A Love Born Of Duty

CHAPTER 4

“James, the truth is…” she began but her words trailed off as a nurse entered the room.

“Heyyyy!” The nurse chimed with a smile. “I need to take your vitals.”

“Can’t it wait?” She asked nervously.

“No, I’m afraid not. We need to take these vitals to prepare for your surgery tomorrow.” The nurse replied.

“There’s no problem. We can continue the discussion later.” James said, trying to comfort Rachael’s mother.

“And I guess it wouldn’t take long.” James asked the nurse.

“Yeah, it wouldn’t.” The nurse replied with a smile.

“You can even stay. It’s just a routine checkup.”

The nurse began to take Rachael’s mom vitals, asking her questions about her health.

The nurse then proceeded to palpate Rachael’s mom.

“Ah, it hurts here.” Elsa complained.

“Be gentle!” She exclaimed as the nurse touched the hurtful area again.

“When did the pain start?” The nurse asked surprisely.

As she was about to answer, Rachael burst in, a man following her.

“Mom, this man is looking for you,” Rachael said. “He claims he knows you and has been searching for you for years now.”

As Elsa saw the man, her eyes widened in shock. She was rendered speechless. Her expression, a mix of surprise, nervosity and fear.

“Nathan… what…what are you doing here?” She stammered barely able to get the words out.

Nathan smiled, his expression tinged with narcissism.

He quickly switched to a concerned tone, acting worried. “Elsa, but what are you doing lying in a hospital bed?”

Elsa's response was immediate and panicked.

“Get out now! Go back to wherever you come from. I don’t ever want to see you around me or my daughter.” She shouted at the top of her small, sick voice.

Nathan smirk returned, his voice dripping with narcissism. “Your daughter, she’s also mine, darling.”

Rachel’s eyes widened in shock, tears welling up in her eyes. “Mom, what’s the meaning of all this? Is this…is this my dad?”

“Rachael, we’ll talk about this later.” Her voice was tight with anger.

“And for you Nathan, get out of my room!” She commanded her voice firm and commanding.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Nathan replied, his voice dripping with happiness and narcissism. “I’ve come and I’ll stay once and for all.”

Elsa tension kept increasing.

The nurse, noticing the rising anxiety, had to intervene. “Please, I’ll ask you all to calm down. I need to continue with the patient’s vitals, and if this continues, I’ll have to ask you all to step out.” She said her tone was firm and imposing.

The nurse turned her attention to Elsa and asked again, “since when have you been feeling the pain?”

“I don’t really know.” Elsa replied softly. “I just feel it when you press.”

“I’m sure she’s perfectly fine.” Nathan said skeptically.

“She’s always been a good actress. I think we should just stop all this drama and talk of what is really important.” A hint of narcissism in his voice once more.

“Who are you, and why are you so heartless?” Rachael asked, her voice trembling with anger and tears.

Just as Nathan was about to respond, the doctor intervened, her voice firm and authoritative.

“What’s all this commotion, and why are all these people in here?” She asked, her tone angry and disapproving. “It’s going to affect the patient’s health.”

“Doctor, there’s a problem.” The nurse said looking worried. “She’s been complaining of pain when I press on her chest.”

The doctor immediately drew closer to Elsa, a look of concern etched on her face. She was about to ask further questions when Nathan intervened.

“Elsa seriously? You have to stop all this drama.” He said, his tone dismissive.

Elsa’s eyes flashed with anger, she was about to respond when her body suddenly tensed up. She began to cough violently and shake uncontrollably, her eyes wide with distress.

“Prepare the operating room!” the doctor instructed the nurse urgently. “We need to operate on her now.”

“What’s happening to her?” Rachael shouted nervously, her eyes filled with tears as she rushed closer to her.

“Rachael, we need to operate now!” The doctor shouted urgently. “Please, allow me to do my job.”

Just then, 3 other nurses rushed in simultaneously, and together, they quickly prepared to transport Elsa to the operation room.

“Doctor. Do whatever is necessary.” James instructed firmly, his voice laced with determination. “No matter the cost, she has to survive.”

The doctor nodded her head in understanding. At the same time, James had to hold Rachael firmly to prevent her from following as the nurses took her mother to the operating room.

“James, please leave me alone! I have to follow her!” Rachael screamed, bursting into tears.

“We have to let the nurses do their jobs,” James replied, trying to comfort Rachael. “She’s in good hands.”

“I’m sure she’s just pretending,” Nathan said, interrupting James with a dismissive tone. “Everything will be fine. All this drama is not necessary.”

James’ eyes widened in anger when he heard Nathan’s comment. He struggled to contain his fury.

“Who are you, and where are you coming from?” James asked angrily, while trying to keep his temper in check.

“Well, this isn’t the right time for this discussion,” Nathan said, his voice dripping with narcissism.

“Let’s wait for all this drama to end. Then we’ll have a lovely family meeting and talk about it. We’ll see if you still love your sweet mother that much,” he added, a sly smile spreading across his lips.

“I’m really looking forward to it,” he said before burying into a fit of mocking laughter.

With that, he turned and walked out of the room, leaving James and Rachael stunned and speechless.

The silence that filled the room after Nathan’s departure was palpable. James finally broke it, his voice gentle and reassuring.

“Don’t think about what he just said.” James adviced Rachael. “He’s just a random guy, and you need to focus on your mother right now. She needs you more than anything.”

“Why is all this happening at once?” Rachael asked James nervously.

He mentioned a family meeting and dropped a bombshell: she was also his daughter. Rachael continued to question him, her nervousness growing as she struggled to make sense of the situation.

Her mom’s reaction to Nathan’s presence only added to the mystery. Rachael had never seen her mom behaving like this before. For years, her mom had dodged discussion about Rachael’s dad, leaving her with unanswered questions.

As the questions swirled in her mind, Rachael anxiety spiked. “What if my mom doesn’t make it?” She asked worried.

“What was she telling you when I left the room?” Rachael's mind was reeling, overwhelmed by stress, confusion and uncertainty.

Just as James was about to respond, the doctor entered the room, her face etched with concern. Rachael’s anxiety spiked as she saw the doctor, and she couldn’t contain herself.

“Doctor, what’s going on?” Racheal asked urgently. “How is she?”

The doctor hesitated, choosing her words carefully. As Rachael waited with bated breath, she wondered what the doctor was about to reveal. Will Elsa pull through, or will she take her secrets to the grave?