Hope
Harriet ran with the nurses who were carrying Damien’s body out of the building, her legs moving swiftly even though her mind was completely blank. Uncontrollable tears kept falling from her eyes as she stared at Damien’s body which was already covered with blood. Even after doing her best to stop the bleeding at the building, it didn’t work as it kept gushing out nonstop. She was scared that he would die as he had been shot really close to his heart.
She joined the nurses in the ambulance and for the first time in a long time, Harriett started muttering prayers to God.
The nurses began the process of stopping the bleeding while they were still in the ambulance, driving at an impossible speed to the hospital.
They knew that Damien Daniels was a VIP patient and his life had to be saved.
Eric who had come with the police, was in a state of confusion. He didn’t know if it would be a wise idea to call his parents. But then, it’s Damien Daniels, one of the most popular men in New York. The news of his health will spread like wildfire if not controlled.
After much contemplation, he finally decided to call Damien's parents and inform them of what had happened. He placed a call to Thomas Daniels first who picked up on the second ring.
“Eric! What a surprise. I didn’t expect you to call me so soon. Have you returned from your honeymoon?” Thomas asked but Eric wasn’t in the right frame of mind to give him a reply.
“Sir… uhhmm. I have bad news.” His hand went into his hair and ruffled it out of frustration.
“Is everything okay, Eric?” Thomas Daniels asked, not knowing that his son was on the verge of death.
“It’s Damien.. we both tracked Harriett’s location and found out that she was being held at a building. We were to go in together but Damien was to impatient. I got there in time but just when we were about to leave, he.. he got shot.” He explained and there was immediate silence at that other end.
“Sir? Are you there?” He asked but all he got was raged breathing. Twenty seconds later, Thomas’s voice finally came through.
“Where is he?” Thomas asked in a low and calm voice but Eric knew that he was trying hard to lose his mind.
“St Jude hospital.” He said and Thomas Daniels thanked him before ending the call.
Thomas tried to keep the news from his wife but as he was about leaving the house, she called him back and began interrogating him as she suspected that there was something wrong.
“Where are you going, honey?” She said, wondering why he was sneaking out while looking worried. It was almost 7 in the evening and her husband wasn’t a fan of being out late so it had to be something serious.
“Nothing, love. Something came up at the company and I have to be there.” He lied but her expression told him that she wasn’t buying his poor attempt at lying.
“It’s Damien.” He said after giving up. It was pointless since she would find out eventually.
“He got shot.” As the words left his lips, Stacy screamed, shaking her head.
“Come on, love. He’s at a hospital right now. Let’s go see our son.” He pulled her up as they both headed to the car.
*
*
“Harriett? Harriett!” Stacy ran towards her with tears in her eyes.
Ha young and Jake were already at the hospital as they had been informed by Eric also. With all that had happened between their daughter and Damien, they still found themselves unable to sit still upon hearing that he had been shot. Hearing that he took the bullet in place of their daughter made them realize that he was actually not as bad as they thought.
“Mother!” Harriett hugged Stacy and both woman started crying uncontrollably.
Harriett was too shaken to give them a detailed explanation of what had happened so all they could do was sit and wait for the doctor.
Harriett knew that if Damien survives this, their lives would take a new turn. Sure, she had loved ones but she wasn’t sure any of them would take a bullet for her.
Damien did.
Two hours later, the head doctor came out of the operating room and they all rushed to him, eager to hear what he would say.
“Doctor, how is he?” Harriett was the first to ask and he gave a sad smile. Harriett could feel her heart pounding loudly as she feared for the worst.
“We have done all we can. Thankfully, the bullet missed his heart by two inches. I believe it’s a miracle that it didn’t hit it. All we can do now is wait for him to wake up.” He said and a chorus of loud sighs across the hallway.
“When will he be up, Doctor?” Harriett continued, not giving any other person the chance to speak.
“I’m sorry but I cannot give you a definite time. What I am trying to say that is that he is in a coma.” He said and the smile that appeared on Harriet’s face when she heard that he had saved Damien’s life faded as he mentioned the word ‘ coma ’.
“What?” Stacy asked with a shaky voice as Harriett slumped, managing to hold the wall for support.
She didn’t want to believe it but Damien’s fate was no longer in the hands of the doctors. She could only pray that he wakes up… soon.
*
*
Back at the house, Evelyn was restless.
She hadn’t gotten a call from the hired kidnapper all evening and even when she tried reaching out to him, he didn’t bother picking up. She wasn’t sure yet but she could feel that something was not right.
To make matters worse, Damien had threatened her to confess in the next twenty four hours before leaving.
There was no way she was going to confess to committing a crime that could take her to jail.
Her plan was simple, make the hired kidnapper take the fall. Who wouldn’t believe her, a rich and classy lady?
As she struggled to sleep, a call came in and just as she had been expecting, it was a call from the hired kidnapper.
“What the fuck have you been doing? Didn’t you see my calls?” She immediately yelled into the phone, not even giving him a chance to speak.
The line went silent for a few seconds before the voice of a man that sounded nothing like the hired kidnapper came through.
“I fucking knew you were behind it, bitch! You’re done for this time.” The man said and ended the call abruptly as Evelyn clung onto her phone, her face filled with shock.
