CHAPTER 62: WILL SHE BE OKAY?

"Excuse me? What did you say?"

"Do you know a Shelby Monroe? You have been listed as one of her next of kin."

’Next of kin? That is never a good conversation. People only refer to you that way if something is wrong!’ Rocky’s thoughts ran wild thinking of what could be wrong, especially because the person had introduced herself as a nurse calling from the hospital. His heart thundered in his chest. His blood ran cold at the endless possibilities of what might be wrong.

"Sir, are you there?"

"Y-yes, she is my sister! I-s, is she okay?"

At the mention of his sister, the two people with him swapped their attention to him, especially with how he behaved. They had never in all the years seen Rocky being so flustered and panicky. The Rocky they knew was very confident and strong-willed, and there looked to be nothing that could make him react that way, but it was also common knowledge how he felt about his sister.

"What happened to her?"

His face became paler and paler as he listened.

"... we couldn’t get to your parents-"

Rocky clenched his fists, and his anger skyrocketed as much as his worry for his sister was. Yes, Rocky was only fourteen years old, but he had seen more than he wanted to in relation to his indifferent mother and sly father when it came to his sister. The fact that they could do that even in a life-and-death situation was beyond him.

"Sir?"

"Uhm, sorry, w-hich h-ospital is she in? I’ll be right there."

"You need to hurry sir and get in touch with your parents; we need their consent to operate on her or -"

The nurse paused and talked to someone else for a moment and then came back,

"We have that, and she is in the T-Vino Island main hospital."

"Thank you."

Rocky hung up, and without glancing at his friends, he flagged a taxi and was off.

"Sis, hang in there. I’m coming.... Please don’t leave me behind!" He sniffled and dialled a number on his phone, urging the driver on.

His friends watched his retreating back; jesting and jokes had been discarded as they could sense the gravity of the situation.

***

In the Wendover mansion, Clara paced up and down. She was in one of her newly bought dresses, a gorgeous mid-tulle dress with a draped fabric at the sides. It was more fit for a candle-lit dinner or an intimate cocktail party, but Clara regarded each day as such.

She had a small frown on her pretty face and was getting more upset by the passing minute.

"Get me my dinner, please. I can’t wait for them anymore."

The table was served immediately, and she sat down to eat, balancing a dainty plate with a mixed salad on it. Unlike her daughter, Clara had to strictly watch what she ate to maintain her figure, and she was very meticulous about that.

Clara’s phone, which had gone quiet for some time, rang again just then.

"Who is it again?" She asked, starting to get slightly irritated once again.

"Check who that is, Angela."

The same maid who had assisted her with trying on her clothes picked up the phone and replied,

"It’s Master Rockwell..."

Clara placed her fork down, wiped her lips with a napkin, and held out her hand for the phone with a smile.

Angela watched indifferently as she had learnt to keep her opinions to herself over the years. Shelby had called her mother countless times, and she had never picked up but answered the call from Rocky on the third ring.

"How is my sweet baby doing?"

"Mum!"

Clara frowned and removed the phone from her ear, turning on the loudspeaker instead with Rocky’s shout that greeted her.

"Why are you not picking up calls from Shelby’s phone?"

"I’ve been busy. I’ll call her-"

Angela noticed that something was wrong with the tone of Rocky’s voice, but Clara did not.

"There will be no later for you and her if you do not come now, mum. Get to the T-Vino Island Hospital immediately. Shelby had been in an accident and is in the hospital. They informed me that she is in the O.R."

Then he hung up. More furious than when he had even called.

Clara felt the blood drain from her face, and she clenched her hands tightly. No matter how she behaved, Clara loved her daughter like any mother.

"Call me a taxi," she whispered, and Angela moved at the speed of light.

***

When Clara finally got to the hospital about half an hour later, Rocky was restless in the waiting room of the OR.

"Rockwell baby, what happened? Wasn’t Shelby with her friends? Where are they? How did she get here in this state?"

"Mum, calm down. An unknown man brought her here. We owe her life to him. He even signed the consent form for the surgery as she could not wait. I don’t think she was with her friends, though. They found her in the park ..."

"The park? Why did she go there without your father?"

"Father?" Rocky asked, his eyes narrowing just as James appeared, looking meticulous with a slight downward tug of his mouth.

Clara also turned just then and rushed into James’ arms.

"What am I going to do? My Shelby! Oh no!" She wailed bitterly while people around cast gazes at the impeccably dressed woman in distress.

"It’s okay, dear; she will be okay. I came as soon as I heard." James calmed her down while he struggled to keep his emotions in check. He knew how smart and observant his son was and tried his best to ensure he gave nothing away.

After a while, James led her to one of the chairs and sat her down.

"Ha! When you guys are done consoling yourselves, find the doctor and ask about how Shelby is doing?!"

Rocky said this so loud that the few patients and relatives who were in the waiting room as well turned to look at the family of three. Their gazes then, were accusatory, very different from the sympathetic gazes they had been sending Clara’s way earlier.

"What do you mean by that, Rocky?"

He just rolled his eyes at them and left to find the ’good Samaritan’ who had brought his sister in.

"Where is the man from earlier?" He asked the nurse at the front desk.

"The one who brought my sister in?"

"Oh, him? He was just-"

The nurse stretched her head and looked around.

"I think he left. He had been there just a few moments before you walked in...No, I think he was even here just as your mother also entered."

"Oh, ... eeerhm..."

"... did he leave his contact information? We would like to thank him as a family."

James said from his back, and Rocky’s face relaxed, thinking, ’finally!’

"I’m sorry, sir, he didn’t leave any such information."

"It can’t be helped. If he ever comes back, please extend our gratitude to him. Also, here is my card. If you can, give my business card to him. We would love to thank him."

The nurse smiled and accepted the card. The family of three then returned to their seats and waited with their emotions tethered to the edge as time passed with no news.

A few hours later....

The doors swung open, and the doctor emerged from the OR.

"How is my daughter doing?" Clara’s frantic voice was heard, and the two men in her family walked briskly up to the doctor.

"She is lucky to be alive...." He started, and James’ heart dropped.

’She is alive? How?’ He clenched his fists and started sweating profusely. He had really hoped that his prayers would have been answered and Shelby would not make it, but no one was listening to him from up high... it would seem.

He was behind both his son and wife, and at that time, no one was obviously paying attention to him. So his devastated expression went unnoticed.

The doctor continued, "She was stabbed multiple times but-"

"Oh my God! Who would do that to my baby?!" Clara screamed, dropping to her knees and sobbing hysterically.

James went down to comfort her and also to lower his face so that his emotions were not glaring to all.

The doctor paused and watched the dramatics as if it were an everyday thing for him. His eyes looked sleepy with indifference as he could see through their act.

"...as I said, the surgery was a success. The knife pierced her spleen, and that is why she bled so profusely, which would have surely done her in. The spleen is a vital organ in the upper left of the abdomen, and its main function is to filter blood and remove old or damaged cells.

We had expected some extensive damage because the damage was there, but for some reason, it looks like she had a strong will to live, or this is one of those unexplainable sciences that we call a miracle. It is bizarre that she pulled through, considering the depth of the stab and how much blood she had lost. I- ..."

He continued and explained the details to them. Young Rocky listened attentively and asked questions here and there. The doctor was also patient and answered all the questions. Occasionally, the adults also chipped in.

Finally, the doctor continued, rubbing his tired eyes, "...this is beyond science. She is indeed lucky. Whatever stars she prayed to, helped her through this...."

He paused as if in his own thoughts.

"Anyway, your daughter is safe and sound. However, we have to observe her in the ICU..."

"Thank you, doctor," Rocky said, and the doctor smiled at the only sane person in the family.

"When can we see her?"

*********

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