Chapter 5 A Storm Made Of Sorrow

"Mr Baristan, do you understand?" The caller asked.

Nelson was afraid to speak for he feared for the worst.

"Mr Baristan, can you hear me?" The caller asked again.

Nelson scolded himself for having such negative thoughts. "Yes, I can hear you".

"Alright. You've been asked to return to the hospital by the doctor in charge of your mother. He says it's urgent as it has to do with your mother," the caller said.

"I'll be there soon," Nelson replied and then the call ended.

His body ached all over from the beating he had just recieved, and he groaned loudly while he got up. His groans attracted stares from passerbys but he ignored them. Finally able to get on his feet, he walked towards the nearest bus stop to get a bus. While waiting with other commuters, he felt his pockets for any extra money he had. He was disappointed to find them empty, realizing that he had spent all the money he had in trying to locate Troy all day.

Deciding that he would have to walk all the way to the hospital, he calculated the time it would take to be up to an hour. At that moment, there a flash of lightning across the sky. He knew he had no time to lose and so, he took off running.

Half way through, the pitter-patters of rain started. It began first as light drizzles and within minutes, Nelson could barely see where he was going but he couldn't stop now, he was so close to getting to his mother, he had to push on and so, he did. Because of how heavy the rain was, he couldn't see the little obstruction on the road and he tripped over a trashcan causing him to fall face first, unto the pavement.

At this point, Nelson felt like the entire world was against him and he cried out loudly. Hadn't he suffered enough in life? In just one day, he had lost one of his greatest joys and now, he feared he was also about to lose his greatest treasure as well.

The rain began to lessen and he felt it was a sign. Despite the pains he felt in his now completely drenched body, he remembered he was still a little distance away from the hospital and the thought of his mother was the final push he needed to get going.

When he finally got to the hospital, he was looking like a mad man in his completely soaked outfit, and out of breath. He collapsed immediately he saw the doctor.

"Is he stable now?" He heard someone ask.

"Yes, he is," another replied. "The poor boy has been through a lot in just one day. I feel so sad for him."

"Doctor, I think he's regaining consciousness." This time, he heard the voice more clearly.

"Quick, check his vitals," the doctor instructed.

He tried to open his eyes but they felt so heavy and he couldn't move his limbs as well.

"Water," he said. His throat felt like scrubbing metal against sandpaper. It hurt.

Someone took a cup to his lips and he sucked its content gratefully through the straw attached. After a while, he was able to carefully open his eyes fully.

"What happend?" He asked.

"Son, you passed out. It's a good thing you got here at the time you did as well. Your condition could have worsened," the doctor replied.

He tried to think about what had happened but he felt so tired, like an invincible weight was upon him.

The next time he woke up, he heard the sound of thunder across the sky. The rain had continued from where it seemed to have left off. Next to him, he heard the steady beeping sounds of monitors. Getting his eyes fully adjusted to the semi dark room, he realized he was on a bed and in hospital robes. His arms felt heavy and looking down, he saw bandages on the injuries he must have sustained from the fall and beatings the bouncers at the clubhouse gave him.

Beatings... clubhouse... fall... it was all coming back to him. The memory of the worst day of his life. Evelyn, his mother, it was all coming back. The sudden memory recollection gave him a migraine and he decided to settle on them one at a time. The most important at the moment was his mother. He needed to know how she was.

Just at that moment, the door to his room swung open and a nurse came in. Noticing he was awake, she went and called a doctor. It was the same doctor he had spoken to earlier.

"Glad to see you're awake, Mr Baristan. How do feel?" The doctor asked.

Nelson dismissed his question and asked his instead. "What about my mother, how is she?"

The doctor nodded his head and replied, "while you were away, your mother muttered a few words and I managed to get them on paper." He handed him a small piece of paper. "I think you'll find it useful."