Jake's POV
He was reluctant to let go of my fingers. He held my fingers with his little hands. He held them tight. He smiled at me whenever he fluttered his eyes. We rushed him straight to the hospital but he kept drifting in and out of consciousness. Phill drove us as fast as he could. Lea kept holding Kai's other hand till we walked inside the emergency room and Phill barked orders.
It seemed like Lea had been holding on just so we could reach the emergency. " Lea! " Phill grabbed her right before she hit the ground. " Damn! She hardly has any pulse! " I felt like the universe was playing some kind of a stupid game or something.
" I will take, Lea. You stay with Kai. " Guess I didn't get to make the choices. Phill rushed, laying Lea down on a stretcher.
Two nurses came to take Kai away from me as well. But Kai's grip on my finger was firm. " Let me go in along with him. Please. "I begged.
" We are extremely sorry. It's for the patient's best interest. You can come inside once we stabilize him. Please cooperate and let us do our job. " They took him away, yanking his little hand away.
I stood there all alone. I felt hollow. I felt empty.
I turned around and went to check on Lea after the door closed. But the room was locked where she was being treated as well. So I slowly walked back without creating any fuss.
I sat down on the bench thinking what we had just been through. I was only moments away from losing my baby if Phill had not interfered. With the risk of his own life. Anything could have happened but he didn't care. He cared more about my baby than I did.
My mind recalled Rosa's dead face and it immediately pulled back a face from my memory. The face of a bubbly, cheerful looking girl, waving at me and asking me how did I do in my recording. That was the first time I had met that girl. At the moment, I wished I had never met her. But I couldn't help but wonder if I was truly the one responsible for the horrible change between the two pictures embedded in my memory. I couldn't help but wonder about the child she kept talking about. I wished he never had to go through all the pain but was I the one truly responsible?
I grabbed my ears to make the voices in my head to shut up, but they won't. So I stood up and walked towards where they were treating my baby, my little Kai.
I stood behind the glass window, my eyes straining to take a good look at my son as he lay there, so small and fragile. It hit me hard just how much I had missed in his life, how many moments had slipped through my fingers. He was suffering, and it was because of me. The guilt gnawed at my chest.
My thoughts kept spiraling into blame and regret. How could I have let this happen? How did I fail to protect him?
Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder. Phill had come up beside me."Don't worry," he said softly. "The kid's tough. He has some severe injuries. Has been suffering from pneumonia and other infections because of the kidnapping, but he's a fighter. He’ll recover soon."
I looked at my brother's face as he smiled. He looked tired and exhausted as he went towards the bench to sit. It was at this moment that I realised how hopelessly in love he was with my Lea and my baby. He didn't care about himself. He didn't care about what he got in return. He was just there because he loved them.
I closed my eyes, letting that stray tear to roll as the two stark example of unrequited love flashed before my eyes. How violent love could become and how selfless it could get. It made no sense.
" You had me worried sick! How are the two of you doing? " Suddenly I was pulled back from my trail of thoughts as Mercy lunged at me. She squeezed me before going for Phill. " How is Lea and my nephew doing? " She asked Phill, probably because he was the one with more insight on the topic but I felt a toxic crunch in my heart. Jealousy. The poison that ruined all joy.
I couldn't help but wonder if this was exactly what Rosa had felt and let this crunch grow till it completely took over her. I shuddered at the thought and quickly walked over and sat beside the two of them.
" They are holding on. " Phill smiled before his face contorted a little,"Did you end up going to the airport? " He asked Mercy.
She didn't immediately answer. She looked up at the opposite wall and then replied. " I did. But they found nothing. No trace of him. It was as if he didn't exist. He didn't take a single penny. The police were able to trace the account. Everything was untouched. He didn't want the money. He had orchestered everything to only cause panic, fear, anxiety. He wanted us to suffer. He wasn't after money. He looped in Rosa to make the suffering worse. " Mercy's face was sinking. Her posture dropped. She looked tired.
" I understand his anger towards Father and Mother but I never knew he despised us as well. " Mercy gulped but Phill took both her hands into his and pressed them, tugging her into a hug. " He was such a good actor. " She said turning towards me. " Much skilled and professional than you and me. I never suspected. He never gave a hint. He planned everything just to strike at the right moment. "
She heaved a deep sigh. " I thought I had given him my unconditional love but guess, it wasn't enough! " She cracked her knuckles before getting up with a fake smile. " You guys want any drink? Let me get them for you! "