CHAPTER 3

The Hospital

Cara quickly placed a knee on the ground to check the body. She had some knowledge on first aid. She noticed the holes and blood stains in the huge man's belly and shoulder. She could tell that they were bullet wounds.

"I think he's not dead yet," she announced.

Tom stared at her face doubtingly. Those were the last words he was hoping to hear from her. The man looked dead and without life to him.

"We need to get him to the hospital," Cara added.

Tom sighed. He knew it was going to get to that.

"Do you know this man?" Cara asked, directing her question to Osey.

Osey was still watching from a distance. He knew she was talking to him but could not respond immediately because the face of the man could not be seen clearly from where he was. He moved closer, slowly and reluctantly.

"I don't know him," he stopped when he got to the safest, closest distance from which he could see the man's face. "I don't know him, he's certainly not from here, I heard the men saying he can not be recognized even if he was seen before the vultures eat up his body."

"We have to get him to the hospital right away," Cara insisted, staring at Tom's face for assistance.

Tom sighed. He was reluctant to help the stranger in the strange land, but he knew that he had no choice since Cara was bent on getting him to the hospital.

"You know this may disrupt our real purpose for coming to Nura, right?" He said softly, trying to make her have a rethink.

"That can be done any other time. We have to save this life first." She insisted.

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PRESENT DAY

Lutheran Hospital, Deols, El Deols.

"Daddy!" The screams of a little boy echoed loudly in his mind.

He was still physically motionless in the hospital bed but had just gotten awake in the mental realm. He could see the face of the scared little boy in the dark night, screaming and struggling for help as he was being carried away forcefully by the masked men.

He saw himself being held on both sides by hefty men. His eyes were bloodshot as he struggled to no avail to free himself from the grip of the men. His body was unexplainably so weak that even though the man's grip was not so firm, he couldn't still get away.

"They're taking us away, do something, honey!" A woman screamed in horror as she was being dragged away on the floor helplessly.

The pictures disappeared for a moment, and he could only hear shouts and screams. It was like a dream but seemed real.

He again saw flashes of other scenes in his mind. A small house was blazing in flames, and loud screams could be heard, which got deadened after seconds. His mind went blank for a moment, and his eyes opened gently. Four months after wandering in the world of unconsciousness, he was able to breathe.

_______________

Lutheran Hospital, El Deols, Anthanna.

Tom watched in disgust as Cara ran up the stairs in the direction of the Intensive Care Unit. He wondered why she was so excited about a total stranger and his well-being. He had never supported keeping the stranger on life support and discouraged her every day, giving her strong reasons for how the hospital bills were taking so much of her money. He had refused when she asked for his assistance in taking care of the bills, and she summoned the courage to take it all up by herself without asking for help from anyone else.

Cara was the only daughter of a successful businessman, a billionaire named Emery Jack. But even with her father's wealth, she was hardworking and had made so much for herself at a very young age. She was a business owner herself, running a consulting firm and also a website where she gives information about small business opportunities and ideas, and also mentors others.

Tom was the second son of Emery Jack's friend, Harry Wills, who was another successful businessman. The friendship of their fathers made he and Cara friends since childhood. He also did well in his own field but still worked in his father's organisation.

Cara opened the door noisily and barged into the ward without announcement, making the eyes of Doctor and Nurse turn to her. For some reason, she couldn't move further. It seemed like her hand got glued to the knob of the door, and she stared at the man who had been "dead" for four months.

The man in the hospital bed was the last to look up at her, but he looked away immediately as if he saw no one and returned his focus to the doctor who was administering some injections to him.

Tom joined Cara at the entrance and stopped beside her. He glanced at her face before fixing his gaze on the man being attended to by the nurse and doctor.

It was confirmed now that he was truly out of danger. He had been taken off the medical ventilator and was now sitting and moving parts of his body in response to the doctor.

Cara advanced slowly in contrast to the manner at which she got to the entrance. She kept her eyes on the face of the man who did not even seem to notice she was coming towards him. Tom followed behind, and they stopped when they got to the leg side of the bed.

"Congratulations, Miss Cara, he's finally out of danger." The doctor let out a smile.

Cara responded with a smile and looked at the patient's face again. The patient glanced at her for a moment and then looked away. The expression on his face was unwelcoming.

"I came as soon as I got the message," Cara replied pleasantly, taking a brief look at the doctor's face. "I hope everything is well with him."

"Yeah…" the doctor answered, dragging the word a little more than usual. He finished up with administering the injection into the patient's arm and dropped the used syringe into the container held by the nurse. He took in a breath and faced Cara. "He's fine and totally out of danger now. We'd have to change his ward soon," the doctor began to take slow steps away from his position. He stopped beside Cara and spoke in low tones, but still loud enough for Tom to hear. "I told you after you brought him that he had a brain injury that he must have gotten from the use of weapons on his head."