CHAPTER 4
Ryan went back home to freshen up before going back to the hospital. He left what he had purchased in his car to avoid unnecessary questions from his family. Immediately he stepped into the living room, everyone's attention turned to him. He met a little commotion in the living room and wondered what was going on.
"Thank goodness you're here. Where have you been, Aryan?" His sister asked.
"Why calling me that name…why are you being formal with me all of a sudden?" He asked in a bit of confusion.
"We got a message from work that you missed a meeting with some foreign investors…" His elder sister, Tanya, started when she was cut in by their father.
"Cancelled…cancelled not missed. He cancelled it! Imagine how foolish he can be!" His father raged.
"What are you people talking about?" Aryan, also called Ryan for informality, asked confusedly about what was going on.
"Dad, are you seeing what I'm saying? He doesn't even know what we're talking about." His sister added.
"Ryan, your secretary told us that you cancelled a meeting which you were to have with some investors. Those people came with a huge offer to the company and you turned them down by cancelling a meeting with them that was already fixed. What's wrong with you? Do you want this company to go bankrupt?" His dad asked, after explaining what the tension was all about.
"I forgot about the meeting and I didn't cancel it on purpose…I had something urgent to attend to that's why…" He explained himself.
"What useless thing needed more urgency than this? Tell me! Do you know what you've done? Huh?" His mother asked him, infuriated.
"I'm sorry, okay? I had personal stuff to attend to and I said I'm sorry!" He apologized annoyingly.
"Oh, sorry? What can sorry do? Will it bring the lost contract worth a million dollars? Answer me!" His brother asked.
"Wait first let me know something, where have you been lately and what stuff was it that you had to attend to?" His mum asked.
"Nothing that you need to know about mum, you said it yourself and I am also repeating that it is personal." He explained to everyone, but his mum in particular.
"Will you answer me directly before I lose my temper?" His mother asked him again.
"Well mum, I have my privacy to keep and you must respect that. If it's because of the contract I'll make up for that okay? I'll pay every dime it's worth into the company's account. Is that fine now?" He told everyone which left them surprised and amazed.
"And where do you think you will get that money from?" His brother asked him.
"I have my money and I will make up for that. That's all what you need to know. Goodnight, I'm out of here." He said and went upstairs to his room, leaving everyone speechless.
"Don't you dare try to sell the company's property or play games with us otherwise you'll be fired." His brother added as he went up the stairs but he ignored him. He undressed and went into the bathroom to shower after which he dressed up and laid on his bed for some time, thinking about nothing in particular as he stared at the ceiling.
After a few minutes, he got up and headed downstairs. His family saw him leave but they didn't say anything to him. His sister's husband and two daughters were also in the living room with his brother and his wife. He was on his way to the hospital when he pulled by a flower shop. He got a call from the nurse at the hospital.
"Hello sir. It's the nurse from the hospital that's on the line." She introduced herself to him as it was a new number and her first time calling his line.
"Okay, how's she doing?" He asked her immediately when he recognized the person at the end of the line.
"She's doing just fine, she's awake." She told him.
"Okay. I'll be there soon, I'm on my way. Please keep an eye on her before I get there." He instructed the nurse.
"Okay sir. Bye." She said to him as he ended the call.
After a few minutes, he arrived at the hospital and went to her ward with some disposable bags in his hand and some flowers.
"Welcome sir." The nurse greeted as she helped him to carry the things he had brought and kept them on a side table by the bed.
"How's she feeling now?" He asked the nurse as he looked at her sleeping.
"She's much better sir. She went back to sleep a few minutes before you came in." The nurse told him.
"That's good, thank goodness for her recovery." He prayed.
"Yes sir but…there is a problem." The nurse told him, which made him curious to know what's wrong.
"Okay, what's it?" He asked her as they were both still standing.
"The doctor would like to see you in her office. She asked me to tell you that when you arrive." The nurse delivered the message to him from the doctor.
"Hope no problem?" He asked the nurse, wondering why the doctor wanted to see him.
"I'm afraid I can't tell but it has to do with her health." The nurse gave her best explanation.
"Okay, I'll see her but has she eaten before going back to sleep?" He asked the nurse.
"Not yet sir." She replied to Ryan's question. Ryan went to see the doctor in her office. Greetings were exchanged and he was asked to sit. After having some little discussion about Haera's health, the doctor finally broke the latest update to him.
"I'm sorry to say this but she has lost her memory due to the accident which badly afftected her brain." The doctor broke the news to Ryan which hit him hard but he had already been prepared for the worst and best, whichever would come to him.
"Any other complications?" He asked he doctor.
"Yes, not only did she lose her memory but she also has internal bleeding which has to be treated by surgery next month." She broke another bad news to him.
"Bleeding? What caused it?" He asked the doctor.
"After she was scanned, it was discovered that there was a bullet in her abdomen and thigh and the particles spread down to her pelvis which could lead to decay if not treated soon." The doctor explained to him.
"Gunshot? I thought she was involved in an accident, why then the bullets? He asked the doctor utterly surprised.
"We don't really know…we were only told that she was involved in a car accident in a taxi. She was the only survivor while the driver died on his way to the hospital." The doctor explained.
"But…is there really no one who knows about what happened? Not even the person that brought her here or the scene of the accident?" Ryan asked, trying to find clues on what really happened.
"I'm afraid none." The doctor replied as she sighed heavily.
"It's okay…I'll pay for the surgery to be done but why next month? Isn't it far away?" Ryan asked with a worried look.
"It's an emergency case I understand but next month isn't too far, it's just two weeks away. We have other cases to attend to before hers that's why she had to be fixed for next month. Bare with us please." The doctor explained to Ryan in a calm voice.
"Thank you very much ma. Please if there's anything do let me know." He said as he stood up.
"Sure sir. Have a nice day." The doctor ended their discussion as he left her office. On his way back to the ward, he kept thinking about what she said. He wondered what really happened and how gunshots were also part of the accident.
"Could it be that she had committed a crime and was shot? Could it be that she stole that baby that day? No, she's not the one. Or could it be that someone was after her life?" He kept thinking until he arrived at her ward.