NovelEnglishAfraid of being too busy alone at the hospital, after notifying the hospital, Karen called her parents.
The ambulance arrived in no time.
Paramedics jumped out and swiftly loaded Kenneth onto a stretcher.
"Bro, you better not scare me like this!" Karen's voice quivered, her hands trembling uncontrollably.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtTo Karen, Kenneth was more than a cousin; he was her brother.
Once at the hospital, doctors whisked him away into the ER for a battery of tests.
Karen settled the bills but couldn't follow him in; she was left to wait on a hard plastic bench for her parents to arrive. In the tense interim, she shot a text to Jeffrey.
[Hey, you busy?] Suddenly, she yearned for Jeffrey's comforting presence.
The image of Kenneth's pallid face had sent her into a panic, her heart still pounding in her chest.
Jeffrey texted back quickly: [Yeah, swamped at the office. Hang tight, babe. I'll try to head out soon and be there for you.] Karen bit her lip, deciding against spilling her fears.
Jeffrey was buried in work, and she shouldn't always disrupt him, especially with the Lopez Corporation's multi-million, sometimes billion-dollar deals on the line. She wouldn't let her crisis hinder his career.
"Karen!" It was her dad, Derek, who arrived first. He scanned the room and hurried over upon spotting his daughter.
"Dad." "How's Kenneth? | just got off the phone with your aunt and uncle. They're on their way from Eldorria City, but it might take them a while to get here." Karen looked up, her eyes brimming with tears, "They took him straight into the ER as soon as we got here. | have no idea what's going on. But he looked so scary just now." "There, there, it's gonna be okay. Dad's here." Derek soothed her, patting her back. "Kenneth's gonna be fine, | promise." She nodded vigorously, tears flowing freely once she was in her father's embrace.
"Where's Jeffrey? Didn't he come with you?" "He's got a lot on his plate at work today, so | didn't tell him." "Right. Don't make him skip work for every little thing. It's not easy working at a big corporation like that; must be exhausting.” Karen nodded, "Don't worry, Dad. I'm grown up now." "Stop crying, kiddo." Derek handed her a tissue. "I'm here now, and your mom will be here any minute. She was picking up groceries at the market. | couldn't wait for her; | was afraid you'd be here all alone, so | took a cab." "I'm gonna step outside for some air. I'll be right back.” Karen needed a break; her eyes were sore from crying, and she felt a tightness in her chest that made it hard to breathe.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmLuckily, the ER was on the ground floor, just a few steps from the fresh air she craved.
"Go on, then. Wipe your eyes," Derek said, passing her the tissues.
Karen rose and walked out, the breeze bringing some relief.
She pulled out her phone, considering a quick reply to Jeffrey to avoid his usual complaints about her slow responses.
Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, Karen spotted a car that seemed oddly familiar.
She squinted for a closer look.
Truth be told, mistaking Jeffrey's car was a tall order. It was a limited edition sports model, the kind only someone as flashy as Jeffrey would fancy.
But why would it be here at the hospital? Shouldn't it be parked at the Lopez Corporation parking lot? Karen paused, snapped a photo with her phone, and sent it to Jeffrey on WhatsApp.
[I see your car. Are you at the hospital?] After nearly a minute, there was still no response from Jeffrey.
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