His Achilles Heel

"Mom, dad, Ella!" Anne cried out faintly. She composed herself and gave it another shot, "please help us!" she shouted from the top of her voice but it did not go any further than before. She felt a sharp pain in her stomach as if a quo for her to stop calling out. She looked to her left where her younger sister was and stretched her hand. "Ella!" she shook her but there was no response. "Mom, dad!" she called out to her parents and there was no response from them also. No one is coming to save us, we are all going to die. She was startled when a huge fire ignited from the car engine. She closed her eyes ready to give in to anything fate had in store for them. She closed her eyes and reminiscence about all the good times she had had with her family. She hoped it would be able to calm her and bring her peace before she dies with her family. She was pulled out of her reverie when the car door next to her was burst open. The seat belt she had on was cut and she was lifted from the car. By the scent of the cologne, it was a man with expensive taste. "Who are you?" she asked. "I am just a guy who was passing by," he had a husky voice, "I have to save your family stay here," he gently placed her on the grass on the side of the road. She saw him as he ran back to the car and when he came back he had Ella in his arms. He placed her next to Anne and before he could make it to the car it exploded sending him flying in the air. He fell next to her. "Mom, dad!" she called out with pain in her voice. She had to go back and save them but her legs deceived her as they could not move, but she was not giving up easily. She crawled slowly but big hands stopped her. "You can't go back there it's too dangerous," the man told her. She tried to escape his grip but he was strong. "Let me go!" she protested but he completely ignored her. They heard the wailing of ambulances in a distance and it became audible by the second. The ambulances stopped next to them and paramedics came running to ward them. "She is hurt!" the man called out. "Ma'am, can you hear me?" a female paramedic asked her. She nodded her head weakly as she was too weak to speak. "Sir you can let go now!" the paramedic told the man and she felt his grip grow weak before he finally let go. "Maggie grab the defibrillator we are losing this one quick!" a male paramedic shouted. Anne watched as they removed Ella's jacket. They prepared the pads and placed them on Ella's chest. "Clear," one of the paramedics shouted. They pressed the shock button and gave her a shock. One of them continued doing CPR as they looked to see a pulse. "Nothing, charge again!" They recharged before shocking her again and waiting to see if they had a pulse. "Wait we have a weak pulse, quick put an oxygen mask over her face," the paramedic said. Anne sighed with relief before going going unconscious. **** Anne tried to open her eyes but the brightness made her shut them again. She tried to recall what had happened but she got nothing. "Anne!" her aunt Margaret ran to her side. "Thank God you are awake!" her uncle had a smile on his face. "Call the doctor Clara!" her aunt instructed her cousin. She went out of the room and came back with a doctor. "It's good to have ou back Anne, you gave everyone a scare. Your family was worried out you. Relax, I have to check if you are okay," the doctor spoke in a calming voice. He took out a penlight and examined her with it. She twitched at the brightness of the light. "Since when have I been here?" Anne's asked in a low voice. "Can you tell me your name and surname?" the doctor asked her a question. "Anne Wilson, doctor how long have I been here?" she asked again. "Dear you had an accident two days ago. You have been out for two days now, you got us all worried," her aunt had a sad look on her face. "Accident?" Anne asked with a confused look on her face. Slowly all the memories came back vividly. She remembered everything that had happened. "Where is my mom, dad and sister?" she opened her eyes wide as she looked at her aunt. A lone tear escaped from her aunt's eye. "Talk to me!" she shouted. "Calm down Anne!" the doctor told her. "I don't need to calm down you have to answer my question!" "You were in an accident, your sister is in a comatose. I am sorry your parents did not make it," the doctor told her. She remained quiet as she tried to process what the doctor had just said. "My poor sister, and her husband. Why did it have to befall them? They were all good people!" her aunt could not contain herself. "Margaret get a hold on yourself!" her uncle said. "Are you okay, Anne , Anne!" the doctor asked her. "I am okay. Take me to my sister and my parents I want to see them," Anne ordered in a loud voice. "I don't think it is a good idea, you haven't healed totally," the doctor said. "Take me now!" she shouted over her lungs. "Okay, they will take you to your sister. But I am sorry you can't see your parents, they were burnt beyond recognition," the doctor told her. She tried to stand up before falling miserably on the flow. The nurse helped her back on to her bed. "Bring a wheelchair nurse. I am not sure you will be able to walk anytime soon, we will have to carry out an x-ray to determine the level of damage your feet have suffered but for now a wheelchair will be okay," the doctor told her. The nurse and her aunt helped her onto the wheelchair. Her aunt pushed the wheelchair down the long corridor. She could clearly smell the scent of cleaning detergents used. She hated being in the hospital more than anyhing and whilst growing up no matter how sick she had been, she tried to be strong so she wouldn't have to go there. The last time she had been there was when her sister had suffered an allergic reaction, she was relieved that she was not the one getting all the injections. They came to the ICU and the door to her sister hospital room opened. She was pushed and placed next to Ella's bed. She looked at her sister as she could not breathe and had a lot of machines around her. Tears trickled down her eyes as she reached for Ella's motionless face. Everything had fallen apart in a blink of an eye and she blamed herself for it. She blamed herself for all of it, if she had not insisted on going to buy that prom dress maybe her parents would still be alive. Maybe her sister would be by her side. She wished someone could pull her out of her nightmare. She pinched herself a little and she felt the sting, all of it was real. Her pain was real and her parents were gone. She had stayed in the hospital for three more days and those were some of tbe worst days in her life. She wished her life could get better, but better seemed to have been erased from her vocabulary. ***** Anne had bee in the spotlight since she was born but at a time like this she wished her life was ordinary. The media branded her as a pitiful person who had lost her family in a tragedy. Her parents' lives were deeply scrutinised and many theories were brought to light. Some media outlets believed it to be an act of terror, whilst others labeled it a suicide gone wrong and others labeled it an accident. The police had asked for her statement which had proven to have been of little help. She had clearly seen an oncoming car coming in their lane and to avoid it her father had veered off the road losing total control before hittig a tree. As there was no other car on tbe scene the police had ruled it out as malfunction of brakes. Her statement was too weak and there was nothing that could be used to track down that other driver. "It is on a sad note that we come to you on such a a sad day to share with you the news on the sudden passing of the Chairman of Wilson and Compan, Mr. Marshall Wilson and his wife Mrs. Mary Wilson. They were involved in an accident five days ago and they both died on the spot. They are survived by two daughters Ella Wilson who is in a comatose and Anne Wilson who is slowly healing. We urge you members of the media to respect the family's privacy as the grieve their loss and our prayers goes out to the family," a public statement was offered by the head of public relations. Anne had requested for a private service to be held but a lot of business leaders had begged to be there. A church service was held at the St Augustine Church of England which was their family church. Hundreds of business leaders had shown up for the service all with a story to tell on how the couple had helped them. Marshall Wilson was a man whose presence could be felt as soon as he entered into a room. It went without saying that he was naturally born a leader as people respected him even without asking for it. He was labeled the Tom Cruise of the business industry for his undying forever young looks. He had the brains and he had managed to expand the company to twice the size it had been when he inherited it. He was the country's sweetheart as every woman admired him. He loved his family and they came first before anything else. His wife Mary Wilson on the other hand was the perfect embodiment of a prototype of a real wife. She was daring, intelligent and intimidating even to men. She took her family seriously and their needs came first before anything else. She was a doctor by profession but when she had gotten married to Marshall, she had chose to give up on work to take care of her family. Her only delight was in watching her children grow and ageing well with her husband. She had vowed to stand in the shadow and be her husband' pillar. She was an epitome of beauty but still she remained humble being an ambassador to many charitable organizations. "We are gathered here today to celebrate the lives of Mary and Marshall Wilson. It would be a shame not to acknowledge that these two were very important people in our community and they aimed to make a difference. They wanted a better place for their children to grow up in. They touched the lives of many and I for one bear witness to their kind and pure souls. We have lost heroes and the void will be felt but as we mourn let's cry with the hope that some day we will see them near to the father. To their children Anne and Ella take heart and know the Lord is with you in these difficult times," the bishop said. They were to be laid to rest at the Wilson's cemetery where all members of the Wilson family had been burried. Her pain was too much to be expressed through tears. She wished she had died that day with them. Slowly people dispersed as they went into their cars driving to the Wilson Estate where a small memorial was to be held. It was something her parents had wanted and she was not going to deny them their last wish. As the car drove into the Wilson Estate, a dark sorrowful cloud hovered over it. Everyone was dressed in black and she watched everyone act in their own way. Other people laughed loudly as if at a party whilst others gossiped. "I am deeply sorry for your loss, take heart and if ever you need anything do not hesitate to ask me," Mr Cameron who was her father's business partner told her. His wife Madeleine who she had aways seen as her real aunt hugged her gently. "Thank you," she said in a very low voice whilst trying to keep her composure. Having to greet everyone who had come to the funeral only broke her heart more but as the only available Wilson and heir to the Wilson vast wealth, she had to be strong and endure through the process. "Excuse me, everyone, I would like to welcome you all to the celebration of the lives of Mary and Marshall Wilson. We have all lost important people who have helped us out at one stage in out lives. This event is to share memories we have with these two people who have left us. I would like to call Mr. Cameron Matthews to the stage to share with us," Noah her aunt Margaret's husband announced. Everyone applauded as Mr Matthews moved to the stage. "Marshall and I had known each other since we were babies and if my friend was still alive our friendship would have turned forty-eight years in a month. Marshall was the one person I knew I could rely on in all situations. I remember when we used to climb the school gate together and go to the north London club," everyone in the audience laughed, " those were the good days. Marshall and I were players but when he met Mary she changed him for the better. She made him into the man all of you knew. She was his knight in shining armour. He was with me when my wife and I lost our child. He was like family and it breaks my heart that such a soul went too soon. In as much as I am greatly saddened because I lost someone I loved, it gives me comfort knowing that they are together. To Mary and Marshall," he raised his glass of wine and wiped tears from his eyes. "Thank you, Mr Matthews, let me call my wife to the stage," Noah announced. "Mary was my sister, my best friend and above all the responsible one in the family. She was a happy person who cared more about other than herself. My sister ," she could not hold back the tears and she ran off the stage before she could finish her speech. The event finally came to an end and Annie had to bid farewell to everyone who had been there. Soon the house was empty, she could feel the void her parents absence had left. She missed chasing Ella down the stairs and how her parents had scolded them for not being careful enough. The front door opened and her aunt walked in accompanied by her husband and two children. She felt better that she was not alone but still she could feel the emptiness in her heart. Her mother had been the middle child in a family of three. Her uncle Charles who was the youngest had not been there for the funeral as he was in Afghanistan serving under the marine coup. "Dear you must be tired, Clara help your cousin up to her room," her aunt said in a hushed tone. "Thank you," Anne politely said. Her cousin pushed the wheelchair to the elevator. The Wilson Estate had an elevator as her grandfather had become a cripple in his later days. He would not give up his main bedroom on the second floor so they had an elevator installed. "Are you okay?" Clara asked gently. "Yes, I am just a bit tired," Anne replied quietly before going back to her thoughts. They reached the second floor and her cousin pushed the wheelchair down the corridor into her room. Her room was huge and it had bright wallpapers all around it, but for some reason the pain in her heart had darkened it all. The wheelchair stopped right next to her bed and her cousin helped her out of it. Clara adjusted the pillows creating room for Anne to sleep. "Call me if you need any help I will be downstairs," Clara said with a comforting smile. Anne thanked her and she heard the door close behind her She laid her head on the pillow before drifting into sleep. She saw herself back at the accident scene. She was looking at the burning car. "Mom, dad please!" She cried out. She looked up and saw them standing over her head. "Why Anne, why didn't you save us? You should have tried!" They had a sinister look on their faces. "No, I am so sorry," she cried out before waking up from the deep nightmare with sweat all over her body. It all felt real and her heart beat fast. She had been having those nightmares ever since the accident. Her therapist had told her that they were a result of the guilt she felt which manifested itself in the form of a dream. The guilt was something she could not remove easily. A bright lightning bold lightened the room followed by a loud sound of thunder. There was a sudden quick downpour as the rain hit hard on the asbestos. She rose from her bed and pulled her wheelchair close and got on it. She pushed herself to the French door and opened it. She watched the rain as it fell and hoped it could wash away her pain. She was in too much anguish and not she had no one to share it with, if only Ella all right maybe she would have helped her out of it. "What are you doing out there?" an elderly woman came and pushed her wheelchair into the room before closing the door. "I needed some air Rosa, I am suffocating," she protested. "My poor child, you have a fever," Rosa helped her back into her bed. Rosa grabbed a bowl of water before placing it on Anne's forehead. Anne slowly drifted to sleep.