CHAPTER 029

CHAPTER 029
KEISHA’S POV

“You’re welcome Mr. Braun,” Doctor Chelsea greeted courteously. The name snagged in my head, but my eyes were too busy trailing over him—tall, immaculately dressed, standing beside my bed.

Before I could give a response to his initial compliment, his head snapped towardS Dr. Chelsea with a mock frown. “I was hoping you could have informed me the moment she woke up,” he said

“My apologies, Mr Braun.,” she chuckled softly, raising her palms in surrender. “She regained consciousness just a couple of hours ago, and so far we’ve been getting along and I didn’t want to overwhelm her.”

“Overwhelm her?” he retorted with a low grumble, rolling his eyes dramatically. “You know I’ve frequented the hospital more than I do my office. The least you could do is send me a text.”

I blinked, somehow confused at the casual exchange between them. He spoke to her as if they were friends from way back, not doctor and nurse kind of flow. I was left to wonder who he was and why he was coming to check up on me. Was he the man who ran into me? Or some random philanthropist who picked an interest in my miserable state. My mind raced with different thoughts.

“I sincerely apologize, Mr Braun.”

“Hello?” I grunted, interrupting their conversation.
The moment he turned in my direction, the smile he had on his face slowly melted away, leaving a gloomy face after he realized the nurse was trashing the flowers I had in the room. He looked down at the bouquet of fresh roses he had in his hand, his chest collapsed in disappointment.

“I guess I suck at being a gentleman,” he whispered almost inaudibly, laying the flowers away.

“I’m sorry, but who are you?” my pupils narrowed as I stared at him.

There was a split second of an uncomfortable silence between him and Dr. Chelsea causing the weak muscles on my face to lift my brows.

“It’s you,” I whispered, the realization creeping up my spine. “You’re the one? Is he the man you mentioned?” I turned to the doctor, demanding answers.

My body still ached like it was crushed, yet beneath the weakness I felt something shift. Heat coursed through me, every fibre pulling itself back together. My pulse hammered in my ears. If he was the reason I lay here, I wasn’t about to stay silent.

“Could you please give us a minute, Dr. Chelsea,” he politely requested.

“Of course, Mr. Braun,” she nodded, gesturing to the other nurses to come along with her. “One more thing before I leave,” she paused half way out the room. “Please, endeavour she doesn’t stress herself.”

He nodded in agreement with a soft smile. My lips parted slightly to query the instant approval of his request but no words came. I just watched instead as they shut the door behind them, leaving me with a stranger.

He turned fully to me, and I met him with a glare that was sharp enough to slice through metal. Yet he didn’t flinch. He carried the same calm, commanding aura that made me want to recoil and lean closer all at once.

“May I?” he asked, pointing to the empty spot on my bed.

I hesitated. Every instinct in me screamed no, but one look at his face, the walls I had built in came crashing.

“Yes, you can!” I responded, adjusting a bit away from him, granting him space to sit in. He lowered himself beside me, every movement precise, deliberate. The mattress dipped under his weight, bringing him closer than I expected. My pulse quickened. Then he began.

“I know you must be wondering who I am and why I have been visiting you regularly,” I nodded in my mind, paying maximum attention to his speech.

“My name is Mr. Dominic Braun and sadly, it was me who ran into you.” The words came out heavy from his mouth. His confession slammed into me like a jagged thunderbolt. “But trust me it wasn’t my fault. I…Uhmm”

“What?” I exclaimed, lifting my head above floor level.

“Please, stay down,” his hand hovered over my chest, unsure where to place them. “Please, I beg you. You need to calm down. I don’t want you hurting yourself.”

Regret laced every syllable, but it wasn’t enough. I wanted to smack him in the face, so hard he might need neck support afterwards but I could barely sit up. On second thought, he was the last witness to my normal life. Perhaps, he could help me find my way back to where I belong.

“It was a rainy morning. The road was foggy and wet. I was going to be at a meeting when you suddenly popped out of the woods, straight into me. I hurriedly brought you down here and after everything, the doctor told me about your head injury and its implications but she wasn’t sure if you were going to make it but I believed you were. I knew from the depth of my heart that…”

“Just shut up!” I blew up. “Are you trying to compensate me with kind words? Huh?” my eyes became glassy with tears in an instant. “You were careless! And here you sit being egoistic, trying to justify your actions,” I scoffed, smiling through the pain that crawled through me.

“I understand how you feel. Trust me, I had my own share of this outburst the moment the doctor told me everything. For the second time in my entire life, I wished I could turn back the hands of time,” a thin line formed across his forehead. His tone dipped in regret.

“Do not patronize me!” I snarled at him when a sharp pain pricked my chest. “Urgh!” I crouched on my side.

Dominic instantly went into panic mode.
“What’s going on? Are you okay? Should I get you the doctor? Oh shit!,” he went into a frenzy trying to stabilize me.

“Get you filthy hands off of me!” I barked. “You ruined my life!” my voice broke. “The doctor told me some crazy shit about my memory being out. Do you know how that feels? I can’t even remember my name, my family. I fucking do not know who I am! All because of you!” My chest tightened.

The pulse machine began to beep louder, indicating my pulse had spiked to 120 beats per minute.

“I wasn’t speeding. I swear I wasn’t careless,” he pushed, leaning closer, his tone sharper now. “You ran out—straight from the woods, like—” He hesitated, searching my face. “Like someone was after you.”

I laughed bitterly, though it came out more like a rasp. Then something cold slid down my spine. My vision began to blur and his voice drowned in my mind. Then the shock that knocked my chest came, jerking me from the bed.

The trembling started small, just a quiver in my arm, but it spread so fast I couldn’t fight it. My fingers clawed at the rail, then jerked away like they had a mind of their own.

“Miss?” His voice sharpened. "What's going on?" He panicked. The moment he realised it was beyond control, he pressed the call button with one hand while holding onto me with the other. “Jesus christ! Stay with me, please.”

“Doctor!” He yelled, pressing me down. My eyes rolled like a disco light, catching a glimpse of his and snapping away almost at an instant. The room spun around my head.

I tried, God, I tried. But my body betrayed me. My back arched off the bed, legs kicking under the blanket. I jerked so violently my arm smacked against the rail of the bed. Heat raced down my spine, every muscle tightening, releasing, tightening again. My jaw clamped so hard pain shot into my temples.

“He..Help…” I rasped in between the chaos.
The monitor wailed.

“Stay with me! Please. Help is coming! Fuck!!!! Where are the damn nurses?” He slammed the knob again.

I heard the door crash open. Even though I couldn't see or make who it was rushing in. I knew help had arrived.

“I don't know what happened. It was just a conversation and the next moment she was jerking!” I heard him explain.

The nurse took over, already snapping orders. “Lay her flat—keep her airway clear. Oxygen, now!”
Gradually, their voices began to fade. My eyes rolled behind my head and everything went black again.