Chapter 2

It was fast.

Nurses and paramedics emerged from the Community Hospital when Diamond raised an alarm. About five of them ...The two paramedics wheeled out a stretcher and the rest of them completed the stampede, all armed with first aid boxes and other tools Diamond failed to recognise. She was utterly distressed.

Two nurses helped Freda's unconscious body on the stretcher. One of them was a middle-aged woman. She took out a stethoscope and checked her heartbeat. She was still alive, the nurse knew but Diamond wasn't sure, the expression on a woman's face was hard to decipher.

"Please help my mother. She sustained a serious head injury. Please I want her alive". Diamond pleaded, resisting the urge to grasp the woman's hand. The nurse merely glanced at her, she was very busy examining the unconscious woman but she heard her,yet said nothing.

"Trauma Team to the ER... massive head injury..."Her voice trailed off as she beckoned her colleagues then finally gave an anxious and impatient Diamond some attention. "I advise you give your muscles a break. Your mom is going to be okay once we start the operation on her "She said briskly, turning to join the team wheeling Diamond's mother into the hospital. Diamond followed behind them. It was really hasty. They had worn her mother an oxygen mask and burst into the emergency room.

A paramedic stopped Diamond from entering into the ER.

"Hey, don't be offended, you'll have to wait out here. When we're done we'll let you in", the man said hastily and shut the door. Whatever she was going to say now had to wait. She managed to look through the transparent part of the door and saw the team attending to her mother.

Finally she heaved out the breath she didn't know she had been holding. She sat on the bench and ran her two hands through her thick brown hair trying to still the migraine headache that had only begun to develop in one area of her head. She knows later on that she will have to go consume one packet of painkillers.

She looked around the hospital.This was her first time here. The government lifted the Community Hospital about 2 years and it's quite a thrill how people patronized this place. But then again, it was a developing hospital and the best in San Andreas, she thought idily. Men and women on uniform were busy passing by in a whirl of activity. Metal scraped on metal. Another emergency team wheeled in another person. Diamond was sitting across from the ER so she could take a perfect view of the person in the stretcher. it was a man. His eyes were closed and his face disorientated. His clothes were torn too... he was a bloody mess. They took the wounded man into the room and once again shut the door.

Diamond couldn't stop staring at that door. She found out that the doctors and nurses and paramedics... every other medical staff probably found a way of coping with stress because at this time of the day made for rest, medical staff spent their time and used all their energy wheeling unconscious people and treating them.

What could have gotten that man into that gory condition? she did not want to think that someone smashed a vase on his head. His condition appeared more fatal than her mother's. So it had to be something much worse like an accident or a serious fight.

Goosebumps crawed all over her skin. The hospital was a dreadful place to be. Her thoughts wondered back to her mother eventually. How was she? what is the present condition? Would she survive? the nurse told her it was going to be alright, it was their job to save life so she should worry less and focus on herself. She had an important exam to write later.

Suddenly exhausted, she closed her eyes.

"HELLO YOUNG LADY?" An amiable voice work diamond up from her slight nap. her head snapped up so fast her subconscious who was judging her for even batting a lid. But something about the young man dressed in a super clean white lab coats and his smiling eyes chased away the shadows from her own eyes

"I'm Doctor Seth" he said in a smooth accent, far from the one they used in her hispanic community. He stretched out his hand. Diamond looked at him in bewilderment but he gave her a blistering smile.

She was suspicious at first that she was thinking his smile was some sort of magnetic force he used to pacify vulnerable people and she knew deep down that she was already victimized by his charisma. She shook his waiting hand but she didn't tell him her name.

"She's fine, isn't she? "

"Why dont you see for yourself, "he told her and led her into the ER.

A strong smell of antiseptic, medicine and blood hit her at first but what her eyes saw definitely beat her to it.

The emergency room was a spaceful environment that contains many, many injured people all canopied and separated with blue curtains that each person had a cubicle and her mother was part of them but she was out of sight.

She wanted to puke, literally everything she has eaten since last month. She took in a breathe, vowing that in no circumstances would she come here again... ever. She hated the site of blood. She didn't like to see physically hurt people as much as she didn't want to admit. Well except her father who she loathes.

He should be the one here. He should be the one going through all these people's pain, all at once, not her mother.

"Right here ".Doctor Seth put aside a privacy curtain to reveal a conscious Freda. She was also aware of the stinging and throbbing pain that encompassed every part of her body. She was put under anaesthetic but she still felt dizzy.

Diamond saw her mother on drips, her hair wrapped beneath a bandage and obviously in pain. she was pale .

"Mom"

Freda almost jumped out of her skin when she heard her daughter's voice.

"I'm so glad you're alive." Diamond sat on the gurney beside Freda

"I'm more than happy to see your face, I was worried". Freda gazed into Diamond's hazel eyes.

Diamond wanted to say she worried more than her previously unconscious mother but she didn't.

"Are you ok? " She asked

"Well, I know I'm better than many other people here" Diamond agreed.

"I'm so sorry I put you in a stressful situation. I asked the doctor how I got here, he said you brought me ".

Everyone word knifes out of her throat.

"Yes" Diamond said honorably. You dont have to worry about that, I'm taking care of everything".

Freda's forehead crinkled with wory, she looked at her daughter curiously. "Where's your father?"

It was Diamond's turn to give her mother a look of disbelief.

"Dad picked up a vase and broke it on your head. Not to mention,that vase was a gift from abuela before she died".

Diamond spat out irritatedly then reduced her voice, almost a whisper. "Dad didn't care if you were going to die".

Freda could only screw her eyes shut. If she opened them, she would never stop crying.

Doctor Seth had disappeared ever since he brought Diamond to the room and none of them had noticed. He came back to check up on them. He may have sensed it. Grief hung in the air like musk.

"Excuse me?" He called for their attention, they looked at him. "Um,are you guys expecting any other person?"

Diamond looked at her mother then back to the doctor.

"No". She shook her head.

"Alright, I'll be speaking with you then". He looked at Freda "Can I burrow your daughter? in regards to your condition and other things we need to attend to".

Freda gave it a slight thought out but she gave him her permission. She already knew what he was going to tell her... about money. What was she going to do now.

Doctor Seth office was small and conducive. He quickly arranged some files on his desk then motioned for her to sit down. He sat down on his own chair.

Diamond began to feel squirmy and she wasn't sure. It could have been the way the man was staring at her. She may have been anticipating the meeting from the first time he'd woken her from her sleep. Either of them. "You still haven't told me your name". Diamond sighed in exasperation. What did it matter? if he knew her name or not.

"All I care about is the update. No offence" Maybe she had taken it a bit too far for giving him a cold response but it wasn't her fault. She was angry at her mother. She was angry at her father. She was angry at the whole world.

She met his gaze. There is a misty look in his ice eyes

"Relax I'm a doctor. I think it's only fair if you tell me your name as I told you mine. Plus, it is a professional requirement".

Diamon flushed in embarrassment. She had given him the impression that she thought he was some sort of pervert who took a strange interest in children.

She looked at him. "I'm Diamond... Diamond Perez".

"Very well. I think that's a beautiful name. I'm he emergency room Doctor Who will be taking care of your mother ".

Would be taking care of your mother? What does that mean, Diamond was confused.

"Does that mean she won't be coming home today? "

"Afraid so", he replies succintly.

She had to bite her tongue to keep herself from swearing.

"Well, not until we carry out proper tests, Dr Seth said in a tone of voice to give her hope. "So what have you gotten so far?" She asked desperately. The doctors ran a CT scan and there are chances of your mother having a concussion", that means Freda would slip in and out of consciousness every now and then.

That means if it persists, Diamond will have to spend the rest of the day in the hospital with her mother I miss an important S.A.T exam. Every moment in this hospital felt like seven shades of hell.

"I'm sorry but isn't just someone much older to handle all this? like an adult?" doctor Seth looked worried.

She shook her head.

"And where is your father?"

She flinched. Under the table, she balled her hands into fists. Her face froze into an expressionless mask.

"He's not available ". He nodded sympathetically which Diamond thought was unnecessary.The last thing she needed was pity.

"Just fill me in with more details". She was feeling giddy now. She pressed her thumb to her temples.

He sighed. We will also run x-ray tests just to confirm if other bones may have been affected... like her spinal cord," He paused and studied her pupils. "Which makes me want to ask. What really happened?"

Diamond looked away and focused her gaze out of the window. The morning sun peeked out of the sky and it was harmless... just like rebirth but every one that resided in San Andres Cholula knew better... it was going to be hot in the afternoon. It was May.

"Diamond, you haven't answered my question", He called after the girl who had zoned out.

"Sorry", she apologized "my mom... she was walking on the stairs and lost track and fell down from way up. It was dark". She said in a fake distressed tone.

"Really?" He asked in a suspicious keen tone.

"Yes" She said quietly, not exactly meeting his gaze.

"So she fell down from the stairs and broke her head?" He asked again.

"Yes", She said again... This man was creeping her out. He was supposed to be a doctor, not a detective.

"Miss Perez", He applied special stress to her first name "Are you sure about all this?"

"Look Doctor, I'm so tired. Why are you asking me so many questions?" Her brows arched with frustration.

"Because I care about my patients. Diamond, you don't have to be stoic and uptight about your feelings. If something bad happened, you should feel free to discuss it with the doctor. It's for your mom's own good... for your mother," he said calmly.

Diamond looked back at him in shock. It was annoying he thought he could read her like a book. Stoic? she had every reason to be like this so thanks but no thanks, I don't need your opinion , she thought. The only reason she was ever going to share her personal information was for the sake of her mother. Yes, personal. Everything that happens between her and her family had to stay in the house most especially her father. He would end up in jail if she told doctor Seth the truth. Her mother will eventually crumble.

"Why'd you care? I told everything that happened". He smiled a little. "Interrogating is not part of the emergency room protocol but I was just deliberately being personal about this.

Fine, your mother fell down but shouldn't she in the ER be diagnosed with broken bones or extremely bleedinghead?"

"Diamond shrugged. He had caught her. She knew what he was saying. When a person falls off a staircase, it is their body that rows off and a little head injury is sustained... or so she thought.

"Anyway, I have another news for you". His features darkened and his countenance changed.

"What?" she had this feeling she didn't want to hear it.

"How long have you known your mother ?"

Her eyes narrowed at him but she replied "Since birth"

"I actually need a more mature person to be here, but since you claim that there is no one, I have to tell you. I see you are a confident and strong person, I believe you can manage your emotions.

Okay that wasn't a compliment. This had to stop. What was this ticking-timebomb moment all about?

"What's going on?" She had to break the tensing silence.

He swallowed. Hard. "We also ran a brain scan on her and we figured out something ". He hesitated.

"You know your mum is alive now only because of luck ".

"Yes I know ".

"I'm not sure you get it"

He continued, "Your mother has been diagnosed with brain tumor".

What?