Time-Bound

Chapter 49

La Pitié Salpiètrère

12 noon

The Johnsons and the Barkers ran into the hospital just in time for them to see Brenda being moved from her hospital ward to the operation theater.

"Brenda, Brenda. We all love you. Please come back for us." Anthony held the hands of his sleeping daughter as they pushed her bed into the operation theater.

Three intern doctors and four nurses were in there with her as Dr. Meyer approached the theater.

"Doctor, doctor." Anthony stopped him with tears welled up in his eyes. "Please save my daughter. I'm sorry for yelling at you. Please don't let her leave us. She's not spoken to us. She has not sent us her goodbye message."

"I can't guarantee you that. The surgery seems almost impossible because it is rather late." Dr. Meyer sighed.

Victoria held him tight. "I'll do anything for you. I'll pay you millions if you want, please save my daughter."

"I'll try my best." Dr. Meyer wriggled free from their grasp and walked into the theater.

Anthony leaned on the theater door and tried to see what was going on inside but couldn't so he sat on the floor and cried.

After two hours of waiting and crying, the Johnsons were surprised by unexpected visitors.

Ben, Mary and David rushed into the hospital and hugged their family.

"How is she?" Ben asked.

"We don't know. They've been there for two hours." Damon sighed.

"Hi, I'm Anthony's brother and this is my family." Ben shook hands with Damon and his family.

"Victoria, thank you for telling me what was going on." Mary said.

Anthony looked at Victoria. "You called them?"

"Yes." Victoria turned to them. "Thank you for coming."

They all waited for another two hours, Anthony and his immediate family were crying while the rest were praying.

A sharp noise was heard from the theater room.

Beep! Beep!! Beep!!! Beep!!!! Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!!!!!

"What was that?" Anthony asked.

Chloe gasped and staggered backwards in shock as her father caught her. "A flatline."

"What is that? What happened?" Mercy asked.

The theater door flung open as intern doctors and nurses dashed out with sad looks on their faces. They seemed to have had the most stressful and troubling surgery ever. They waved their hands as they dashed past the Johnsons and the Barkers and they were yelling. "Elle est morte." She is dead.

Victoria slumped onto the floor. "Who are they talking about? There are two patients in that theater right? They're talking about the other one."

Anthony bent beside her. "What did they say? Tell me Victoria."

David shook his head. "There's only one patient in there."

Dr. Meyer came out of the theater and they all rushed to him.

"What happened?" Anthony asked.

"I'm sorry, we couldn't save her." He bowed his head.

"What do you mean? You spent four hours in there." Anthony pulled his shirt. "Do something."

"We tried. The tumor ruptured. We had warned you about it before. I'm sorry." Dr. Meyer said and walked away.

"Brenda!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Victoria yelled. “I carried you for 9 months, you cannot leave me like that.”

Someone brought Brenda out on a bed and had covered her with white clothing.

Anthony stopped him and flung away the clothing. "Have you gone mad? Is this some act? My daughter is still alive!"

"Daddy, we didn't pray. We only cried." Mercy said.

"Shut up! Didn't we pray before this day?" Anthony tugged at Brenda. "Get up! Get up now. Daddy is here."

"You can't leave us now. Brenda get up." Victoria sighed. "Daddy and Mummy will get remarried."

Anthony sniffed."Yes, yes. I will propose to her again. We will live happily ever after. We've learnt our lesson. Get up!"

"That's okay now. We will take her to the morgue." Two men came forth and pushed Brenda's bed away.

Victoria yelled. "Brendaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

Mary and Elizabeth held her up.

"I'm sorry this had to happen." Elizabeth said.

"We prayed for a successful surgery. I don't know why this happened." Mary said.

Damon and Ben comforted Anthony who seemed to be going crazy by the turn out of events.

"My... My... My sister." Those were Mercy's last words before she passed out.

"Mercy, Mercy, Mercy wake up!" Anthony yelled.

"Another child can't leave me!" Victoria screamed. "Why did we come to Paris? It's full of bad omens."

Victoria too passed out.

A month later...

The Johnsons returned to Nigeria and couldn’t  live a happy life. Brenda's demise had affected them badly.

Victoria gave up her acting career and Anthony was a part-time pilot. They both remained divorced, taking turns in spending time with Mercy and were committed to taking care of her so as not to lose her.

The end...