Chapter 60

Lara "The dead cannot cry out for justice. The living must do so for them."
Lois McMaster Bujold.
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Lara and James got to the hospital at night due to the huge traffic. No one knows the cause of the traffic but they spent hours on the traffic until they finally got to the hospital. When they arrived at the hospital, they walked to the receptionist and requested Lisa.
"Who are you guys?" The receptionist asked them.
"Family," Lara replied.
The receptionist nodded and stared at them suspiciously. She inspects their clothes and placed her hand on her nose as if they smell of rotten eggs.
Lara and James both exchanged looks then they looked at their clothes. It was looking bad, stained with blood and dirt from the ground. The bandage on Lara's hand had turned brown and it looked like it has a red stain on it. They were too focused on escaping than themselves. They didn't even notice that they looked a mess until now.
"Lisa is in the operating room right now but you can meet her friends in the hallways." She pointed to her left side.
"Alright, thanks," James said and headed towards the direction she pointed alongside Lara.
When they got there, James stopped midway when he saw Kendra and a man speaking with Kemisola and Mary.
"Kendra!" It was Lara who shouted her name.
Four heads turned towards her and the shocks on their faces confirmed they were also surprised to see them.
"Lara!" Kendra shouted back and rushed to meet her. They both ran into each other's arms. "Oh my God, it you., she exclaimed and hugged her again.
" James! " Kemisola and Mary both said at the same time. They rushed to meet him and embraced him.
"Thank goodness you are okay., Kemisola said to him.
"it's good to be back," he said and kissed her forehead.
"How did you guys escaped?" Kendra asked when they finished the reunion.
"We got out somehow but it was James who planned everything," Lara replied hack.
"I hope you both are fine?" Mary asked and Lara nodded at her while James scowled at her.? "Is everything okay?" She asked him.
James chooses to ignore her and faced his sister instead. "How is Lisa?"
"They've been in the operating room for hours now. No one is telling us anything." Kemisola replied.
"This wouldn't have happened if you had listened to me," he said and looked at Mary. "I gave you a simple instruction Mary. I told you to leave for Mandoe but you chose to disobey me!" He shouted at her.
"Why are you blaming me for this? I know it's my fault that Lisa is In there but you didn't have to blame me" Mary answered back.
She bit her lips to fight back the tears she was trying to hold but she couldn't as the tears flow freely down her face.
"Don't blame her," Kendra defended her. "None of this is her fault."
"Everything is her fault because she chose her way." He shouted again.
"That's is enough James," Kendra warned him.
"Keep saying that when Lisa is announced dead."
Hearing that Lisa would die got Mary angry. She wiped the tears off her face and rushed to James and gave him a deafening slap. "I agree with?it's my fault. Your sister had been rubbing it on my face for hours now. You can blame me for everything but don't you ever mention Lisa dying in front of me." She yelled.
"That's okay Mary." Lara pulled her away from James and hugged her. "You shouldn't have said that James."
"I never met to say that. I was just angry," James said sadly.
"Sometimes keeping your anger at bay isn't bad." Paul advised
James took Paul's advice seriously and tried to apologize to Kemisola but the door to the operating room opened and a male doctor dressed in blue surgical outfits came out.
"Who is the family of Lisa?" He asked.
"We are," they all replied at once.
"How is she?" Mary anxiously asked.
"The surgery was successful but she is in a critical condition." The doctor informed them.
"Oh my God!" Mary exclaimed and burst into tears. "It's all my fault."
"Stop blaming yourself," Kendra shouted at her and then looked at the doctor. "Do you have any idea when she will wake up?" She asked.
"It a miracle she survived. The? bullet barely missed her heart and after the surgery, she fell into a coma."
"Oh my God!" Kemisola whimpered.
"Is she going to be fine?" Lara asked him.
"For now," he paused and looked at everyone's face. They were all anticipating what he had to say next. "We don't know but she will be placed on life support. We are moving her to ICU."
"IC what? Oh my goodness," James placed his hands on his head. "Please do whatever you have to do to make sure she is fine." He begged.
"Sure. Excuse me please," the doctor walked back into the operating room.
"This is all my fault," Mary said to herself. "If I had listened to James then none of this would have happened." She wept.
Kendra moved towards her and grabbed her left hand. She dragged her down the hallways and pushed her to a corner.
"Why did you dragged me down here?" Mary demanded and freed her hand from Kendra's grip.
"To help you see that none of this is your fault., Kendra told her and placed her hand into Mary's. "Don't listen to Kemi and James. You are a strong woman and I admire your courage. None of this was your fault."
"But it is," Mary argued. "If I hadn't posted that video or plan a protest then none of this..."
"Shush," Kendra cut her off. "None of it is your fault." Kendra pulled her closer and placed her head on her shoulder. "Everything is going to be fine. Lisa is a strong woman. She will survive this."
"I hope so," Mary said with little faith. They both heard footsteps and they turned to face the person.
"Lisa had been moved," Paul informed them.
Mary rushed out of Kendra's arm and rushed out of the place.
"Is she going to be fine?" Paul asked.
"I hope so," Kendra replied. Her phone rang in her pocket and she bought out her iPhone 11 pro max to see the caller." It's Yomi" she said and put the phone back in her pocket. "He had been calling nonstop."
"Why ain't you picking his calls?"
"Because I want him to be worried." She winked at Paul. "Come on, let's go see Lisa." She walked away.
"You are a queen bee," Paul commented and followed behind her.
°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°
Mary entered the ICU after Lara was done seeing Lisa. Mary cried when she sees Lisa laying on the bed with an oxygen mask on her nose and life support connected to it. Mary noticed a change in her hair. Her long black hair was braided to the back. Her face looked pale and too white for her dark skin.
"I'm sorry Lisa," Mary sat beside and grabbed her hand. "This shouldn't have happened." She cried. "Please wake up." She begged. "I need you to wake up." She cried and buried her head into Lisa's right hand. "Please just listen to me and wake up. Please," she begged.
Mary continued to cry into Lisa's hand. The tears drop falling from her eye dropped on Lisa's hand and the bed. She was heartbroken that the protests didn't turn out the way she wanted instead they ended this way. "I am sorry Lisa. You are in pain because of me." She sniffed.
"That's enough." James touched her on the shoulders and pulled her up but Mary pushed him away.
"What are you doing here? You said it was my fault. Are you here to blame me again?" She asked him.
"No!" James almost shouted but she looked at Lisa and controlled himself. "I am sorry for blaming you. None of this was your fault." He told her.
"What if she never wakes up?" She asked and when James didn't reply, she scoffed and pushed his hand away. " you can't even say anything because you think it's my fault."
"Don't say such things. I'm sorry for saying all those things to you. I'm sorry," he begged.
"Nothing you say is going to change the fact that you and your sister think I am responsible for this." She said and stood up from the bed. "I think it's time we let Lisa rest. It's been a long day." She said and walked past him but James grabbed her hand and back hug her.
"I'm sorry Mary. I don't know what came over me when I saw you. I thought you listen to me and left Langose." He told her.
Mary used her hand to wipe the tears that continue to fall off her face. "I couldn't just leave like a coward after you were taken. I wanted to avenge Linda's death and everyone that had been wronged by the feathers including your sister. This was Jeremy's plan but it's all ended when he died. I wanted to rebuild the months we've lost." She cried. "I didn't know it was going to end up like this." She said.
"It's okay. I understand you, Mary. I'm sorry I misjudged you and didn't listen to you." He apologized and embraced her. "I'm sorry."
Mary nodded at him and buried her face in his neck. "It's okay." She whispered.
Lara and Kendra who was watching from outside through the transparent glass both looked at each other and smiled. "They look happy together," Kendra commented.
"Yes they do," Lara replied sadly.
"What's wrong? You don't look too happy."
"It nothing."
"Are you in love with James?" Kendra asked her.
"Are you crazy?" Lara shouted at her and looked around them. Kemisola was sitting on the waiting chair with her eyes closed while Paul was pacing around while talking to someone on the phone. "it's not what you think Kendra. I was thinking of something else."
"Oh really?" Kendra rolled her eyes and then laughed. "Don't glare at me, I was just teasing you," she said.
"Guys!" Paul called them.
"What's up," Kendra said to him.
"Celina is on her way here. They are worried and Yomi is throwing a fits that's..."
"Shush," Kendra placed her hand on her lips and pointed to Lara.
"What's are you going on about? Why did you shut him up?" Lara asked them. She was suspicious of them and whatever they have to say was going to determine the truth.
"The thing is," it was Paul who spoke up first. "We Uhm, we have something to tell you but..." He paused and looked at Kendra.
"Why are you exchanging looks?" Lara looked from Kendra to Paul. "I need an answer now!"
Kendra cleared her throat and touched Lara on the shoulder. "I think we don't have to tell you this but you need to see for yourself." She told her.
"What do I have to see?"
"The truth Lara," Kendra replied.
"We need to leave now!" Paul reminded them.
"Okay." Kendra nodded at him. "Oii," she knocked on the transparent glass and called James and Mary's attention. "We need to leave now!" She shouted. "Lisa ain't going to disappear overnight."
Mary laughed and whispered to James. "We need to leave. You look a mess. We all look a mess." She joked.
"Alright," he agreed. He took Mary's hand and walked out of the ICU.
"So we are going to Paul's mansion. His girlfriend should be here any minute to pick us up so chop-chop. Let's get prepared." Kendra told them.
"Why are we going to Paul's mansion? We can stay overnight and then go home in the morning," Kemisola suggested.
"No," Kendra disagreed with her suggestion. "With what happened this afternoon, Daniel Hamilton will do everything to get you."
"How safe is that your side?" Kemisola asked Paul.
"You'll find out once you get there," Paul replied to her. His phone rang and he excused himself to pick up the call. He returned few seconds and announced his girlfriend's arrival. "Celina is here." He announced.
"Alright. We will split up. Lara and Kemisola come with me while James and Mary should go with Paul and his girlfriend." She instructed.
They visited Lisa for the last time and were soon on their way to Paul's mansion. Throughout the one-hour drive to the mansion, none of them said a word to each other In both cars. Mary fell asleep on James's shoulder while in Kendra's car, they all wide awoke.
When they got to the mansion, it was 1:00 am. They all came down from the car and walked into the Mansion.
"This looks like a haunted house," Kemisola commented as they walked into the house.
"Get ready to be haunted." Kendra teased as they walked into the house.
When they stepped into the? house, it was pitch dark but someone flipped the switch? and the light came on." Damn! It's too bright." Lara voiced out.
"Why didn't you pick my calls? I was worried, Kendra." A man whose back was facing them said. "I was calling you repeatedly but you chose not to pick." The man added.
"Trust Kendra to be a strong-headed girl." Another masculine voice sounded but the man was sitting on the sofa with his back facing them.
"You didn't tell us you have guests in your house." Lara pointed out.
"Except that they ain't guests at all," Kendra replied. "Meet Yomi and Jeremy." Kendra introduced and walked to where yomi stood.
"You bought people to the house?" Jeremy questioned and stood up from the couch. When he turned to face them, they all gasped.
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Thanks for reading......
Delay of justice is injustice