20 Chapter 20: Dead End
Third person's POV
Red. Crimson. Gushing blood. Bloody red. But, pitch black is the only thing she can see. Little by little, her world, is being consumed by the darkness.
The cloth that used to be white is now filled with blood.
The hand that got the diploma earlier is now stained and trembling because of the unfathomable fear.
Her lips that was once smiling is now shaking.
The eyes filled with joy a while ago, is now overflowing with hot tears.
Contentment and bliss in her heart is replaced with agony and fear—it is now weeping.
A while ago, she experienced the world she had dreamed of. A while ago everything was perfect. For a moment, she had everything. Now, everything is slowly slipping away... He is slipping away...
"P-Pops..." holding her grandpa's hand, she called for him.
She feels nothing but fear, fear of what could happen. Her whole attention is on the hand that she holds with her trembling hand full of blood, not minding about her surrounding.
Few minutes had passed since she witnessed her sister—crying and panicking and her grandpa—fighting for his life on the cold blooded pavement. Nonetheless, the memory is still vivid.
A tremendous and unknown fear spread to every limb of her body when she saw her sister trying to stop the bleeding on the side of the stomach of the old man.
"What happened?" the guy asked while trying to get a hold of Inara so she won't fall unto the ground.
"G-Gunshot..." Raine inwardly said, lips trembling and tears won't stop falling.
"P-Pops..." Inara whispered. "H-hey.." she stares at the old man's face despite the blurry vision cause by the overflowing tears.
Inara can no longer process what she hears from the people around them, her brain won't function properly. Crying—it is the only thing she did.
The man's gaze turn to her, he smiled weakly at his precious granddaughter. He tried to reach Inara's face, wanting to wipe the girl's tears. "N-Nali..." his voice came out weakly. "Don't cry... I-I'm fine..."
The lady could not respond other than her sobs.
Her world is literally crumbling right now. The man who became his savior is now fighting for his own life. She feels useless. She can't do anything...
Inara's POV
My sister—Raine and me decided to go inside the ambulance where Pops is in. Kale is the one driving our car, he also said that he will call my brother to inform him about the incident.
Gunshot. Who shot Pops? Why?
That's the only question in my mind while holding Pops' weak hand with my trembling one. My tears won't stop falling either.
"H-Hey, Nali..." my grandpa's weak voice made me look at him. With fear of what could happen to him constantly consumes me, I stared at him.
"D-Don't cry... It's okay... Y-You will be okay," with his voice, my heart ache. Pops sounded in so much pain.
Thinking that he is in pain made me cry harder. I will be okay. No Pops, I want you to be the one who will be alright. I don't want to fine if you're not.
"P-Pops... You gotta fight, okay? You have to," my voice broke.
He smiled at me "I will fight..."
You will Pops... You will... I don't know what I will do if you won't fight.
I felt him trying to tighten his hold on my hand, the hot tears are also visible in his sleepy eyes.
"Y-Your chains... I-I want to see you get free from t-them..." suffering is now evident on his tone. "Nali, I want you to f-find your d-dream." a lone tear escape his eyes.
"I will, P-Pops. And when I found it, you will be the first person to know..." I kissed his hands while tears won't stop from falling.
Memories of time with him flash in my mind. The laughter, his smile, his advice and lessons, those silly chit chat we had. All of the beautiful memories with him... It's flashing...
Before, whenever those memories came across my mind, I feel happy and nothing else. But now, I felt nothing but pain.
My heart is aching—weeping for my grandfather's suffering. My body can't do anything but tremble. My soul... It is longing for someone who is still here.
The ambulance is slowing down, we are near the hospital.
Just bear it a little more Pops...
When the doors opened, nurses and doctors immediately flock on my grandpa. I heard a doctor asking about the vital signs and such, then the other one is ordering a nurse to prepare an operating room.
I didn't let go of his hand whilst he is laying on the stretcher.
"N-Nali..." he murmured.
"Yes Pops, w-we're near there," I tried to smile.
"You will find your dream, everything will be f-fine, okay?" his voice came out weak and broken.
I nodded my head desperately, "of course Pops, don't talk anymore. We are almost there..."
From here, I can see the double door of the operating room where as per the doctor, the room where they will try to extract the bullet from his body.
"Your grandpa loves you, Inara. You and your siblings, especially, your mom. Chase your dreams, P-Poppet..." those were his last words to me before they enter the OR.
I'm sitting on the waiting area here. The tears stop falling, but my heart... It's beating is unstable...
In my peripheral view, I saw blurry figures running towards me.
My sister, Ryle, Mama, Papa, and Kale.
Raine insisted to wait for them at the emergency room's entrance because the restaurant is kind of far from this hospital.
I smiled at them weakly when they got near me.
"Where is he?" my brother asked.
I pointed at the operating room's door since I can't talk anymore, 'cause if I can, sobs will be the first thing to go out of my mouth.
"N-Nali..." tears brimming, my mother hugged me.
My mother's pain... I felt it. We share the same pain, right now.
Her tears triggered mine to fall once again. One after another, non-stop.
"M-Mama...P-Pops is..." I said between sobs.
She's gently caressing my hair and my back, trying to calm me down.
"Shhhhh.. B-Baby, it's okay... Dad will he fine..." Mama's voice broke.
Her words... I think it's not really for me. It for her. She's convincing herself as well that her father will be fine.
One...
Papa and Ryle was busy calling people or the police. Trying to know who the gun man is. Anger and hatred was etched on there faces.
Two...
Kale is beside me, keeping a watch and calming me. He did not leave my side, he did not let go of my hand too. He's here. Sharing the pain I have right now. The moment I looked at his eyes, my heart ached. Kale looks tired, afraid and worried.
Three...
On the other side, my mother is beside my sister. They're crying silently, comforting each other.
Four...
Four hours had already passed but there's still no news ...
Four and a half...
The doctor came out.
Eyes on the floor. That very moment... I feel like heaven and hell were on my shoulders and a bomb just dropped in front of me. Too fast that I'm unable to react. Too fast that I can't do anything.
I know now... Can't deny it anymore. But why? Why is it so hard to accept it?
"Are you the patient's family?" the doctor asked.
"Yes, doc. How is he?" Ryle answered, his voice shows nervousness.
"I'm sorry, but we did everything."
It's done... It's the end... He's gone.
My knees gave up on me because of the painful truth causing me to sit on the cold tiled floor.
"There were a lot of blood that came out of his body before he could even arrive here at the hospital."
One of the person who guided and supported my journey... has already reached the end of the path he took.
I just sat there. Processing everything... No, trying to accept everything.
What happened to the dreams that I will show you after finding it? What about seeing me getting free from the chains?
"Fucking unfair..." I whispered.
Fucking unfair. The world is so unfair. The heaven's call was never fair. How? How can they make me have every damn thing that I missed in life then take everything from me?
So this is it, huh? The price of the short-bliss life I have...How unfair. The cost for that life is too high. Is that the price? So that's what they took in exchange of me, finding the things I lack in this life?
What a cruel way of making me pay.
No more tears dared to escape. My heart isn't aching anymore. I feel nothing. Nothing but emptiness.
It's done. Pops' gone. Just like his wife... He reached his dead end.
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