For someone who was deep in sleep, I opened my eyes sharply. Like a resting crocodile would when another reptile tried to steal her eggs. I was sleeping but when I remembered Elliot and couldn't feel Kim on the bed, I had to get up.
'Did Elliot kill Kim?' That was a very stupid thought. If Elliot could let go of me when he wanted me the most to let me take care of a little girl then he could take anything.
I sat up and rubbed my eyes, searching for Kim but I couldn't catch even a glimpse of her. She opened all the windows in the room and the bright light blinded me for a second.
"Kim. Kim, where are you?!" I screamed, getting out of the bed.
The room was big... she could be anywhere. I turned to the bathroom when I heard her mischievous giggle. She had to be in there.
I opened the bathroom door.
"Good morning, Auntie Lexa," she said with a mouthful of strawberry toothpaste.
She was brushing her teeth and preparing to bathe. I was sure the other kids would be doing the same. Miss Rica did a good job of training all the kids on her own. She was a great woman.
But... after what happened yesterday, everything I knew about her was questioned. Everything I thought she was, was challenged. Could she be the same woman who loved every kid with the whole of her heart?
Today, my questions would be answered. "Good morning, baby. How was your night?"
She spat the paste out and rinsed her mouth. "It was wonderful! Thank you for staying with me Auntie Lexa."
"Anything for you, Kim." I looked at the platinum custom made wall clock. It was five minutes to nine am. I had to see Elliot.
"I love this place. The beds are so big and comfy. Will I get delicious food today too?"
"Of course. I will call in a maid for you but I'll have to go Kim." She turned sad as soon as I said that. I had worked so hard for that beautiful smile of hers. I couldn't let it go so easily. "Don't worry, Kim. Today you can have any dish you want?"
Her face brightened up. "Any?" She looked at me suspiciously.
"Yes baby."
"Even bluefin tuna?"
Elliot's money could buy anything. "Yes."
She thought I was joking but when she saw how serious I was, she wanted to see it for herself. "Would you call a maid when you're returning?" She smiled evilly.
I had a feeling that she would eat a billion dollar worth of food that morning.
I checked on the other kids and each of them were feeling like princesses and princes. All of them were calling and asking to be served expensive foods that they could not even afford in their dreams.
Elliot wouldn't mind. The cooks were glad to cook for the children and fulfil their every demand. It was a beautiful sight to behold how the three set of people worked together splendidly.
I was on my way to the room when I unfortunately knocked into an older woman who was carrying a tray of Jam Jar Gin. It fell and hit the ground hard, breaking and pouring the $4000 worth gin on the floor.
For something that expensive, I almost screamed my head off.
"Oh My God, I'm so sorry. I didn't..."
I didn't take time to notice who I actually bumped into. "It's okay, Miss Halton. Sir, has a life supply of these."
I was surprised and relieved that it was... "Nora, were you taking this to Elliot's room?"
"Yes. I thought he might require it since he was furious the previous night." I gritted my teeth, that was my fault. "I don't ask such questions but you must know what happened?"
I bit my lip. "It was a small disagreement. I have to see him."
I walked towards the door but she said something. "He may have not arrived. Sir, left for somewhere last night."
I turned to her, closer to the door this time. "Left. To where?"
"I can't say. He told me nothing." She opened the door and entered the room before I did. I followed when I had tried to guess where he went. I scanned my eyes round the room to catch a glimpse of him but he was clearly not in. "Miss Kimberly called last night."
I stopped looking out the window and moved closer to her, sitting on the bed. "What did mum say?"
"She requested you see her this morning. You and sir."
The thought of that gripped my heart. I suddenly felt uneasy and afraid. It was sudden and I had no idea why. Was it Elliot or my mum that made me scared?
I didn't want to leave without Elliot. I was dying to know where he was. I hope he hadn't done anything wrong but I was having a terrible feeling that it was connected to my mum.
"You can leave, Nora. If Elliot returns, inform him that I went to meet with my mother."
"Yes, Miss Halton."
She left the room after tidying it up while I went to my dressing room. I was too worried to marvel at the clothes and think of what to wear. I picked a random pair of jeans and wore a Dior sleeveless light pink tanktop.
I was distressed. I didn't even tidy my hair or cream before asking a driver to take me to the hospital my mother was admitted in.
***
'Have you ever felt worried or scared for the life of someone? You might not know the person well or even know the person at all but you suddenly worry for them.'
'Have you ever had an instinct that something was wrong with your loved one? Do you feel afraid or scared even though no one gave you bad news about them?'
'Have you felt like you know when he or she is in danger? You can feel it but can't explain it. You understand it but can't process it? Has your heart ever gripped in fear when there was a 50% chance that the person you loved could be in deadly anger?'
If you have felt any of these, through the short or long years you have spent on earth try to recall it. If you remember well, then this was how Lexa felt throughout the ride.
She had to close her eyes and get herself together but she found herself feeling the same way again. Lexa hated it. She believed that it was only when she had bad thoughts that bad things would happen to her.
She tried to give herself good reasons why she was worrying and kept telling herself that she was worrying for nothing. That her mother was fine. Yet, she couldn't take the feeling away.
The driver was older, in his late forties but seemed to be experienced in his profession. He had dusty pale brown hair though it was clear that he had dyed his hair. He had dyed it so much that his hair looked sickly and lifeless.
His eyes were almost trapped into his eyelids but surprisingly, he could see clearly and sharply. His hands were firm on the stirring wheel and always concentrated on the road but he knew something was terribly wrong with master's fiancé.
Normally, he wouldn't interfere because he never let his professional work interfere with personal. But, he asked just one question.
"Are you okay, ma'am?"
Lexa wasn't expecting him to say anything. She didn't even know he was watching her but the man in his uniform seemed to care.
She wanted to wave it off with the 'I'm okay' answer or 'Everything's fine' reply but she said something else instead. "Do you have a wife?"
He raised a strong brow at my question but he answered like a good servant would. "I had. She died when she gave birth to our only daughter."
"I'm sorry. Is your daughter okay?"
"I work only to give her a good life. She's all I have."
Lexa smiled at the thought, and it relieved her for a second. "You remind me of my mother. She lives for me. She always pretends like she was happy but I knew she was far from it. She worked all day to make me happy and healthy, I know." There was a point in her words where she wasn't talking to the man again. Lexa found herself talking to herself, looking for self comfort.
"Is that why?"
Lexa closed her eyes to brave herself for the answer. She wiped the tears off. She was under no obligation to answer the man but she felt the need to.
"Yes. I feel like she's in danger," she replied, looking up the car ceiling, to avoid more tears from falling.
"You should stop crying ma'am. I'm sure she's fine. You can see her now."
The car had stopped some seconds ago but she didn't notice. She smiled at the driver. He saw and accepted it with a nod.
She got down from the car with shaky hands. She looked at the hospital, rubbing her hands in fear. She wanted to turn back and run away but no... She moved quickly into the hospital.
The hospital was busy, as usual, since it was one of the best and renowned in their little town. As usual, many nurses and doctors were coming out, entering in, attending to, prescribing... the whole hospital was busy.
'Busier than normal,' Lexa thought.
Lexa remembered the ward number like it was her mother's phone number. She never thought such a situation where her mother would live in the hospital would ever come up. It was a terrible experience for a daughter to go through.
Her mother was dying and Lexa could do nothing about it. She felt guilty. She had powers. She was engaged to a devil. God wanted her back in heaven and she could use that to her advantage but still... it was useless.
Lexa was about to reach the ward when she bumped into a doctor. She stumbled to the floor, as she held her head in pain.
"Miss Halton?!" That voice sounded familiar. He helped her up as some nurses gathered round her. "Miss Halton, are you okay?"
She stepped back a bit. "I'm fine. Is that you doc?"
Her vision was a bit blurry but she soon got it back. Lexa had never been so clumsy so much in a day in her life. She saw it as a bad omen. She sensed that something bad was about to happen and it was getting stronger.
"Yes, Miss Halton. I am on your mother, Miss Kimberly's case."
"I-is she fine? Is she..."
Before Lexa finished her statement, a nurse ran out of the ward her mother was in and rushed to the doctor. Everything happened fast. The nurse said something quick to him, something Lexa couldn't hear, and they all rushed into the ward.
Lexa's heart started to race. In no time, they rolled Kimberly out of the ward in a moveable hospital bed into a ward close by that had OPERATION ROOM written over it.
Lexa ran to the doctor before he could take her in the ward. "Doctor, what's wrong?! Why are you taking her to the operating room?! Tell me something?!!"
"Miss Halton, please you have to excuse us."
Before she could say anything further, the nurses moved her aside and they entered into the operation room, leaving Lexa outside in her deadly fears.
The light of the operation turned green. It dawned on her that her mother's health had deteriorated and she was being operated on!
Lexa wanted to crash to the floor but someone caught her on time. She knew who it was without guessing or rethinking.
"What happened? Have you seen your mother? She alright?"
Lexa hugged Elliot tightly, crying her heart out. She didn't know what happened to her mother or the degree of seriousness but Lexa knew there was trouble.
"M-mum..."
"What happened to her. Tell me."
The last two words were more of a command than a question.
"She's in the operating room. I don't know what's wrong with her." Lexa cleared her throat so she could speak clearly. "The doctors told me nothing. Nothing at all. I'm scared Elliot! I'm so scared."
He pulled her into another embrace. "Nothing will happen to her. She might have just passed out again."
She pulled out of the embrace, scattering her hair like a crazy person.
Elliot had never seen her so terrified and it scared him.
"You don't get it! I've been uneasy since this morning. I've seen signs... My mother is in danger."
Just then, the doctor came out. Elliot went to the doctor while she stayed behind, fearing what he would say.
"What has happened to Lexa's mother? You've got to tell me and you've got to tell me right now!"
The drama was attracting attention in the hospital but the three of them cared less.
The doctor had to go somewhere for the betterment of Kimberly but he knew Elliot wouldn't take it easy on him. It would only waste more of his time instead he decided to summarize.
"Miss Kimberly has been poisoned by a slow but unnoticeable venom. We don't know how but I have to get something immediately or Miss Kimberly might not make it."
Elliot looked at Lexa who had the most worried look in all of the hospital, perhaps the world. "Will she make it?" Was the last thing Elliot asked.
If Kimberly died, he knew lots of things were gonna change and ruin and destroy.
"We can't say. I have to leave."
The doctor walked away. Lexa avoided eye contact with him, afraid to read his face expression and get an answer she didn't want to hear or see.
Elliot slowly moved to Lexa, crashing on the bench beside her. Elliot knew she wasn't going to ask but she wanted the answer, he could see it scribbled on her face.
"Kim has... She has been poisoned."