HOOKED ON ZERO

Second Chances

Chapter 10

"So, Mr. Moore, what can we expect from Exceva in the long run?"

"Mr. Moore, how many people do you perceive will be cured using Exceva?"

"Mr. Moore, will you. . . ?"

I mentally shut out the words of the third reporter. At that point in time, I was about ready to keel over. My eyes had become blurry and red and they stung, but I lifted my shoulders a little higher and pasted on a smile that didn't reach my heart. "As you all know, my wife was diagnosed with womb cancer. Unfortunately, she wasn't diagnosed on time, and as a result. . ." I looked down and shook my head, valiantly trying to keep the tears which threatened to swim to the surface, at bay.

I looked back up at all the reporters that swarmed around, eagerly waiting for the rest of my words and I knew I couldn't let the water works reign free. "Exceva was meant for people who have been diagnosed with early stage cancer. It is a drug that's meant to give sustainability, but above all, restoration and complete healing."

"Imagine a world free of the cancerous disease, a world where people will be free of the clutches of disease that plagues them. Why don't you take a minute to imagine a world filled with generations of people to come, all — free of cancer. Better still, let's do it together."

Silence reigned throughout the hall once I had finished speaking. And then someone behind me began to clap. The next person to my left took it up. Another at my right continued, until, like an echo, everyone in the hall was clapping and giving me a standing ovation.

Even though I had just sat through an eight hour press conference and my heart had been heavy, it lightened considerably. I stood and smiled. "Thank you all for the honor and the love, but that will be all for now."

"Mr. Moore, please, one more question, what about. . .?"

But I had heard enough.

I walked out of the hall, flanked by my bodyguards. The reporters were a balsy lot. They tried to one-up each other by shoving their microphones in my face and asking questions at the same time, but my bodyguards shouldered anyone away who dared come close.

All I wanted was to hit my bed and close my eyes forever.

Gross Exaggeration: I meant for a few hours.

I was led out of the hall and into the hallway. More reporters swarmed around, making it even more difficult for us to move. Luckily, Hugo and Bravo did a damn good job by taking the brunt of the crassness exhibited by them.

We finally made it to the compound of the hotel, and just when I saw freedom beckoning, Kelly ran up to me breathing heavily. "Whew! It's a zoo back in there. Thank goodness all that's left to do is pose for pictures. Have you forgotten?" She placed a hand on my forearm and moved uncomfortably close.

I felt the warmth of her body through her clothes and I looked away. Ever since that day in my office, Kelly had looked for ways to come close to me. Whether it was to give me a document or just some piece of information, she would come up close into my personal space and brush against me.

Now I didn't know what she was looking for, but I wasn't so naive that I didn't know she wanted a shot at me.

Unfortunately for her, I wasn't up for grabs.

"Alex, Mr. Hendricks will soon be out. Remember we need to take pictures for the archives as well as to put on the walls in the office and labs. That serves as a. . ."

I stopped listening to her. I had to admit, she was good at her job. Always keeping me in line and on my toes, but that's what I paid her for though. To do exactly that.

We found a good spot in the compound of the hotel, some meters away from the pool. No one was there at this time. It seemed all of the action was taking place inside the hotel. My bodyguards took up positions at both corners of the exits ready to intercept anyone, reporter or otherwise that came close.

A few minutes later, and Kelly came back with Mr. Hendricks and the rest of his team in tow. There were twenty of them all together, key members of the Justice of the department of administration. To be honest, I felt one picture with all of them was enough, but Kelly had the bright idea to make me take pictures with each of them, and then according to their ranks and office.

She was ingratiating herself in the last picture beside me when my phone rang. I heaved a sigh of relief and excused myself.

"Hello, Mr. Moore, this is doctor Rogers, I'm calling with regards to the lady that was brought here three weeks ago, your personal assistant."

For some reason, I became silent as I drew a blank at who he was talking about. But as he continued speaking, it flooded my memory once again.

"The lady seems to be out of the woods now, but she's presently in an induced coma. She still needs a lot of healing. I felt I needed to update you, see if you're chanced so you could swing by. I know you're a busy man, but a few minutes spent talking to her will add to her healing. No one has come in to see her yet, I hear."

Where before I wanted to hit the sack, as I listened, the tiredness slid from my body and was quickly replaced with sadness. It settled like a heavy bag of rocks on my chest. I knew first hand, what it meant to have no one.

I made up my mind immediately."Thank you, doctor, I'll definitely drop by today. Same room as before?"

"No, she is no more in the ICU. She's now in one of the single rooms, thanks to the funds you provided."

I nodded, like he could see me and promised to come before hanging up.

I turned round to see Kelly in an animated discussion with Mr. Hendricks, so I walked up to them. "Sorry, something came up, I've got to go."

Mr. Hendricks smiled and took a hold of my hand in a firm handshake. "Congratulations, Alex, I'll definitely be buying a few packs of Exceva. One never knows when this sneaky cancer disease will sneak up on one."

I cracked a smile. "Not to worry, I will definitely send some complimentary packs over to you and the rest of the team."

As I finished speaking, Kelly sidled up to me. Her hand got fixed on mine as I turned. "Where are you off to? I thought we could all-"

"Sorry, rain check." I shook her hand off and walked off.

*

Stepping into the hospital took me back. I didn't want to go back. I didn't want to remember those times when the screams would wake me up. Screams of despair and pain. Screams that shook my very foundation. Screams that took the very foundation of the hope that Aretha and I had built.

All my aspirations came crumbling down the moment Aretha was diagnosed with womb cancer. This wasn't just any type of cancer though, it was the type that grew side by side with the child in her womb. Our child. A child that was being stifled with the deadly disease.

A child we had been expecting for almost eight years. A child that was loved and prepared for even before his inception.

Jacob.

We had given him the same name as Aretha's father of blessed memory. A man I had never met but still felt a strange, yet strong affinity to. I didn't know if there was anything like reincarnation but I kind of wanted him to come back as Jacob, my son.

I shook my head to rid it of the thoughts that spilled unbidden, into my mind and stopped at the front desk. "Hi, I'm looking for a lady that was brought in a few weeks ago. Mia Hernandez by name."

The middle aged woman didn't even bother looking up. She stared at the screen in front of her. "What's your name, sir?"

I told her and she nodded. "Visiting times for patients are between 12-4pm." She looked at the time on her wrist meaningfully.

I got the meaning clearly. It was almost 4pm. I needed to hurry.

She directed me to the section. As I walked, people crowded the hallway. Their faces told a story of woe and despair and I was hard pressed to continue. I gritted my teeth, steeled my nerves and kept walking until I got to the front of the room. There, I stopped because I heard it, the continuous mechanical beeping of a machine. A machine that indicated a life needed to be saved.

From the window, I saw a form lying on the bed. I didn't know what possessed me to do it. I just know I found myself opening the door and walking inside. From inside the room, the beeping sound was even louder and another noise accompanied it. Curious, I walked forward, my hands becoming sweatier by the second. I got to her bedside and stared.

She was a mess.

Aretha was in ICU before she passed, but what I saw before me was on another level. The lady lying still on the bed was hooked up to different tubes. One protruded from her mouth, while a cord was wrapped around her head and attached to a machine. A neck band was wrapped around her neck, possibly to stabilize it. An IV was set up on both side of her wrists, while an oximeter was attached to both her finger and toe.

The woman's face was bruised purple and swollen. Her skin matched the pale colour of the sheets she lay on. Amidst the gory picture she portrayed, something red poked out from the top of her head. I leaned closer to take a good look and couldn't look away.

Her hair. It was bright copper red. One word came to my mind as I stared in fascination at it.

Fiery.

Spellbound, I leaned closer, stretching my hand forward towards it. I needed to touch it so bad.

"Hello, Mr. Moore."

I felt like a kid who had been caught with his hands in the cooking jar. Except mine hadn't even made it there at all. My hand hung in the air foolishly, but I slowly retracted it and turned to see Doctor Rogers. He stood at the door, staring at me with a smile on his face.

I gave him a nod and a tight smile.

"I'm glad you were able to come." He moved closer into the room.

I turned to him fully. "Tell me, how is she really faring?"

He cleared his throat and moved away from me and closer to the woman on the bed. "There was internal bleeding in her brain, but that is now under control after the successful surgery."

I moved closer to her bed and was shocked to see part of her shock of red hair had been scraped off on one side of her head. A large gauze tape was plastered there with white bandaging. I stared at it, missing some words of the doctor.

". . . swelling which is normal and we are closely watching. The next three days are critical now. If she gets better and wakes up on her own, then all's going to be well, but if she doesn't, then. . . " He didn't say anymore. He chose to shake his head instead.