Chapter 21

"No!" Veronica cried as she raced to the hospital, driving with one hand as she swiped at the tears running down her cheeks with the other. Her dad mustn't die. Ever since she had gotten his secretary's call, she hardly knew what to do with herself. 

"Okay. Let's calm down, Vee. Your father is a strong man. He wouldn't give up that easily." She whispered to herself, wishing the journey to the hospital was miraculously shortened. She had been driving for a while and it seemed like she would never stop driving.

She tried Adam's line again, hoping it wasn't saying busy as it had for the past few minutes. She breathed in relief, crying again as he picked up. She swiped in annoyance at the tears, scowling at herself. She wasn't a crier so she blamed the pregnancy hormones and the fear that she was going to lose her father.

She nodded. Yeah, that was understandable. She was crying because of that. She wasn't turning into a cry puddle overnight. That was good. 

"Hey, sweetheart." Adam grinned, having no idea of what had happened.

"Adam," her voice and she couldn't continue.

Immediately, he sensed that something was wrong with her. "What is the problem, sweetheart?"

"It's dad."

"What happened to Matthew?"

"Somebody attacked him in his office."

"Who? What?"

She cried. "I don't know. His secretary just called me to tell me that he has been rushed to the hospital."

"Hope the police are there already?"

Veronica nodded. "She said they are. She would be meeting me at the hospital he was rushed to."

Adam soothed her. "Don't worry. Nothing will happen to Matthew. What is the name of the hospital? I am coming over there right now."

She recited the name of the hospital to him. "I will be waiting for you, Adam."

"You don't have to tell me twice, darling. I will tell Bruce to cancel all of my appointments for the day right now and meet you at hospital."

"Thank you, Adam." She breathed. She was glad she had him with her. She couldn't dare to think of what she would have felt like if a thing like this had happened and she had no one to lean on. She cried as she thought of her father and prayed that he mustn't die. She had to tell him that he was right after all and that she was glad he made her marry Adam.

Apart from her baby having a father, she liked having someone she could lean on when she was down. She had said a lot of nasty things to him when he told her he had to marry Adam and she wished she could take them back. She wished she could tell him that she had been lying when she said she was never going to forgive him. She wished........ She broke down into tears, swiping away at them as they came so she could see where she was driving to. There were a lot of things she wished for. 

"Funny." He chuckled. "You don't have to thank me. You are my wife and your father is my father."

She had no idea such words would bring a huge amount of relief to her heart as it did. "Okay."

"Yeah. Okay, babe. Be careful as you drive, please."

"I will." She smiled.

"Keep calm and don't stress yourself. You know you have to think of the baby."

"Of course, the baby." She grinned.

"Bye. I will meet you there now." He said and ended the call.

Veronica didn't think she was a sucker for sweet names but at the moment, as they burst forth from Adam's mouth, she realized they were good to hear and made her feel better. A normal marriage would have ended that call with an "I love you" but she knew theirs wasn't a normal marriage and she would take what she had. He had comforted her and that was enough for her.

She breathed as she got to the hospital garage, parked and raced in, heading to the reception. She smiled politely at the nurse at the reception, breathing heavily. "I am here to see my father. Matthew Hussey. I heard he was brought in here a while ago."

The nurse smiled at her. "Calm down, Mrs. Livingston."

Mrs. Livingston? She was shocked to realize the nurse knew her. Oh! She had forgotten in her agitation over her father that the recent events which had happened to her had quite made her popular. Sandra would be elated to realize that she was a celebrity.

"Where is he, please?"

The nurse tapped on the screen before her and then looked up. "He is in surgery at the moment. You can sit over there and wait for him to be done. I will notify you once he is out of the theater."

Veronica shook her head. "I will stay here till he is out." She doubted she could sit still anyways.

The nurse frowned. "I insist, Mrs. Livingston. For the baby."

Veronica scowled and moved to the chair as the nurse directed. She tried to keep her growl to a minimal as she sat. She already knew she would hate every inch of the celebrity life and had told Sandra that. She didn't appreciate everyone knowing what was going on in her life but once again, she had herself to blame. 

No one would have known of her pregnancy if she hadn't done the interview. No, scratch that. She had Erica ad and her behind the scene master or mistress to blame, whosoever they were. She wouldn't have had to come out about her pregnancy if she hadn't gone about scandalizing her about her relationship with Adam.

She scoffed at her line of thought. She couldn't be thinking of herself at the moment. Her father's life was at stake. The scandal was done and gone and the perpetrator had been arrested.

She breathed in relief as Adam rushed through the door and ran straight to her. The nurse smiled as she watched as Veronica stood up and sagged against him, her head resting on his chest and he patted her hair down with his hands, whispering sweet words to her to calm her down. She sighed, hissing at Erica in her head. 

She was convinced Adam and Veronica were in love and Erica had only been lying. No one would see them now and think they weren't in love at all. 

Adam sat her gently down on the chair and sat beside her, holding her in his arms. He continued whispering words to her ears till he could feel her calming down.

"What did the doctor say?" He asked her, holding her hand in his.

She shook get head. "I haven't seen anyone." She gestured at the nurse with her head. "She said that he is in surgery at the moment."

"Surgery?" Adam's eyes went wide. "That must be really bad."

"Yes. I am afraid, Adam."

He shook his head and held her hand tighter. "Don't be scared. Matthew is a strong man and I know he will pull through."

She nodded. "Thank you for being here with me."

He smiled, pleased and nodded back at her. "I wouldn't be anywhere else." He relaxed get head till it was resting on his chest.

They stayed that way till the nurse came to meet them. She smiled at them. "The surgery is over."

Veronica jumped to her feet without needing another nudge. "Thank goodness."

"The doctors will join you shortly."

The couple nodded and thanked the nurse. She smiled back at them and went back to duty. Two doctors moved to the couple and beckoned to them to come over. Adam held Veronica by the arm as they walked to them.

"I am Doctor Smith and this is Doctor Megan." He said, pointing at the female doctor beside him.

Doctor Megan smiled at Adam. "Keep holding on to your wife like that, sir. She will need it."

Doctor Smith smiled. "I think it would be better for us to move to the office so we can all sit." He smiled at Veronica. "I believe you are pregnant so let's have a comfortable position to avoid complications."

Adam glanced at Veronica and she shrugged. She was grateful for the kind thought of the doctor. The celebrity life she had been thrown into had its good side though she found it pesky that everyone knew of her without her having an inkling of who they were. Well, she was going to get used to it but a mischievous smile lurked on her face. She was never going to tell Sandra that she was right.

They all moved to Doctor Smith's office and sat. He say on his desk and cleared his throat before he began. "The surgery was a success."

"Ah!" Veronica breathed in relief. She was glad she wouldn't lose her father after all.

"Thank you, doctor." Adam said. 

"But," the good doctor began.

Veronica was distressed all over again. "But?" She glanced at Adam and he squeezed her hand, his face worried as well. It was never a good news when the doctors started with buts. He remembered his experience when a friend had been sick. The doctor had started like this, going on and on about how successful the surgery was despite the complications and had later ended his speech filled with medical registers no one cared to understand and said that he wasn't going to be able to walk for some time because of the extent of the injury to his knee. Adam had cried for his friend and the man had cried for his dream. 

Both had nursed an ambition of going pro together at football when they were young and had been heartbroken to see that dream die. Having no partner to go to football sessions with, Adam had given up totally on it - a move that made his parents happy as they had wanted him to inherit and handle the family business - and focused on schooling and played football in school with his team but for fun rather than as a professional career.

The friend dejected by the memories of his loss and passing through places he had played in without being able to do so shunned everyone out. He had spent weeks on a wheelchair, waiting for his legs to heal, hoping he would be able to play once he started to walk.

Realizing sadly that he could walk and not play again had pushed him to the brink of depression and he left the city to avoid the pain in his heart and start afresh. Adam had ached and cried at his loss and it wasn't long after that his parents had died and he had felt shattered. He felt more hurt at Derek's betrayal because the two of them had gotten closer at a time he had been down and had no one to hope on - except Bruce.

He was really grateful he still had Bruce with him despite all the ups and downs he had experienced in life. He glanced at Veronica, trying to look strong as she stared at the doctor. He had experienced the pain of losing loved ones and worse, at a time you never expected it and needed them the most. He didn't want that for her at all. He squeezed her hand tighter and she glanced at him, smiling her gratitude.

Doctor Smith continued. "Due to the gravity of the attack and where it was, I'm afraid he wouldn't be waking up soon."

"What?" Veronica screeched.

Doctor Megan nodded. "Your father was hit on the head by a strong. I believe the person thought he would die from that blow and didn't hit him again. That was what saved him though the initial brutal attack had already done its worst. It was also lucky that he was quickly found and rushed down to the hospital."

Veronica wept. "So he is in coma?"

The two doctors looked at each other. Doctor Megan nodded at her colleague. He nodded and turned to Veronica. "Yes, he is at the moment but he will wake up."

"Are you sure about that?" Adam asked.

Doctor Smith bit his lips. "I'm certain he will wake up though I have no idea when."

Veronica sniffled. "Can I see him?"

"Sure." Doctor Megan nodded. "The nurses would have been done by now."

Veronica broke down as she saw her father, lying still on the bed, his head wrapped thickly in folds of gauze. She sagged, her hand flying to her mouth as she sobbed, grateful Adam was there to hold her.

She wished the police got done with their investigation on time and find out who the attacker was. She doubted if she could ever forgive the perpetrator. She would claw out their eyes with her nails.