Chapter 6

I think I was ready to be an Olympic runner due to the number of times I had found myself sprinting due to one news or the other lately as a result of Dad. The moment the news had left the young lady’s lips, I found myself taking off in a race. The supposedly long distance to the house didn’t seem too far anymore as I made my way towards the house in a flash.

When the staff saw me racing, some ran after me, probably guessing that there was news related to father and they also wanted to hear it since everyone had been on edge since he had been unconscious.

I raced as fast as I could to my weak legs that were not used to so much work, not caring to check if the messenger had followed behind after I dashed off leaving her behind after her reveal.

Does this mean Dad would be okay? His waking up has to mean something good right? It would probably mean he would make a full recovery, wouldn’t it? I did not want to allow room for negativity so I was making sure the negative questions that were lurking at the back of my mind were unable to make it to the front of my thoughts and spoil my mood.

I got a sense of deja vu as I approached the bedroom door and saw the staff were once again flooding the door eager to catch a glimpse of father. Today, however, they wore hope on their faces, their expressions were afraid and hopeful. I could see how hard they were hoping this meant good news just like I was also praying for.

The moments have helped me understand that my dad was a really good person. a person who didn’t treat his staff well would not get such emotions and worry from them and it let her confirm how amazing her father was as an employer and a person of society at large.

The staff crowding the door made a path for me to approach the door as soon as they saw I had arrived. They each gave me encouraging smiles as I shakily lifted my hands to open the door. I could feel them peek over my shoulders to glance into the room hoping they could get a good look at Dad.

My eyes zeroed in on him still attached to the wires and laying weakly on the bed and my hopes were crushed to nothing. He looked worse awake and I quickly shut the door to shield him from the eyes of the staff. I did not want them to see him so weak.

His eyes met mine and they widened just an inch and if I was not paying detailed attention to him, I would not have noticed. He tried to lift his hands so he could reach out to me but even that looked like a hassle for him as he was unable to lift it properly or even hold it up for long.

I rushed towards him and felt my eyes mist over and he grew blurry as the tears clouded my vision. He was trying so hard to look strong but I could see past his acting, how weak he was and how he was barely keeping his eyes open as though he did not have the energy to keep them open any longer.

I choked on my tears and my hands flew to my mouth to prevent myself from sobbing out so loud. I should not make him worry.

“Princess, don’t cry. I don’t like it when you cry” his voice was so raspy like someone who had been denied water for months. He started to cough aggressively and the doctors quickly rushed forward to adjust him a bit so he could sit up properly.

He looked really small, he would not fit in his old clothes anymore. They would swallow him up, that was how small he had become and it pained me to see him this way.

“I am so sorry dad. I should have been with you all through this, when things started to get bad. I am so sorry” I couldn't help myself as I slid down to the floor on my knees, hands clasped together as though I was about to say a prayer.

“Stop it princess, don’t blame yourself for this. I would not have wanted you to see me like that” he was struggling to talk and the action made my heart clench in pain. It was as though I was physically hurting.

“I can’t help it, Dad. I should have been here taking care of you as any perfect daughter would but I was on a stupid vacation where I wasn’t even having fun” I cried out because at this point there was nothing I could do but cry.

Duke walked across the room to pull me off the floor and on to the chair that was beside the bed.

“Stop crying and blaming yourself. You would make your father worry and that is not good for his health” Duke scolded before he walked back to the spot where he had been standing on the other side of the room.

“Will you be okay now?” I asked my dad, hopefully. I still didn’t know where he stood now that he was awake and the doctors didn’t seem to be saying anything so instead of letting my dad answer the question, I turned to the doctors before he could say anything and directed the question at them instead because dad wouldn’t know anything.

“Doctors, does this mean he would be fine since he woke up?” the doctors seemed uncomfortable with my question and they shuffled their feet as they thought of how to deliver the answer to my question.

“This doesn’t change anything. You should take advantage of the time you have. Your father is already aware of this fact” I refuse to believe it. Dad was really going to be leaving me all alone. I was not going to survive alone. I didn’t even have any family except Uncle Jason and he didn’t count for obvious reasons

“Dad, tell me he’s lying. You could not have just resigned like that. You are a fighter, aren’t you? You can’t give up and leave me alone like that” I yelled. I was so tempted to put my hands on him and shake him so he could come to his senses but he was weak and I didn’t want to hurt him any further.

“Princess, please get a grip. Don’t make this harder than it already is. Please, I am begging you. I promise I don't want to leave you but we can’t trick death” his voice had turned deep. He wanted to cry and I felt like killing myself for making him so sad.

“It hurts dad '' I cried out more. I was uncontrollable. I can’t lose the only family member I have. Was I overreacting crying hysterically like this? Did others in my shoes behave like this? I was always an emotional person but was this too much?

“I am sorry” the tears finally slipped from Dad’s eyes but even his tears felt more wrenching than mine did to my own ears. It was obvious that crying was also taking a toll on him. I quickly sat on the bed and held his hands tightly in mine.

“Stop crying dad, I am sorry. I won't cry again. I won't behave unreasonably. Please stop crying, I beg you” I panicked as soon as he began wheezing and gasping for air. He was in a bad state and I couldn’t even believe I was almost relieved that he was going to rest and stop being in pain.

As the thought hit me, I wanted to feel disgusted but I somehow was unable to stop hurting and finally look at my dad properly. It was so damn obvious he was in such immense pain and the doctor said it was not possible to make a recovery at this stage. The drugs were now doing more harm than good so they had stopped giving them to him.

“It hurts me to leave you like this with no one to care for you. I don’t think I would die in peace knowing you would be alone” he wheezed out. He took his time gasping for air as he spoke and I couldn’t beast to watch him suffer so I looked down and clenched my fist to prevent myself from saying something or crying again

“Don’t worry about me dad, I'll be fine. I'll get over it and take care of myself. I am strong because you taught me how to be” I wanted to convince him so he would not spend his last days worrying about me.

“No, I can't leave you alone like this. I must do something. They will tear you apart and the company will be snatched from your clutches before you could even realize what is going on” there was a new determination on his face. He looked as determined as a dying man could and I could see the wheels turn in his head as he tried to hatch a new plan.

“Dad, you don’t have to worry about me, I can take care of myself just fine. I promise I won't let them run the company to the ground. I would learn and do my best to make sure it remains at its peak. You are in to condition to be planning anything” I tried to persuade him but nothing was getting to him. He had already made up his mind and not only that, but the look on his face showed that he already had a plan.

“Don’t worry, my princess, I will make sure I leave you in the right hands” Right hands? What did that even mean?

“What do you mean by that? I have a feeling that I am not going to like this plan of yours dad. You don’t need to leave me in the hands of anybody. I will be fine on my own” I almost yelled out as my emotions swapped from pain and fear for my dad to panic and annoyance.

“You will be in good hands Princess. That I can promise” He wanted to speak some more but his words became slurry and his eyes became hazy

“Miss, you have to let him rest, you can come back later,” Duke said from behind me. Gave my dad who had finally fallen asleep one long look before I left the room to think about all the possible plans he could have come up with and I didn't like any of them.