CHAPTER 6: WHO CAME FOR ME?

Thomas rose to his feet and strode towards the already nervous Eloise, he leaned forward fixing his lips 2-3cm away from her ears. "Remember, you are mine now, after you leave that home of yours, I want you to report back here. As long as you agree to be my woman, be ready to face any consequences."

Elois scoffed in return, twirling her neck around to peek at the startled Thomas who had expected to instill fear in her mind. "You've got no worries, Mr. Lexington, you've done enough for me to reject such an offer from you. Consider it done."

"I would prefer you call me by my name instead of the formalities. I'm okay with you calling me Thomas instead of Mr. Lexington. See you in a week." Thomas grabbed his suit, dipped his hands into its armhole, fixing appropriate buttons into their holes, and walked out followed by Dan, his PA leaving Eloise frozen on the spot.

Eloise immediately grabbed the suitcase lying on the table and headed out for the train station heading to Alaska. Without wasting time, she departed immediately for the hospital where her dad got admitted.

She couldn't wait to see the lovely face of that man who had all his life struggled for her survival before the storm hit the peace of their family.

"Baby," Anastasia cried on seeing Eloise arrive in the hospital. Eloise who was yet to discover who called her name but recognized that familiar voice and knew just one person who called her by the name.

She stood still and checked her head sideways until she found Anastasia together with her stepmom in the waiting room.

"Anastasia, mom," she strutted towards them with tears welling up in her eyes. She hugged her baby sister so tight, remembering the real reason she came around.

"Where's dad?" She mutters in obvious panic.

"This way baby," Eloise was held by Anastasia at her wrist into their father's ward followed by the stepmom.

She had tried to stay strong all this while but stepping her foot at the entrance of the incentive room, she began to tremble. She put on the required sterile cloth prepared for visitors stopping by for their loved ones.

She opened the door and the sound of the life support system tingled in her ears. Over there laid her dad with the support of an oxygen gauge to aid his breathing, his face was so pale seeming lifeless. The doctor's predictions were real. When he stated that he was in a state of coma and would not be helped if his treatment was delayed.

The tears she had once held back welled up in her eyes and she found it hard to fight them back. It flowed freely from her cheeks. She walked up to his bed and sat by his bed.

"Dad, please hold on tight okay, I'm here for you. Please don't leave us." She turned around to face the doctor who stood behind her.

"Doctor, how is he now?" Wiping her face with the back of her palms expected a quick reply from the doctor who just walked in.

"Miss. Dickinson, you should be grateful he's still alive. In my years of working as a medical doctor, we only have rare cases like this which finally survived. This treatment should have been administered a long time ago to save his life, but thank goodness he still lives. We- -,"

Eloise wasn't feeling too good about the doctor's report any longer; she knew it wasn't her family's fault to have delayed this, yet she strongly believed her dad was going to survive the incident. "Doctor, please do whatever you can to save my dad's life. Let's proceed with the surgery, I'll make payment to the accounting department now."

Anastasia who had sighted the suitcase with Eloise while she walked in was quick to whisper. "Baby, where did you get such a big amount of money from?"

"We will talk about that later ok." She whispered in return teasing her by roughing her hair.

"Miss. Dickinson, we will do our best. The operation room will be prepared now and he will be transferred there for the operation. All you need to do is include him in your prayers as we all know we only care but God cures." The doctor explained and took a walk out of the ward.

"Eloise, where have you been and how did you get such a high amount of money," her stepmother queried.

Eloise wavered in her thoughts trying to figure out the perfect explanation to suit her stepmom's question, she was sure if she told her the truth she would be displeased with her.

She swung her left bi arm across her stepmother's neck, "Mum, it's alright ok, the best thing is at least we've gotten a way out for dad." She noticed her stepmother felt insatiable with her answer, so she had to find something else to appease her.

"Alright mum, let's do it this way, we'd talk about it as soon as we get home," She feigned a smile, returning to her sick dad clasping one of his hands in hers. He was burning hot like someone with a fever.

"Dad, please get well soon, ok? Remember, I'm doing all of this just for you. Don't make my efforts go in vain." She whispered into him with tears twirling up in her eyes.

Eloise exited the intensive room and headed to the accounting room.

***

They had barely settled into the house after returning from the hospital when her stepmom raised the same question again, it was already expected by Eloise she already prepared an answer.

"Mum, you worry a lot. Remember I started work a few days ago. When I got to know about dad's condition, I went as far as I could to get help from friends but I didn't. Not until I spoke to my boss and he decided to give me some money upfront while I pay in bits with my salary." She lied, feigning a smile.

Her stepmom found the words easy to believe because she so much trusted Eloise.

She took Eloise into her arms. "I trust you wouldn't do anything to impair my feelings and most especially that of your sick father lying in bed."

Eloise released cold tears, how she wished her stepmom's trust wasn't betrayed. She knew she had silently sold herself to a total stranger all because she needed to save her dad.

Her step mum released her from her arms and gently planted a kiss on her forehead.

***

Time seemed to spin faster than usual. In a twinkle, her one-week leave came to an end and she needed to resume work as agreed.

Her dad's surgery went well but she still felt bothered because he was yet to regain consciousness.

She picked up her phone, and unlocked it, unconsciously surveying it searching for nothing in particular.

She zooms out of her thoughts, smashing her lips.

A part of her wondered why Thomas refused to call her at least once in the whole of the week.

"Mum, Anastasia," please take good care of yourselves. Remember I said I wouldn't be coming home for a while due to distance?

I would need to take a new apartment in Naiden to make things easy for m- -" before she could finish her statement, Anastasia ran to her giving her a tight hug.

"I'll miss you, baby," Eloise giggled, only if she could be a baby as her sister always called her, probably she wouldn't have anything thinking about and certainly not entering into this mess she found herself.

She dimmed her eyes, her family was one thing that meant a whole lot to her but she needed to go, only if they knew what mess she finally found herself in. "I'll miss you too mummy," she finally spilled.

***

She got off at the train station, shortly after the train arrived at Naiden.

She stood by the wayside, waiting for any oncoming taxi to convey her straight to her workplace.

She had barely stood for two minutes when a masculine voice called with a wave in the air. "Eloise…..,"

She was so shocked to imagine who could have known her or even known her name in the capital city.

She checked her head sideways and yet saw no one until a car parked by her side.

The windows were tinted making it difficult to recognize whoever was within.

The door suddenly flung open. "Get in the car," the voice shot again.