There was a mischievous glint in his eyes and Joe was worried because whenever Joe was like that, he was a completely different person.
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Lana hurriedly got ready and went to the hospital. She hated the feeling and smell of the hospital and despite the fact she wanted to see her mom better desperately, it took everything in her not to throw up everytime she came here.
She met with the receptionist who directed her to the doctor's office and she thanked her and went in.
She approached the office and took deep breaths, hoping that at least there's a bit of good news this time. She had already had enough bad news and right now, she'd appreciate something new.
She knocked on the doctor's door and heard him mumble a "come in" and she opened the door.
The doctor was sitting on his chair and it looked like he just finished with a patient who probably came for regular check ups.
"Lana my dear, how are you?" He said with a cordial smile on his face.
"It's nice to see you again doctor and I'm okay, how are you doing?"
"I'm doing just fine though I have some serious updates on your mom's health please do sit." That last part wasn't encouraging.
"What happened doctor? I know I should have been here much earlier sadly I've been caught up with a lot of things but I'm here now."
"I understand how it must be a lot for you Lana, but your mom's situation hasn't significantly improved since last time you were here, we'll have to move her to another facility."
What did he mean by "Move her?"
"Can you explain what you mean doctor?"
"Well your mom's condition hasn't changed as I earlier stated so we're moving her to the intensive care facility, where she'd receive more treatment and attention."
"What do I have to do then, doctor?" She knew what was coming, the feeling of wanting to throw up kept resurfacing and it took everything in her to not give in at least for the plot.
"Well you know Lana, that would cost more…." Her face fell and it took all her power not to stand up, walk out of the hospital and let a car run her over. This was too much, way too much for her now.
"We simply can't keep her in that unit any longer and honestly it would be best for her, especially if you want her to get back on her feet." He was right, she knew that he was right.
She needed her mom to come back, to be here with her. To hold her and tell her that she doesn't have to go through life alone and if that must happen, she has to agree to the new changes.
"What do I have to do?" She asked with almost no soul in her voice.
"I've already prepared the new agreement, all you have to do is sign here," he said signaling to the place she was supposed to sign. Lana signed it like a robot.
On the agreement, it mentioned that her mom's bills had tripled and it would take effect from the next month and it was barely two weeks to the new month.
The doctor kept talking and everything else he was saying, she just sat there completely dazed and almost robotic.
When the doctor was done, she stood up and thanked him, she had to see her mom, she needed to cry and hold her, shake her and tell her to wake up as soon as possible because her life was physically falling apart.
She dragged her feet to her mom's hospital room barely noticing the people that passed by her.
She got there and opened the door. There her mom was, on the bed and looking like a shadow of what she used to be. The tears Lana tried to hold back started pouring down from her eyes and she rushed to her mom's side.
She knelt down close to her and held her hands as if to beg her to wake up.
"Mom please wake up, I'm all alone here, with no one to talk to, no one to help, did you know that Anya was kidnapped? I don't even know what to do.
I left her with uncle Chris so I could be able to make things easier for him but now she's gone and I have no idea what condition they've kept her in. She's probably scared and worried. So much…so much has happened since dad and you left me here all alone."
She started shaking as the tears rolled down her face. She held onto her mom as if that was the only way to keep her here with her.
"Do you know that the doctor wants to move you to a new ward? You've got to wake up soon mom, where do I get the money to keep up with these bills? To double it, the kidnappers are asking for a very huge sum. Even if I tried to get an extra job somehow it still won't be enough."
But that wasn't even the main reason for her tears, it was the crippling feeling of loneliness that stabbed at her chest.
She was alone, everyday she was brutally reminded of that fact and it felt so unfair that everyone else expected her to be strong, when she was still a child at heart.
"You've just got to wake up mom, I miss you so much. I know you can hear me and I promise you that I'll do everything in my power to make sure that nothing happens to Anya, I'll get her back I swear and…and I'll make sure you're taken care of too. Don't worry mom."
After a few minutes, she got up because it was time to leave. She needed an escape, anything! She was going to get drunk tonight. Just then her phone rang, the devil himself….