Chapter 6: Dad Why?

“A soft gasp.”

I couldn't finish what I was saying. I collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

“Vivian!”

Mr. Jackson called out, worried that I was unconscious, same as Jerry.

Jerry was frightened, not sure what to do next. His mind raced with worry about me and fear of his father's reaction.

“Ring… ring…”

Without hesitation, Mr. Jackson quickly dialed the family hospital, requesting that the doctor come over. He has nothing to say to his son yet until I become conscious.

Jerry's heart pounded in his chest as he watched his father make the call. He knew he needed to act fast, but his mind felt like a mess of confusion and anxiety. The weight of responsibility pressed down on him as he struggled to make sense of the situation.

In a rush, Jerry knelt down beside me, trying to wake me up. He gently shook my shoulders, calling my name in a desperate attempt to bring me back to consciousness. But I remained unresponsive, my breathing shallow and uneven.

Jerry ran as fast as he could to the kitchen. He knew he had to help me, who was lying on the floor, not moving.

“Drip-drop.”

He grabbed a bowl from the shelf and filled it with water from the sink.

With trembling hands, he leaned over my still body. He hesitated for a moment, then gently lifted my head and splashed the water onto my face. He hoped it’d wake me up. But I remained unconscious.

Desperation fueled Jerry's actions as he continued to splash water on my face, over and over again. Each time, he prayed that I'd wake up.

Minutes passed like hours, but still, there was no response from me. Mr. Jackson, who couldn't wait for the doctor anymore, went upstairs quickly to get his car keys.

“Soft sighs.”

“Rasping.”

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I awakened. A faint cough escaped my lips, followed by another louder one.

Jerry's heart leaped with relief as he watched my eyelids flutter open. I blinked several times, dazed and confused.

Meanwhile, Mr. Jackson had heard the commotion from his room. Concerned, he returned from his room just in time to see me coughing and struggling to sit up. A wave of relief washed over him as he realized I was awake.

"Vivian, are you alright?" he asked, his voice filled with worry.

I nodded weakly, still catching my breath. I tried to speak, but my voice came out low and strained. Jerry tried to make me relax comfortably.

"I'm okay," I managed to speak up

"I just... I don't know what happened."

Mr. Jackson knelt beside me, offering a comforting hand on my shoulder. "You fainted, dear," he explained gently.

“But, you're going to be alright,” the doctor is on his way here.

I glanced up at Jerry, gratitude shining in my eyes. "Thank you, Jerry," I said softly.

Jerry smiled at me, but he didn't really feel happy inside. He was worried about what his dad would do next and what punishment he might get for accidentally making me faint. Mr. Jackson and Jerry helped me go into my room so I could rest.

After a little while, the doctor arrived.

The doctor came into the house, wearing a white coat, and carrying a brown bag. He looked very serious as he walked over to where I was sitting. Jerry and his dad stood nearby, anxious to hear what the doctor had to say.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Felix," the doctor said kindly, introducing himself. "How’re you feeling, dear?"

I nodded weakly, still feeling a bit unsteady from the whole incident . "I'm okay, thank you," I replied, my voice still low.

Dr. Felix examined me carefully, checking my pulse and asking me a few questions about what had happened.

After a few minutes, Dr. Felix finished his examination and turned to Mr. Jackson and Jerry. "Well, she’s pregnant, she needs enough rest this period. She shouldn't stress herself with anything at all, both physically and mentally,” the doctor advised.

Mr. Jackson let out a sigh of relief, grateful that I was going to be okay. "Thank you, doctor," he said gratefully.

"Is there anything we need to do to make sure she gets better?" Mr. Jackson asked.

Dr. Felix nodded. "I'll prescribe some medicine for her to take and she should try to rest as much as possible," he replied. "Make sure she drinks plenty of water and stays cool."

With that, Dr. Felix wrote out a prescription and handed it to Mr. Jackson. "If she doesn't improve in a couple of days, give me a call," he said.

Heading towards the door to leave, Dr. Felix turned back. “Hope she has registered in the hospital for her antenatal care?” He asked.

“Not yet, doctor,” I replied softly.

“That's not a problem, doctor. She'll come to the hospital soon for that,” Mr. Jackson assured him.

As soon as the doctor was gone, Mr. Jackson turned to Jerry. "You did the right thing by assisting her to be conscious again," he said, his voice full of pride.

Jerry nodded, feeling a little better knowing that his dad wasn't angry with him. “Thank you, Dad,” he said, smiling.

“But I don't have time for you yet!”

“Let Vivian fully recover; she’ll explain what happened upstairs!”

“Then I’d know the punishment to give you.”

His father said continuously, angry. Jerry was stunned on how his dad became angry all of a sudden, after praising him a few seconds ago.

After helping me settle into my room, Mr. Jackson decided to go rest in his own room. He didn't want my aunt to find out what happened earlier that day.

Jerry stayed in my room, even though he didn't really want to. He pretended to be nice and caring, even though it was hard for him.

As Mr. Jackson left, he told Jerry to stay with me and make sure I was okay. Jerry nodded obediently, though he felt a little scared to be alone with me. He didn't know what to say to me or how to make me feel better, but he knew he had to try.

I lay on the bed, feeling exhausted and a little embarrassed about what had happened. I didn't want anyone else to know that I had fainted, especially not my aunt. I felt grateful that Jerry was there with me, even though I could tell he was only acting nice because his dad told him to.

Jerry tried to think of something to say to me, but his mind felt blank. He didn't know how to comfort me or make me feel better. He wished he could just leave and go do something else, but he knew he had to stay and take care of me.

"Um... do you want me to get you anything?" Jerry asked awkwardly, shifting from one foot to the other.

I shook my head, forcing a weak smile. "No, I'm okay, thanks," I replied softly. I appreciated Jerry's offer, even though I could tell he was just trying to be polite.

For the next few minutes, there was an awkward silence as Jerry and I both tried to think of something to say. Jerry twitched nervously, feeling uncomfortable under my gaze. He wished he could just disappear and never come back.

Finally, I broke the silence. "You don't have to stay if you don't want to," I said gently, sensing Jerry's discomfort. "I'll be fine on my own."

Jerry felt a surge of relief at my words. "Are you sure?" he asked, eager to leave.

I nodded, giving him a reassuring smile. "Yeah, I'll be okay," I replied. "Thanks for staying with me, though."

Jerry went back to his room and touched his face, still feeling the sting from my slap earlier that day. He couldn't believe I had hit him like that. He felt angry and shocked that I’d do something like that to him.

As he stood in front of the mirror, he couldn't stop thinking about what had happened. He remembered the look of surprise on my face when I had slapped him, and it only made him angrier.

Later that day, Mr. Jackson had asked his housekeeper to go out and get some special things for me. The housekeeper came back with chocolate, pizza, clothes, shoes, and other things I might need during my stay at the mansion.

Jerry watched as the housekeeper brought in all the things for me. He felt curious about why his dad was being so nice to me. After everything that had happened, he couldn't understand why his dad was going out of his way to make me comfortable.

Jerry went to his dad's room to talk to him. He wanted to discuss his plans for going to the university and how long he had been waiting at home.

“Good evening, Dad,” Jerry greeted nervously as he entered his father's room. "I wanted to talk to you about something."

Mr. Jackson looked up from his desk, a surprised expression on his face. “What can I do for you?” He asked.

Jerry took a deep breath, trying to gather his thoughts. "Well, Dad, I've been thinking about my university," he began hesitantly. "I've been home for a while now, and I think it's time for me to move forward with my education."

His father listened carefully as Jerry explained his reasons for wanting to go to university. He could see how important it was to Jerry and knew he had to support his son's decision.

"I understand, Jerry," his father said finally, his tone serious. "Education is important, and I want what's best for you. If going to university is what you want, then I'll do everything I can to help you make it happen."

Jerry felt a surge of relief at his dad's words. He had been worried that his dad would try to convince him to stay home, but now he knew that his dad supported his decision to further his education.

"Thank you, Dad," Jerry said gratefully, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders. "I promise I'll make the most of this opportunity."

As Jerry got ready to leave his dad's room, his dad called him back. Jerry stopped in his tracks and turned around, wondering what his dad wanted to say.

"You can only go to the university when Vivian delivers her child, and a DNA test is conducted," his dad told him.

Jerry's eyes widened in shock. He couldn't believe what his dad was saying. He felt a surge of anger rising inside him.

"Why, Dad? How can I wait for that girl to have her baby before thinking about my future?" Jerry asked, his voice getting louder with each word.

He couldn't understand why his dad was putting my needs before his own. He had been waiting for so long to go to university, and now his dad was telling him he had to wait even longer because of me.

His dad sighed, looking tired and frustrated. "Jerry, I know you're upset, but there are other things we need to consider right now," he explained patiently.

Jerry shook his head, refusing to accept his dad's explanation. "But why, Dad? Why does Vivian's baby have to come first?" he demanded, his voice trembling with anger.

His dad took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. "Jerry, Vivian needs your support right now. She's going through a difficult time, and you need to be there for her. I thought she was your friend, so why all the sudden change of attitudes towards her?" He asked firmly, worried about his son's sudden change towards me.

Jerry felt a surge of frustration. He couldn't comprehend why his dad was prioritizing me over him. He had always been there for his dad, and now his dad was choosing to focus on someone else instead.

"But what about me, Dad? What about my future?"

“I'm your son, you know. And your only child too. Why focus on a complete stranger?” Jerry couldn't hold back his frustration any longer.