And If... {completed and edited 2024}

And If... You keep your head up ?

•Chapter 27.
_________________

RICHARD'S POV:

"How are you feeling ? "

I briefly looked behind me at my aunt Suzana before getting my attention back on my unconscious son. Frankly, I didn't feel like talking right now, so I simply shrugged, hoping that she was going to take this response and leave me the hell alone.

Seconds later, she sat next to me, making me look at her as she glanced back at me with her eyes filled with nothing else but sadness and pity for me.

It'd been two days already, and RJ was still in this coma. Thanks to the cupcakes, they found out what type of poison he got in his system --which I couldn't remember the name of-- and it helped them to run better their tests on him. Except the asthma, there was no other risk on his health; thanks God. The coma was due to the sudden shock RJ's body got into when he ate the poison. If we didn't get him at the hospital as fast as we did, he would be dead by now; so I was thankful that he was still alive, but it was killing me to see my son in this state and to know that he could have died. It was harder to take the situation when you felt so helpless. There was nothing I could do, except waiting.

This situation was taking a toll on me, but at least I was there for my son. Nothing nor nobody could prevent me to be by his sides. Seeing RJ like that made me shed tears, what I didn't do for so many years. I didn't even cry when my mother died, either for my grandmother, but with my son...shit was totally different. I couldn't even explain how I truly felt.

But it was hurting so much.

I sighed loudly, regretting almost immediately when my eyes laid on the machine that was helping RJ to breath properly. I then looked at him, precisely his little head wrapped in a bandage. The fall was hard, but not to the point where his brain was damage; thanks God. My son was strong and I had to be too.

I closed my eyes, putting my head in my hands as I rested my elbows on my thighs and started praying. It was all I could do at this point, everything was in the Lord's hands.

For those past two days, crying, hoping and praying were the main things I was doing, while waiting for my son to finally wake up. At some moments, I could get pissed off too and it was getting the worst of me, so I was snapping at Dr. Gregoirs' nurses, but they were understandable though, so they weren't really paying me too much attention.

Didn't mean that my behavior was correct though.

"Richard, you need to take a shower. And to eat too. Also to sleep. You still need to take care of yourself."

I quickly rolled my eyes, not here to hear this. I wasn't leaving his bedside. You would have to move me, because I was going nowhere. My son needed me by his sides.

"What do I tell those crazy journalists though ? They've been posted outside since they found out. I still don't know who linked the info, but I'll find out, don't worry about this. So, what--"

"Fuck these motherfuckers ! " I cut her off, feeling myself getting angry. "And I'm not moving until he opens his eyes." I then added, finally opening mines.

"Uh, not to be rude, but I don't think he would want to smell your stinky ass when he'll wake up. Please, I brought you some clothes and I asked the nurses if you could use the bathroom. Thankfully they said yes, so go on, I'll watch him for you." She insisted, giving me that auntie look, so I knew she wasn't playing with me today.

I rolled my eyes again, "okay...but when I come back, you better leave me alone." I slowly stood up, not feeling right about this, but she got a point though. It was fair to nobody for me to smell like this. It wasn't so terrible right now, but who knows how long it was going to take for him to wake up ? By then, I'll be smelling worse than a trashcan.