop fidgeting, I am scared, my mother is everything to me, I have already lost one parent I don't want to loose the other surving one.
It seems like I have been pacing for days but it has only been 3 hours, I finally decided to go to the end of the wall. I hunched forward as I sat on the floor unable to find comfort in the seat provided, I stared at the white tiles on the floor.
"Miss Walter" I hear my name from a male voice, I quickly raise my head from the hauched position and scramble up to my feet. The Doctor in front of me has a clipboard at hand and a stethoscope around his neck. His blue eyes are sharp as he observes me.
"Miss Walter, your mother is stable now. She lost consciousness because she has not been eating due to achalasia her rare condition which you are aware of, now, since she is not able to eat her blood sugar has been reduced, and in its reduced state she still took a shot of her insulin medication which equally reduces the sugar in her blood, hence, it led to hypoglycemia which in turn resulted to her
Losing consciousness. Also like I told you before she needs a surgery to correct the achalasia in other for her to eat properly and retain her food as the medication are not effective anymore". The doctor explains for me to understand.
"She'll be here for a while until we see it fit for her to go home or the surgery is carried out. If we don't see to her surgery fast there's not much we can do to make her better and she may loose her life". The doctor concludes.
As I listen to the words he says my heart begins to beat faster, the sound of my beating heart flooding my ear making the sound of the words coming out of his mouth reduced. I nod my head showing him I understand all he has said, I'm unable to speak but I try to force words out of my mouth and ask him if I could see my mother. His reply is a yes. I proceed to follow him as he shows me where she is. She is being kept in a private room.
I opened the door slowly and walk in with cautious steps, the machines and tubes are all working in sync to help her stay alive, the heart monitor is beating in a rhythmic manner, though it does nothing to sooth me. Seeing her like this makes my heart sink, "why is life always a bitch to me" I murmur. Taking another tentative step I reach the bed and I seat slowly on the bed, I can't seem to cry, but I do one thing which is to stretch my hand towards hers and rub mine against her soft skin drawing circle with my thumb. She looks unbothered as she isn't aware of the situation she is in, my sweet mother.
"I'll make sure you get your surgery and get better, I promise. Even if it means working till my hands bleeds and my legs give out. I'll equally make sure Patrick doesn't touch a single hair on your head". I say to my unconscious mother.
Time is relatively slow as I sit by the chair beside her bed hoping for her to open her eyes and look at me lovingly as she usually does while she rubs my head, but nothing happens, as we are still in the same position and the machines are still beating in a rhythmic manner.
The nurse comes in, greets me and checks on her, scribbling things on her clipboard, she goes ahead to adjust things while I just stare at what she's doing, But mum doesn't even move. With strong determination in my heart I proceed to make a phone call.
"Hello, I need your help".