The need for secede

She placed her hands on the muffins zipped them onto the spatula and flipped them over, the other side browned, she placed them separately on two different white plates arranging the breakfast, making a tower of eggs benedict, with a generous pour of hollandaise sauce onto it.

He rested his head on his shoulder, *the position he had been all night*. There is virtually nobody he could trust their living, viewing the state if their health in the hospital. The only hope he had just got shot at his head, but luckily for him, the bullet just brushed his consciousness.

Though he had been in surgery, he's still facing the fading illusions of coma.

Wha! He shivered, jerking and coming back alive.

The hands that had initiated his coming back to life. Slid down his arms, slowly drifting away from his body. "Hey man," Mitchell greeted. Mac yawned, coming to realize, he spent the night in the hospital, when he gained balance of his environment did he say "Hey, who are you".

"Alright, he said this would happen" she gently spoke to herself in a lowly tone. "Okay," she said clearing her throat and waving her hands as if clearing the air in from of her, "I'm Mitchell, Drew's partner, he said I should help pick you up before he passed out". "Oh! Mitchell from his office" he exclaimed. "It's nice meeting you ma'am, he greeted"

"Take all the time father, just wake up". Mac said as he packed his stuff and made his way out of the ward following Mitchell.

The street was normal, as it used to be, but as lonely as he was, he didn't feel anyone's presence in the world all he needed was his family back.

He got into Mitchell's car, and she zoomed off.

Shouldn't you be prepared for school by now, Mitchell asked, "I lost track of time" he replied.

I'm fine here, he waved his hands down to imply the same. He got down from the vehicle, turning around and closing the door, he left the spot, and she simultaneously zoomed off.

Mac breathed out heavily as the doors of the lift gently slid open, he walked straight down to where their apartment was and placed palm on the fingerprint reader to unlock the door.

The only thing he loved about this apartment is the massive technology it has embedded in it. But what he cherished most, being the shades of his memories, moments, and those glorious portraits. None of it could he find.

He swung his backpack to the cushion of the sofa, breathed heavily, and then went to get prepared for school.

**********★**********

Mr. Murdoch, their English teacher was concluding the class, while the students got ready for the jingle of the bell. The moment the bell rang, they left the class.

Mac waved at Tori, but she couldn't see him so he tried to as quickly as possible make through the flood of student in-between them.

As he was about to get to where she was, he stumbled and fell upon her shoulder, he quickly adjusted himself and moved to her front while she was almost reacting.

She paused, all the words that had flowed down, which she was willing to pour on her supposed culprit, did she soak back into her grey matter. "Where on earth have you been?" she banged on his chest. "Why are you just coming?, Why didn't you return my calls?". It was just then Mac evoked that he had left his phone on the hospital bed table at his dad's ward.

"Everybody's dying" Mac responded, "what do you ...?" They talked as they tread the path to the library.

"Drew was shot yesterday, he escaped death"

"What! That's bad news, I'm sorry you are going through all these, you know it's going to be fine right" they looked at each other and sighed.

So where were you headed, before I came through, "library" they chorused? " How did you know", today is Thursday and you've got no class to attend now, he looked at the time on his wristwatch.

**********★**********

The final bell for the day rang as all students left the premises of Lucas high, "I'm heading to the hospital for the last check" Tori said. "You'll do fine, I know that alright" Mac replied as they parted.

The lights of Mirampea Hospital was seemingly brighter as Tori arrived, the skies were getting darker while the buildings of *Washington metropolis* shove their lights on the streets, while the streets lights complimenting the effort, crowned it all with a warm gentle glow of sunset radiation, the light harmonizingly replaced the sun that was just going to bed.

**********★**********

Mac looked out of the patio door, as he was ready to leave for the hospital, he closed his eyes said a few words into the cold winter breeze that crept in from the open adjacent window, he breathed in heavily and breathed out the same way, forming a thin cloud that clung to the glass, in the same minute, he scribbled onto the foggy glass and left for the hospital.

He stepped into the lift, nervous as if he were to take a calculus test, he was passionately hoping that Ena should be fine now, she should be good to go.

He stopped at the edge of the door, he felt he needed to ready for the worst, although he hoped for the best, he could not risk the shock he'd have it the story was to be far from good news.

Hi Mac, Ena said softly, the waves of sound that his ears read it to me was so exciting, that he couldn't think of ever reacting the way he did in his right senses, he screamed: "I miss you". He swiftly walked towards her bed and folded her hands in his.

He almost broke a tear, but he closed it up with a large smile, that was meant to read, his excitement to see her.

"when are you coming home," Mac asked, "the doctors are saying the day after tomorrow"

"You should go see Mom now, she's expecting you", Mac stood up from the bed and calmly bad "till tomorrow Ena, Mitchell and I will pick you up", "who's Mitch..." Ena was trying to ask before Mac cut in "that's a story for later".

***********★**********

He paused at the front of the lift waiting for its arrival, he pondered on what he will be telling Ena to be this time the next day. A few seconds later, the lift swung open and from thence came Mitchell.

"speaking of the devil" he mumbled.

"Hey Mitchell", Mac greeted. Hey man, she replied. "What's up, "Mac asked as he got into the lift, "let's get in the car" I'll tell you everything.

The words weren't consoling, while everything was gathering up together, Mac felt it falling back apart, he assumed something is wrong with Drew, and he felt Drew's dead but didn't want to accept that fact.

They got to the bottom floor, checked out of the hospital and went towards the SUV.

When Mitchell was just about fastening the seatbelt did Mac ask, "he's dead"? Mitchell ignored the question and zoomed off, "why did you pick me up?". Mac asked, "'cause it's too late for you to wonder about, you need to be at home". Raising up his voice, he ranted, "you don't get to tell me how much time I should spend with my dying family at the hospital, you don't know anything about losing someone, so don't say it"

"Last year, I lost my husband, iirhabiun killed him, man! if there's someone you need to talk to, it's definitely me" Mac felt embarrassed and abashed, he had gone too far, he looked at her, although looking down, "I'm sorry". He muttered.

202-548-7717 call that number if you're in trouble. Mitchell said as they parted.

**********★**********

Mac went all up to see Drew the next morning, he had read about coma recovery and how music played an important role, so since he did not know Drew music choice, he did some research, and came up with what a '70s person would like. He branched a music store and got a James Vernon Taylor album "Before this world".

Then, up the lift he went, he moved towards the ward, wanting to do a demonstrative entrance, as if Drew were conscious. He knocked the door, opened it and waved, "Hi Dad". He went greeting on the top of his voice.

He paused briefly, as he noticed the heart rate control device was not reading, he quickly moved towards the bed, to press the panic button, but before he could do that, he realized, Drew's gone. Mac phone lay on the bedside table, as well as Drew's credit card. He was bewildered, the only option was him calling Mitchell, so he tried to remember her cell number, then he dialed it.