Chapter 53: How Am I Going To Face Him?
The director sighed dramatically, placing a hand over his chest as though in mock despair. "A loss for us, truly. But if you ever reconsider, my door is always open."
Olisa stepped fully into the ambulance and gave the director one last nod. "Thank you, Director. Please ensure the team here continues their excellent care for other patients."
The doors of the ambulance closed with a soft thunk, leaving the director standing at the entrance, still wishing this "great Buddha" could somehow be tied to his hospital.
"We're good to go," Olisa announced, settling into his seat beside Nnenna.
Chibuzor, meanwhile, stood by his car with Olaedo, watching the ambulance pull away. He turned to her, noting the anxious look in her eyes.
"She's in good hands," he said gently, opening the car door for her.
Olaedo hesitated for a moment before nodding. "I know. It's just... hard," she admitted softly.
Chibuzor gave her a small smile. "It'll be okay. Now, let's go."
As they drove behind the ambulance, the silence in the car was heavy but not uncomfortable. Both were lost in their thoughts, united in their hope for Nnenna's recovery.
The soft strains of classical music filled the car, a soothing melody that mingled with the gentle hum of the engine. It flowed out through the open windows, drifting into the stillness of the early morning.
Chibuzor gripped the steering wheel tightly, his fingers drumming against it in an unconscious rhythm. The silence in the car wasn't the comfortable kind, it was heavy, suffocating, and stretched far too long for his liking.
He cast a quick glance at Olaedo, who was staring out of the window, her face unreadable but her posture tense. She hadn't spoken a word since they left the hospital.
Unable to bear it any longer, he broke the silence. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice soft but laced with concern.
Olaedo turned her head slightly, her brows furrowing as if she hadn't heard him properly. "What?" she asked, confusion evident in her voice.
Chibuzor sighed inwardly and repeated himself, this time more firmly. "Olaedo, are you okay?"
This time, his words seemed to reach her. She blinked a few times before nodding slowly. "I'm fine," she replied, though her voice lacked conviction. After a brief pause, she added softly, "I just want her to wake up."
Her words hit Chibuzor harder than he expected. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel, unsure of what to say. He could see the weight of guilt and worry etched onto her face, and it unsettled him more than he cared to admit.
"You've done all you can," he said after a moment, his voice gentle but firm. "She's stable now, and Olisa's the best at what he does. You have to trust that she'll wake up when it's time."
Olaedo turned back to the window, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I know," she whispered. "But it doesn't make it any easier."
"I know, I know," Chibuzor said gently, keeping his eyes on the road but his voice steady with reassurance. "It's not easy, but we have to exercise patience. She will wake up. She can't leave her family, everyone… you. She knows you're waiting for her."
His words were meant to comfort, and though Olaedo's expression remained distant, he noticed the faintest shift in her posture, as though the weight she carried had lightened just a little.
Deciding it was time to steer the conversation away from her worries, he asked, "By the way, where did you say her dad is again?"
The question brought Olaedo out of her thoughts, and for a moment, her eyes softened as she remembered something Nnenna had told her months ago. "He's traveling around the world," she answered, her voice quiet but steady. "I've already sent a message to him. Once he sees it, I believe he'll come back as soon as he can."
Chibuzor nodded thoughtfully, glancing at her briefly before turning his attention back to the road.
Something in her tone caught his attention, though, and he probed further. "Okay," he said, then paused for a second. "But… you don't look thrilled. Didn't you say last night that he's like a father to you?" His voice carried genuine confusion.
"He is. I couldn't protect his daughter, my sister. How am I going to face him?" Olaedo murmured, her voice heavy with guilt and despair. It wasn't a question meant for anyone, yet it hung in the air like a heavy cloud.
Chibuzor, seated beside her, absorbed her words silently. He hadn't known her long, but each passing day revealed her strength and depth of character.
Her sense of responsibility, though admirable, often seemed like a burden she placed on herself. His gaze softened, an unfamiliar warmth flickering in his usually guarded eyes.
"He's not going to see it that way, not from what you've told me about him," Chibuzor said, his voice low but steady. "You've done everything in your power for her. Nnenna's lucky to have you by her side."
Olaedo blinked, startled. His words carried a rare sincerity, something she wasn't used to hearing from him. For a fleeting moment, she considered thanking him, but the heaviness in her chest stopped her.
Instead, she turned her face back to the window, her eyes tracking the blur of the world outside.
Her thoughts drifted, but his words lingered. Despite the turmoil in her heart, there was something oddly reassuring in his words.
Chibuzor wanted to say more, to find the right words that might ease her troubled heart, but nothing came to mind. Instead, he silently reached for the car's stereo and turned the volume up slightly.
The soothing classical melody spilled into the car, filling the heavy silence with its serene tune.
The cityscape blurred past the windows, buildings melting into streaks of color as the car sped toward Prestige Hospital. Inside, however, the atmosphere remained dense with unspoken emotions.
Neither of them said a word about the conversation that had just unfolded, each lost in their own thoughts.
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