Why do I feel like it's over!... Am I really dead?
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|Cleveland Clinic Akron General Hospital|
2:00 PM
Outside one of the hospital's patient rooms, one of the police officers who had previously arrested Will was standing with a pen and a small notebook.. talking with the attending physician about something:
- Mr. Baker, I understand that, but as I said, we can't let him out without a family member present to sign some necessary documents and take responsibility for his exit. This isn't like he's an ordinary patient...
The doctor suddenly lowered his voice, looked around, and approached the police officer to continue:
- It turns out that Mr. Bradwin had taken a large amount of tranquilizers before coming here. After searching his medical record, we found that he was undergoing therapy with a psychologist in Cleveland. So we don't know yet whether this was a possible sui*cide attempt or not, or whether he poses no danger to himself or others around him.
The doctor finished speaking, then straightened from his crouching toward the police officer.
"Okay, then, do you have contact information for any of his family members? We tried to access his phone contacts, but to no avail. It seems the phone was jammed by the hot coffee that spilled on it earlier."
The police officer asked, looking at the small notebook in his hand, while simultaneously massaging the wrinkles on his forehead with the tip of his pen, or rather, applying pressure there to relieve his headache.
"I didn't check that. I thought you had already contacted them. In any case, I'll ask the receptionist to send me his information if he's been treated here before, and I'll inform his family of what happened."
The doctor responded quickly, as if he'd prepared for such a question.
"Okay, Dr. Conrad, thank you for your cooperation with the local police." After giving him an annoyed look, Officer Baker nodded and thanked him.
- Of course, always.
After finishing his conversation with the doctor, the officer glanced at Will, sound asleep in bed, through a rectangular, vertical glass window in the middle of the room's door. Then he went in the opposite direction, heading toward his colleague, who was busy buying a hot cup of coffee from the vending machine in the hallway.
"They'll try to contact a member of his family and let us know when he arrives."
After saying these words, Officer Baker sat up and stared at the notebook in his hand.
"That's good. Then we'll finish the vehicle impoundment and revoke his driver's license, and then we'll be back home."
"I feel like I know that kid," Officer Baker suddenly raised his head and stared at the white wall in front of him, speaking unconsciously.
"What? Today you thought he was just a drug addict, and now you know him?!"
" McCourtney answered him sarcastically.
" - It's not what you think... His name and... His features, for some reason, feel familiar.
- Of course he'll look familiar to you. It's Akron (the small town), not New York.
Officer Baker gave him a hopeless look, then leaned back in his chair, his hat over his face, his eyes closed, wanting to get some rest.
....
Carl McGland
2:30 PM
Holid****ress hotel
Carl arrived at the hotel where he was staying in his luxury apartment. He parked his car outside the gate without turning off the engine. He got out after taking Will's data file with him. When he passed one of the employees outside, he gave him the car key to park in the designated spot.
He then headed directly to the elevator, but before he reached it, he was stopped by the receptionist's voice:
"Mr. Carl!"
Carl turned in response to her call, then frowned spontaneously, wondering what she wanted.
"Mr. Simon is at your apartment. He arrived about two hours ago."
The receptionist continued with a small smile.
Carl seemed unimpressed by this, but he didn't reveal it, simply saying:
"Okay.
" The employee smiled back at him, then returned to looking at the computer screen in front of her. Carl simply headed for the elevator, his mind racing.
He finally reached his apartment door and entered using the fingerprint scanner placed beside the doorknob. He opened the door and entered. The place seemed very quiet, with no one present. The living room, connected to the kitchen and overlooking the frozen Downtown neighborhood, looked the same, nothing different.
Carl crossed the long corridor that connected the living room to the rest of the apartment, reaching the last room in the hallway (his office). He opened the door and dimmed the lights, then looked briefly at the file in his hand. He slowly approached his oval-shaped desk and placed the file there. He then leaned his hands on the desk, staring intently at the file as if contemplating something. He didn't stay in this position for long before he straightened up and turned around to leave the room without opening the file or examining its contents.
He climbed the stairs leading to the second floor of his apartment, specifically to the master bedroom and its annexes. The second floor also contained a large swimming pool overlooking Downtown, as well as an additional room with a modern kitchenette that occupied a corner next to the additional room.
Carl entered his bedroom and wasn't surprised when he saw Simon sleeping haphazardly on his bed. He had taken off all his clothes except for his long green underwear, which Carl considered hideous, and his long socks, which he had been wearing all day, disgusting the other. He let out a long sigh before turning back and leaving the room. But an evil thought occurred to him, causing him to go back inside. He slowly approached Simon and sat behind him on the bed. Then, with a quick movement, he slapped the other hard on the buttocks, causing him to scream in pain.
"What?" Simon shouted the word loudly, accompanied by a few pained screams, but he quickly returned to a deep sleep, as if nothing had happened!
Carl was surprised by this reaction, sighing heavily, and said, "Hey... Simon... Shhh... Get up, get up... You're sleeping on my bed."
Carl stirred a little, hoping to wake him up, but the other was fast asleep.
"Damn you, you big lazy bum, you won't wake up."
He then got out of bed and went down the stairs to the first floor. He headed over to the sofa and stretched out on it. He looked up at the ceiling for a moment and rolled his eyes toward the table beside him. He reached out and grabbed a magazine, presumably to flip through it, but threw it away as soon as he saw his cousin Matthew (the famous golfer) on the cover, while saying the word "hateful."
"Damn it, why did they bring sports magazines? Am I a sports fan or something?"
Then he went back again to look for magazines with a different focus, but found only sports magazines. He felt even more angry when he learned that those magazines were dated a week ago. He did nothing about it, except return to leaning his head back on the sofa, closing his eyes, considering telling his assistant to contact the hotel so they could rectify the situation.
He, too, gradually fell asleep without realizing it.
...
|The Will Family House|
8:30 PM
Mary stood in the kitchen, finishing the last dish after dinner with her husband earlier that day. She dried her hands and then headed over to join her husband to watch television. The living room was very quiet, and the low volume of the television broke the silence, or rather, blended with it, creating a strange sense of relaxation and security.
She sat on the brown leather chair, not speaking, just staring at Chris and the television with clear, meaningless eyes. Chris didn't speak either, as if they no longer needed to speak to communicate. Mary suddenly smiled when she looked at the gold bracelet around her wrist, filled with small hearts nestled together. Her smile gradually turned into a somewhat sad smile, as if she had remembered something beautiful at first, only for another sad memory to cloud her temporary happiness.
After a short while, the loud ringing of the phone woke her from her deep reverie. She looked over at Chris, who seemed to have dozed off while watching television. She got up with a slight stagger, grabbed the receiver, and placed it to her ear, then turned to look at Chris.
"Hello, Mr. Will Christopher Bradwin's family? This is Lindsay Ashford from the Patient Information Department at Cleveland Clinic Akron General. Mr. Will is here, and we've provided him with appropriate treatment. Now we're waiting for a family member to come and sign his discharge papers."
The woman on the other end spoke quickly, like an answering machine giving out instructions.
Mary was stunned by what she had just heard. Wasn't Will at the merger party? How did that happen? She seemed to have slipped out of reality as soon as she heard the word "hospital." All she could think about was that this couldn't happen again.
"Hello, sir.. can you hear me?" The employee spoke again, assuming she was talking to a man.
Tears welled up in Mary's eyes, and she put her hand over her mouth to steady herself. After a few seconds, she was able to speak.
- Yes, yes, I hear you.
- Excuse me, ma'am, so when will you be available?
- Now...
Mary answered quickly and without thinking, then glanced at her husband.
- Yes, now.
She confirmed.
- Well, that's good, thank you... Goodbye.
The receptionist answered and intended to hang up, but Mary was quicker to ask, saying,
- How is he? How is Will?
She said the words hesitantly and reluctantly, as if she didn't want to hear the answer that described her dear son's condition.
- Oh, I really don't know. You can ask the doctor when you get here. Anything else?
- No, thank you.
Mary hung up the landline, took a deep breath, then turned to her husband and gave him a scrutinizing look, revealing that he had fallen asleep.
She walked over to him, looked closely at his face, and said in a low voice, "Chris... dear, get up. Sleeping on the couch isn't good for your muscles."
Chris woke up with a fuzzy mind and stood up, looking at her as she took his glasses and held them in her hand.
"What time is it? Did i sleep for a long time? Is Will back?" He spoke heavily.
"No, you didn't sleep long, and Will is still with his colleagues. He called a while ago and told me he'd be late tonight."
Mary replied without looking at him, then helped him up.
"Good, maybe having some fun with his friends will help him."
Mary merely gave a faint smile and a hesitant nod, then they headed upstairs to their bedroom. Upon arriving, Christopher immediately lay down on the bed and fell into a deep sleep.
Mary paused in front of the bed for a moment, then headed to the wardrobe after making sure Christopher was completely asleep. She retrieved her small brown leather bag and a coat she had chosen at random. She then quietly left after making sure Christopher had water and medicine on the table, leaving a note for him.
Mary got into her car and started it. She was still feeling extremely nervous and breathing uncontrollably. She looked around, her eyes brimming with tears. She pressed her eyes lightly to clear them and clear her vision. Then she drove off toward Akron.
....
Regina
Eight o'clock in the evening
"That sounds good."
" Regina said with excitement as she finished wrapping the last toy she got.
"This must mean a lot to you."
" A tall, dark-skinned young man spoke warmly.
Regina looked at him with sparkling eyes and nodded several times before leaning forward and hugging him.
"When I was little, I wanted a toy for Christmas, even if it was broken."
"You deserve more than that."
The young man spoke again and hugged Regina back, his arms tightly around her body.
"You don't know what it's like to grow up in an orphanage, to live without parents. It's so hard."
"I'm sorry you had to go through that. There's nothing I can do but help you through it, and that's what I'll make sure to do."
- Oh, you sound cute when you talk like that.
Regina spoke in a very cheesy and sticky tone, which made Finn feel uneasy, making him feel provoked.
- Oh my God, no, don't talk like that again, please, hahahahaha.
Their hug, which lasted a few minutes, ended, and then they both headed to the couch to sit and watch TV.
- Today was so exhausting, ahhh, everyone looked tired at the end of the day.
- Oh, what a day.
- Hahahahaha, right, what a day.
Their day ended with them falling asleep on the couch together, without turning off the TV, which was playing an old black-and-white movie at a low volume.
....
|Cleveland Clinic Akron General Hospital|
10 PM
On the cold white bed, Will's exhausted body lay motionless, languishing beneath the thin white covers, as if he could never rise again. His body seemed more hopeless than his heart and mind. His hands lay beside him, each holding a needle, administering the intravenous fluids from the bags hanging on either side of his body.
Very slowly, he began to move his eyelids. They were trembling violently, but he couldn't open them. Suddenly, he felt a loud buzzing sound, causing a suffocating headache that made him stop breathing for a moment. He felt as if he were drowning in the middle of the ocean, unable to escape.
Suddenly, he stopped feeling all these feelings. He may not have known why, but his ears did. His ears picked up his mother's voice from afar, seemingly a few meters away in the open air. Her voice was indistinct, just murmurs here and there. He didn't understand a single word, but he was certain it was his mother's voice. He tried to move, but he couldn't do so easily. He had been lying there on the hard bed for almost half a day.
The voice drew closer, and his desire to get up and go to his mother grew stronger, but he couldn't. Suddenly, without warning, someone opened the door quietly. The silence continued for a while, and then he heard a whisper:
"He should have woken up by now. The IVs have worn off, but that can happen, as patients' awakenings vary from one patient to another."
The doctor said, checking the time on his wristwatch.
"I'd like to come in and stay by his side until he wakes up."
Mary looked at the doctor nervously, her eyes brimming with tears.
- Yes, of course you can. If anything happens, press the emergency call button and I'll...
- Yes, I know. Thank you.
- Okay, I'm going now. I wish him good health.
Mary nodded gratefully, and then the doctor left for his office.
Will felt tense after learning that his mother was indeed here, and he realized his failure to control his grief once again. He remained silent and calm, while Mary approached his body lying on the bed, looking at him with tearful eyes and a rapidly beating heart. Then she placed her hand over her mouth and gasped softly. She wiped her eyes and looked back at him, then walked over to a chair that had been set aside, took it, and sat next to him. For a moment, the room was silent, then Mary's soft sobs began to break the calm. Mary's head was bowed, looking at her hands in surrender, crying silently. Will, however, clutched the blankets with his hands, tugging at them, letting out a little of the anger that had built up inside him. He was angry that he had failed to keep the promise he'd made to his parents (not to do anything rash that would hurt him). He calmed down a little, then clutched the blankets again, trying to regain his confidence and talk to his mother. He wasn't sure it would work.
"Hey... Mom..." he spoke, his voice hoarse, then suddenly fell silent. His voice trailed off, and tears welled up in his eyes.
Mary opened her eyes wide, then quickly lifted her head and looked at him, surprised to find him awake.
"Will... Will, son, are you okay?"
"Mom..."
He couldn't say anything more and burst into tears.
Mary also cried and moved closer to him, lifting his body and hugging him. Will continued to cry on her shoulder, hugging her tightly, muttering his apologies.
"I'm really sorry, I'm sorry... so sorry. I let you both down, as usual. I don't know what happened, but I wanted everything to stop. Mom, I'm tired. I'm so exhausted, and I can't stop it."
Mary tried to stop him from apologizing, but he kept saying what he had to say.
He pulled away a little, looked at her face, and then continued.
- Mom, will it all end? I can't get over him yet. Why? Why did he have to die? He can't do this to me. I loved him more than anything in life. Why doesn't he come back and fix his mistake? I will forgive him. I swear I will. I just want him back.
- Son... Son, please stop. This isn't either of your fault...
- It's his fault. He shouldn't have left in the middle of the night and left me alone. Why didn't he wait until morning or never leave at all?...
He suddenly fell silent, then looked away and continued.
- I can't believe our wedding is only two weeks away. Do you realize that? Only two weeks!! I want to die... Mom, I want to die, please.
He stopped talking and burst into tears uncontrollably, clasping his hands together, looking at them and squeezing them tightly.
- Will, please stop. Don't say that, please. Elijah wouldn't want this to happen to you. Please, son, calm down, okay? Everything is okay, I promise. Everything will be okay.
Will stopped crying suddenly, but he was still sniffling heavily. He rested his head on his mother's shoulder, which had been soaked with tears and saliva earlier, and spoke again, his voice laced with pain.
- This shouldn't have happened. We've only been together for 10 years. This isn't fair, Mom... I can't forget him, and I can't stop blaming him for his death. He belongs to me. He has no right to go and leave me like this. What will I do without him now?
His voice trailed off as he spoke, and he wiped away his growing tears. Then he continued...
- Look at me, I'm completely lost. By losing him, I've lost everything in my life. I've lost myself, I've lost everyone else, I've lost my desire to work and all my passion. I've lost everything.
He closed his eyes and was silent for a moment, biting his lips. Then he continued, while Mary listened sadly and patted his back.
"I want him back. I can't get over him. Mom, I want him back. Do you understand?"
Mary closed her eyes and a few tears fell on her cheeks. Then she sighed, praying to God to help her.
- Son... dear, I know that nothing I say will be able to dispel your grief, but I beg you not to hurt yourself again, or even attempt to do so. Learn to live with your pain; that way it will be less severe. I'm not telling you to forget Elijah and put him behind your back. I know how much he means to you, but you must start moving on. I love Elijah... your father does, and we were all devastated by what happened to him, and we are deeply saddened, but there's nothing we can do about it...
He didn't seem to be listening to what she was saying. Will pulled away to look directly at her. His eyes were deeply red, with a few tears moistening his eyelashes. His skin was flushed and hot.
"Mom, can we go home? I'm tired and I need some rest."
He ignored his mother's words, or rather, he didn't want to accept them, and spoke without meeting her eyes. She looked at him with a sad smile and nodded.
- But before that, there's bad news.
Will looked at her attentively.
- The county sheriff impounded your car, and the officer told me they've filed a request to revoke your license.
Will didn't seem surprised, as if he already knew.
- I know. That damn cop told me so when he came early to take my statement... but it's all nonsense. They can't do that. I'll talk to Noah to fix it, Mom... I'm sorry.
- Don't worry, maybe it'll help if Noah gets involved.
Mary sighed, then continued,
- Son, it turns out you took a lot of sedatives before driving, and the hospital learned you were seeing a psychologist; therefore, they recommended you not drive during this time, so you don't cause harm to yourself or others.
Will couldn't find anything to say, and they just exchanged glances for a moment. Then Mary said, "Also, you're required to commit to a sui*cide prevention program. Sessions and meetings will be held here once every two weeks, unless..."
Will's eyes widened and his head rolled back...
"This has to be a joke. I didn't try to commit sui*cide! Mom, they can't do that!"
Will spoke angrily, as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. His mother continued, "Unless you have a doctor or therapist you can attend the sessions with... Son, you can attend them with your doctor in Cleveland."
Will shook his head in refusal, saying, "No, Mom. I can't show him my face. I've let Dr. Adam down enough. I can't reward him with my usual psychological decline and relapse."
- Son, if you don't attend these sessions, the doctor will recommend that you be admitted to a psychiatric hospital. I know this is a lot to take in, but for them, all the evidence points to a sui*cide attempt.
Mary looked at him cautiously and spoke in a low, steady voice.
Will swallowed, repeating, "Something is better than nothing." He returned her gaze, then said, "What about Britain? What about our trip to visit my grandmother?"
- My dear, I know you've been trying to get out of visiting your relatives in Britain. Don't worry... the sessions are only for six months."
Will looked away when his intentions were exposed, and Mary smiled at that.
- Okay... let's go home.
- Really?
- Yes.
- Thank you, Mom. I want to get out of here quickly.
Will finished, then hugged his mother, a slight sense of relief running through his body.
- Change your clothes while I finish signing your exit papers so we can leave.
- Okay.
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|The dreams I had previously dared to dream didn't help me or stand by me at my worst; therefore, I reassessed my calculations and decided to make them expired, and not constantly chase them in the hope of achieving them.|
(End of Chapter)
Your opinions.
I haven't proofread; I apologize for any errors.
See you in the next chapter.