WARD 257

Beep..Beep..Beep...

The ECMO machine beeped in silence, before a voice interrupted it.

"This must be Leo..", a male apparelled in white spoke, referring to a male laying on the bed, with little tubes from the ECMO machine attached to him, an oxygen mask, and an IV drip attached to his arm through the IV line, as a holographic screen materialized out of thin air.

"This is Leo", Tarry pushed, as a sad, concerned look flushed his face.

"Yeah, that's him", another voice added.

"Ah..", the doctor responded, looking back at Tarry briefly, before focusing on the hologram before him.

Tik Tik Beep...

The doctor made various clicks on the hologram, and what somewhat seemed like a battered, bruised male appeared in holographic view.

"This was Leo before being given medical attention", the doctor continued, as he spun the holographic figure around for emphasis.

"As you can see here, there's a bash in the head, which definitely left a mark, and that was definitely before the explosion, because the nature of the injury shows being struck by an item", he said, as he pinched in at the head area of the hologram, zooming in to show the injury at the back of the head.

"Away from that, his proximity to the explosion was way too close", he continued, as another tab on the hologram appeared, showing a beeping white circular wave front, like a radar, with a red dot very close to the center.

"That red dot is Leo", he added.

"The good thing is, the explosive used was not a wide range explosive."

"Notwithstanding, the shockwave produced from the explosion was strong enough to at least fling a person across an approximate distance of thirty meters."

"Only that, we have a minor case of what should have been a thirty meters throw."

"Meaning that Leo's position was moved from here to somewhere around here", he said, as he moved the red dot a little farther away from the center.

"As a result of that, we have just a case of broken bones, cuts and bruises, and a concussion."

"We aren't sure yet, if it would cause amnesia or not."

"It's hard to pinpoint, the bashing and the shockwave....", he said, as if talking to himself. "Well that aside, the cause of the reposition is still unknown", the doctor said, ending his speech, as turned around to look at his audience.

The confused looks on the faces of the audience, seem to send a message to the doctor.

"Meaning he's safe", he added, as sighs of relief filled the ward.

"Huhuhu..", the doctor clucked heartily at his audience.

"Christine is the nurse in charge of him, so if you need to know anything about his condition or you're not sure about some things, questions, situations...don't hesitate to talk to her", he said, using his left arm to point towards her, while she gave her usual sweet smile.

"Christine, over to you", he said, as he took his leave.

"So how can I be of help, family guy", she teased as soon as the doctor left.

"It's Tarry, Christine...and could just leave us both for a while, you too Gunther", Tarry requested with a smile.

"Ok daddy", she teased, not forgetting to add her seductive wink, as she and Gunther left the ward.

Sigh...

Recovering from his earlier smile, he turned to look at Leo's pathetic state, and the pipes that connect to his body.

His face color drained at the sight, as a heartbroken sad expression washed its colors away.

He took slow heavy steps as he approached Leo, with the boy's body inching close and coming into view, with each step he took.

After what seemed like the Israelites journey, he finally reached his destination, as Leo's body came into full view.

His head was bandaged, alongside the little plastering on the cheek and the bridge of the nose.

An oxygen mask was put over his nose, and the IV drip and pipes that went to his arm.

The beeping of the ECMO machine resonated in the quiet ward.

Sigh..

Tarry let out a sad sigh, running his hand through the boy's hair, before taking a seat near the bed of Leo.

....

WARD 257

"Tsk tsk tsk....that must have really hurt..", Gunther said, as he peeped into the ward, through the glass pane at the door.

"Y'know, it's wrong to peep into wards", a voice said, startling Gunther to the marrows.

"Shit!! You scared me Christine..", he managed to say, after recovering from the scare.

"Why are you peeping?", she asked bluntly.

"Nothing?..", he replied.

"Are you spying on them?", she further interrogated.

"Brrr...no..", he said, brushing the question aside with a short laugh.

"No..no..why would I?..", he continued.

"He's my friend..and I'm just really concerned about him, and his son", he said with a shrug.

"Nothing strange right?"

"Mhmm..", she responded, nodding her head.

"I just thought you'd be more concerned about your brother..", she said, giving off a suspicious look.

"Oh yeah..", he replied, visibly caught off guard.

"You know what, I was just heading towards there", he said, taking his leave.

"It's the other way!!", she hollered at him.

"Oh thanks", came the response.

"Why do I feel something off about this guy", she said to herself.

...

"What's with her and the suspicion", Gunther said to himself, as he took the elevator on the other side, back to the ground floor to await Tarry at the reception.

"Can I help you?", the receptionist asked sweetly.

"No thank you, just waiting for someone", he replied, with a smile.

"Oh ok", she resigned.

...

WARD 257

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry Leo", a teary voice spoke softly.

"It's my fault this happened to you", Tarry continued in his apologetical tone, with Leo's hand in his hands, head bowed and his occasional glances at Leo.

"If only I'd been more careful with you.."

"If only I hadn't made that mistake.."

Sniffle..

At this point, his eye bags were already bulging tears, like a spring rock ready to burst forth.

"If they were here, this wouldn't have happened.."

"They wouldn't let it.."

"I miss them.."

"I miss them a lot.."

"And I promised them not let anything happen to you.."

"I made a promise.."

"Looks like I failed.."

Sob..

His eyes could no longer hold the flood tearing at it's seams.

"I failed.."

"I'm a failure.."

"I'm a failure as a parent.."

"I broke my promise.."

"I'm not enough..I..I.."

"I can't be like them.."

"I can't be like them Leo.."

"I'm sorry.."

"I'm so sorry..", he apologized, sobbing like a kid.

Fhir...

The door of the ward softly opened.

"That's enough visit for today", a female voice said, as Christine entered into the ward, to meet Tarry's miserably tearful face.

"And I think he's heard enough", she added, changing the flowers at the bedside, checking the IV drip, and taking Leo's new body temperature.

Whirrr!

"And he needs a mother", she concluded, drawing open the curtains to let in sunlight and fresh air into the ward.

"How long have you been there?", Tarry asked with a sniffle, wiping his face clean of snot and tears, while putting enough effort to smile.

"A minute or five?..", she said, standing as she looked Tarry in the face.

"That's long enough", he said, chuckling weakly.

"And how much did you hear?", he further questioned, looking her in the face as he smiled.

"About everything?", he asked.

"No..no..not everything.....I promise?", she said, as she moved closer to him.

"But one thing I know for sure, from the little I heard is, you shouldn't beat yourself up for what has happened", she said, placing her hand on his shoulder, as she bent towards him.

"A mother...huh?", he responded, as he stared deep into her eyes.

Groan...

"Rector...rec..tor..", a weak voice said faintly amidst groans.

.....

RECEPTION

"Breaking news...This is the news at ten and top of our headlines today, is the recent of occurrence of series of explosions that has caused damage to properties, both private and government, loss of lives, and countless number of casualties and displaced individuals..", the News reporter spoke through the television at the reception.

"That ought to make the headlines for some time", Gunther said rhetorically.

"Mhmm..", a response came from behind the receptionist desk.

.....

WARD 257

"Rector?! Leo! Leo!!", Tarry hollered.

"Tarry he needs to rest..", Christine said, coming to the rescue, as she pushed Tarry away from the bed.

"You need to calm down...look at me, I need to calm down..", Christine said, trying her best to calm the newly aroused situation, as Tarry paced around, muttering to himself, with arms akimbo.

"I'll be back", he finally said firmly, as he hurriedly left the ward.

"Tarry! Tarry!!", Christine called after him.

"Oh yeah, your digits please, and please I need regular updates on his condition, and that of the other", he said, referring to the blonde male, as he collected her number.

"I'll be back, I promise..", he said, hurriedly leaving the ward once more.

...

RECEPTION

"Hey Gunther!!", he called out, as soon as he reached the reception.

"Yeah?", came the response.

"We're going to see Sean", Tarry announced, moving swiftly towards the exit of the hospital.

"Why??", Gunther said, running after him.

"Calm down bud, what happened?", he said, after finally catching up with Tarry.

"He said a name", Tarry answered hastily.

"Huh?", Gunther responded with a lost experience.

"He said....LEO MENTIONED A NAME", Tarry recapped with emphasis.

"Oh...alright, let's get going", Gunther suggested, as the TV broadcast the news in background.

A voice caught Gunther's attention in the News, causing him to turn towards the TV.

"We'll surely get to the bottom of this...I promise.."

"He's there..", Gunther said, tapping his friend by the shoulder.

One name resonated in the head of Tarry, as he turned towards the TV..

"MONDÉÉÉYYY!!!!"...

.....