Chapter three

Stuart's POV

I sat down in an unfamiliar room, feeling weak. The last thing I recall is staring into the sapphire eyes of a beautiful lady, and feeling a sharp pain at the back of my neck.

Had she injected me? Is that why I feel so weak?

The door opened just then and ushered in a lady in a blue shirt and pants. She looked surprised to see me awake. I stared long at her, wondering why she looked familiar and then it hit me.

She was with the doctor who had hurt me, and had refused to help me when I pleaded with her amidst my screams.

Now that I knew she couldn't be trusted, I adjusted my position, moving farther into the bed.

If she noticed my sudden withdrawal, she did nothing to portray it.

Soon she was moving towards the door, taking with her some vials I presumed contained some medicines. As she turned the doorknob, I heard myself ask

“Where are my parents? Aren't they coming for me?”

I held my breath afterward in expectation as she turned to face me.

“Of course, Stuart. Your parents are coming for you. They have been informed of your resuscitation.” She replied gently, making me wonder if not trusting her was a good idea.

"Who is my doctor?" I asked again, hoping I wasn't pushing my luck too far.

"It's Dr Ande..." She paused, just as the door opened to usher in the doctor. The same doctor who had hurt me a while ago. With a smile, he sent the nurse away, and then he faced me.

I held my muscles in readiness to scream the whole building down but changed my mind when I saw right behind him, the same lady that injected me.

Both of them moved toward the side of my bed like predators closing in on a prey, and I became distressed.

“Please don't hurt me again,” I pleaded but they acted as though they could not hear me.

“Do we really need to do all these?” I heard the male doctor ask.

“Yes, Anderson. His parents are on their way already.” The lady replied, retrieving a syringe from her pocket.

"No, no, please." I pleaded, moving farther into the bed, but I was held back and pinned down by the male doctor while the lady injected the medicine into my bloodstream through a visible vein.

A few seconds after I was released, I felt numb all over. Slowly, I felt the effect of the drugs that I was injected with, surge through me.

First, my muscles began to twitch, slowly at first, then rapidly until I could hardly sit upright.

“You will be fine, don't worry.” The lady replied, not attempting to hide the insincerity in her voice.

While the twitching persisted, I began to feel lightning-like sparks cascade through my head, giving rise to the jerky movements that coursed through every part of my body. Then came a burning sensation that prompted me out of the sitting position which I was currently in.

With a heavy thud, I dropped to the ground, rolling from one end to another, making frantic efforts to pull my skin off.

“Make it stop, please!” I heard the male doctor plead, amidst my screams, which were somehow muffled.

“I will, but not yet.” The lady replied, coldly.

“This is madness!” He exclaimed, moving towards me.

“Don't you go near him, Anderson. We have come too far to back out now.” She warned, making the male doctor whose name I have come to know as Anderson stop in his tracks.

The seizures continued for a long time, while every last strength in me slowly slipped away. With my half-opened eyes, I watched in awe as the lady smiled in satisfaction, wondering if the crime I had committed deserved the pain I was currently suffering.

I stiffened in fear just as I felt strong hands grab my legs and hands. I was lifted off the floor the next moment and placed gently on a soft surface which I suspected to be the bed in the room. Too weak to fight, I resigned myself to fate.

After long minutes had passed, during which I willed myself to stay still, even though my whole body was on fire I heard the door pull open to usher in a few more people into the room.

I heard approaching footsteps just as I heard the door shut.

“Stuart, can you hear me? Can you hear me?” The voice which was unmistakably my mother's called out.

All I wanted at the moment was to jump into her warm embrace but my eyes which had slid shut only moments ago refused to open. My legs showed no sign of life and every other part of my body was too weak and too much in pain to move.

“Stuart, please just talk to me.” She continued. I could feel her hands pressing gently against my forehead and neck.

I screamed, assuring her that I was fine, that I only wanted to leave this hospital and go home but my lips did not move. My tongue was numb and lifeless, just like every other part of my body.

“I am afraid Stuart has brain tumors.” I heard the male doctor relate my condition to my parents, making me wonder who he was talking about.

Once I heard my mom scream, I charged forward at once to console her, and to tell her how much of fucking liars the doctors were but then, my body failed to act as my brain instructed, and so I lay there, listening to my mother's sob while I wondered within me why my dad felt so unaffected.

“Can anything be done to remedy the situation?” I heard my mom ask.

“Only a surgical procedure might give him a fighting chance.” The female doctor explained.

“What are the chances of him surviving?” My mom asked, her voice surprisingly fierce.

“Honey, don't you think we should think this through?” Came my dad's voice for the first time since they stepped into the ward.

“What are the odds?” My mom repeated when she sensed no answers forthcoming.

“It is a 60-40 situation, ma'am.” The female doctor replied, and I heard my mom suck in air.

“Then, prepare the necessary paperwork. We are having the surgery before the week runs out.” I heard my mom say in the same fierce voice.

“Honey” My dad called again.

“Don't push it, William.” My mom replied, her voice breaking.

“If you would excuse us.” I heard the female doctor say after a few minutes and the sound of the door opening and shutting indicated their departure from the ward.

Just as the door shut, I felt my mom's presence at my side, as she resumed caressing my forehead.

“Please pull through this for me, Stuart. You can fight this.” My mom encouraged.

I heard the door slam shut, indicating my dad's exit from the ward, just as my mom slid her palm into mine.