Beyond expectations

Come stay with me

Before he could get her out to the road,the ambulance arrived. Some of the medical interns went to help him.
They lay her on a stretcher and wheeled her into the ambulance, before they drove off.
Eric rushed to his car, breathing heavily.He brought out his bag searching for his inhaler.

He lay the content of the bag on the ground already finding it hard to breathe,he needed to get it quick. He separated the pile of content that was on the floor and found his inhaler laying there.
   He pulled of the lid and brought it to his lips, gulping as much air as he needed and then let out a cough already feeling relieved.
*********THE NEXT DAY
  GRACE HOSPITAL
Eric opened the sliding door and came face to face with sister rosemary.
"Good morning ma'am"he greeted.
"Good morning my child. It looks like you're just arriving"she asked.
"Yes"
"Thank you for yesterday. I was told that you were the one who called the hospital."she said smiling.
"That's really nothing. I just did what I had to do."he replied with a grin.
"I'll be heading home now. I need to get her cloths."sister rosemary said and walked past him,towards the door.
"Em,sister?"he called and turned to see her looking at him"could you spare me a minute?"he asked.
"Of course. What is it?"she inquired.
"I think we should discuss this at the lobby"he suggested.
*****THREE DAYS LATER
GRACE HOSPITAL
   Natalie slowly blinked her eyes open,at first her sight was blur but after blinking continuously,it became clearer.
She glanced at the left side of the bed and saw sister rosemary lying on a cushion sleeping.
"Anuty."she muttered weakly but got no response."Anuty!"
She called out again and sister rosemary woke up, looking around.
Her gaze met Natalie's and she heaved a sigh.
"Oh dear. You're finally awake. I'll call the doctor,okay?"sister rosemary assured and went and pushed the intercom button.
"The patient's awake"sister rosemary said before going to sit beside Natalie's bed.
"What am I doing here? What happened?"Natalie asked weakly.
"You got into an accident."sister rosemary replied.
"An ac......."she stopped when the situation dawned on her"No, someone did it on purpose. Am sure of it."
"Calm down, okay?We will talk about this later"sister rosemary said,as the doctor has already walked into the ward.
"She's alright. But I don't think it's okay for her to start on with her daily routines yet. She needs a very long rest." The doctor said, stressing on the 'long rest'.
"Thank you doctor"sister rosemary said and the doctor left.
"Tell me,are the cops investigating it already? They are right?"Natalie asked curiously.
"Natalie,you need to rest first. You heard the doctor."sister rosemary said calmly.
"Tell me. You and I know that I don't really need to rest. Please please please anuty. Tell me what's happening."Natalie said feigning a sad look.
"I don't really know what I should do with you."sister rosemary said and heaved a sigh.
"Firstly,we haven't heard anything from the cops but your brothers are working on that. Secondly, Mr lamberet is also taking care of the case too. He refused to let anyone apart from your brothers interfere."Nanny said.
"Really?"Natalie asked surprised "He didn't want that?Do.....you think he knows something about me?"Natalie asked.
Sister rosemary sighed "I can't really say so."
"What? Is something wrong?"Natalie curiously asked.
"You really won't want to hear this."sister rosemary said and went to sit at the cushion.
"Tell me what it is . Is it something bad?"Natalie asked.
"Well...em..well he wants......"sister rosemary took a deep breath"he wants you to come and stay with him.At his home."sister rosemary said.
"What?!!!" Natalie yelled.
"I know. I know. I tried so many ways to discourage him but he insisted. He wants to even adopt you as a family member,if that what it takes. But no matter how much I tried he insisted. So I told him that I will only let you go with him if you approve it" sister rosemary almost all at once, stopping at the end to take a deep breath.
"What makes him think I don't have a home of my own?"Natalie grumbled.
            "Well since he's been seeing you around in the orphanage and the culprit knows that you stay there most of the time,he thinks that it will be safe for you to stay at his own home and I didn't go ahead to tell him about you actual house and brothers since we don't want anyone knowing more about you" sister rosemary said.
           "Well.... come to think of it,If someone intentionally hit me, trying to kill me,that only means the person knows my schedules and my whereabouts.And maybe am nearer to finding the truth we've been looking for, that's the only reason someone would try to eliminate me. Just to end everything." Natalie said.
"So?"sister rosemary asked giving her the suspicious look.
"So...."Natalie began stressing on the word "If  I go to live with Gregory, pretending not to remember a single thing about our teenage lives,am so sure I can pass the time"
"Why did I get this feeling that you've been wishing to go to this 'Gregory' of a guy, Natalie?"Sister rosemary asked standing up from the cushion.
"You think........so?"Natalie asked but press her lips together into a thin line, making a grimace smile-like expression when she saw her Anuty giving her this suspicious look.
**************The same day;8:00pm
GRACE HOSPITAL
     Natalie heard a knock on the door and dropped the book she was holding.Her anuty had left during the afternoon and she was the only one around.
"Come in" she said staring at the door. It opened and Eric stepped in just as she had suspected. She knew that the only visitors she had was Eric and Anuty rosemary.
   Her brothers weren't even around.Nicholas and Maxwell were out of the country and Maxwell was around the house so that jimmy won't feel alone whenever he gets back from school.
   She couldn't really understand why Eric was so adamant and keep visiting as they stopped being friends a long time ago.
"Um,did I disturb you?"he asked but instead she blinked at him.
"No" She finally replied when she noticed how uncomfortable he was becoming by her silence.
"Oh that's great"he said and dropped what he came with on the bedside table.
"I was on my way home and thought that I should pay a visit........if you don't mind"he said.
"Thank you" she mumbled with an expressionless look.
  The whole room reeked of awkwardness.
   "You're um... welcome"he said.

"No not for this"she said pointing at the package "My anuty said that you were the one who called the ambulance and that you're helping the cops with the case" she said calmly.
"Oh,that's nothing. You shouldn't worry about that."he said and sat down at the cushion which was at the far end.
"Why?"she asked.
"Why?I don't understand what you mean."Eric asked back looking confused.
"Why are you helping me?"she asked.
"Well.."he began but stopped as if looking for the right word to use.
"I already told you,am not Natalie.Am....am her sister,Freya. So I don't see the reason why you should be helping.Or don't you believe me?"she asked, really curious to know what his answer would be.She has really been longing to know what his reasons were and she wasn't gonna hold back from asking now.
"I don't "he replied honestly.
"Why?"she asked secretly holding tight to the hand of the teddy bear she was holding against her abdomen.

"Because I don't. Natalie never told me she had a twin sister.So how am I suppose to believe that?"he asked.
    
         Natalie took a deep breath,staring at the book she kept on the bed earlier.
   *is he trying to play smart with me?*Natalie thought.
She couldn't understand but she won't let him sweep her off guard.
  "Natalie died on the second month of last year. She got murdered..."Natalie said,her gaze fixed on the book beside on the bed"....and I don't like it when people remind me of her.So please,just stop"

         She raised her gaze to meet his.It wasn't right to lie to him and she knows that but she had no other choice than to do it.
If she wants to find the people who's behind her parents death,she really need to trust nobody.
"Then let me help her through you. How about that?"Eric asked.
"Look here Mr.......what should I call you?"she asked.
"Eric,just call me Eric."he replied.

     *Eric? When did your name become Eric?*Natalie thought to herself.

"Well Mr Eric....it's like I said,am not Natalie okay?"she said putting on that clueless expression.
"I've already heard you and I guess the reverend have already spoke to you about what I said earlier?"he asked calmly.
She heaved a sigh and glanced at him.
"I'll only go with you only on one condition"she said.
"Which...is?"he asked with bated breath.
"Am leaving after a year"she said and he blinked at her.
"You said you wanted to help because of my sister, right? Then that will be in a year"she said.
"Wait a sec. Is this some contractual arrangement?I don't get it"he mumbled quietly,and stood up.
"I'll only let you help me for a year. You didn't expect me to stay with you forever. So deal?"she said and outstretched her hand for a handshake.
He looked at her hand and then her face.
"Okay deal"he said and shook it.
*************A WEEK AND TWO DAYS LATER
THE LAMBERET FAMILY HOUSE
     Natalie stared at the house where the driver has stopped the car,while Eric carried out her luggages from the bonnet. The driver carried some bags inside while two servants came out to carry the rest in.
"Are you nervous?"he asked looking at her but she let out a deep breath.
"You don't have to be. It's just my two brothers and a.... family member"he hesitated, looking for the right word to address Ruby with.
Natalie looked at him shocked but Eric misunderstood it, thinking that she was getting more nervous.
Natalie couldn't believe she forgot all about his stupid brothers all these while.
Eric couldn't get why she was getting nervous as Natalie was the only one he could understand if she got nervous.Natalie had only come across his brothers when they were still teenagers unless Freya martin is Natalie martin.
Eric pushed those thoughts aside and said
"You just have to avoid and ignore them. Don't worry am here" Eric assured and stretched out his hands towards her.

   *You're here?hmpt.....I think you should be the one to thank your God that am here*she thought before she took a hold of his hand.