DEAR EX-WIFE: IT'S PAYBACK TIME

RYAN

The machine beeped gently, indicating she was alive, breathing and well. I clutched onto her little hands, whispering little prayers while she lay there, almost lifeless, with several tubes connected to her nose and chest.

One minute she was sitting in front of her cold birthday candles, and the next she was on the floor, shaking in pain, with blood pouring from her lips.

"Mu.." I jerked my head up, staring at her as she tried to utter a word.

"Sweetheart, I'm here."

"Mu..mum.. mummy.. mummy." She repeated, batting her eyes.

I stiffened, watching her struggle to utter the same words, a cry for her mum.

"Sweetheart, mummy is coming," I replied, patting her hair gently, yet her pleas continued. "I will call her.". Sliding out my phone, I dialled her number.

"Please pick up." I muttered, underneath my heavy breathing, my eyes ping ponged from the phone to my little angel, who was all curled up in the hospital bed, eyes stained with tears and hope.

The call ended.

I continued, calling her incessantly while she did a damn good job at ignoring all.

"I...give me one more minute, sweetheart," I whispered, dialling her number over and over just to get the same buzzing sound, then a beep to indicate it ended. Panic kicked in, I couldn't tell her she wasn't answering the calls.

"Sweetheart, I... network. The network here is bad, but I am sure Mummy is on her." I leaned in, a reassuring smile crept onto my lips. "Mummy will come."

A tear slipped down her face, caressing her cheek. "Sweetheart, you do know the traffic here is bad. She will be here soon. Look at me, sweetheart. Daddy is here for you."

She blinked twice, a method we made cuz she couldn't move, not with all those tubes attached to her

The door creaked open as I prayed it would be her, yet it wasn't.

"Good evening, Mr Zane." The nurse greeted, a warm smile stretched on her lips. "My supergirl is awake." She smiled wider. She had been Jasmine's good friend ever since she bought her the first time about a year ago. She took care of her, and may or may not have scolded me for Jasmine's health.

"Grandma," Jas called out in a low voice.

The nurse wasn't as old as Jasmine thought. Hell!! Anyone who had grey hair, Jasmine thought of them as old as 100 years, and sadly, the nurse had a lot of them. She was about 53 years old with the heart of a five-year-old, which is why they both bonded well. She often stayed with Jasmine while I ran a little errand.

"Supergirl, don't call me that. I am still as young as you." Jasmine squeaked, trying to hold her laughter. "What? Don't you think I'm as young as you?"

Jasmine blinked thrice signifying a no

I held back my laughter while they both debated her age. Jasmine spoke a little and used her eyes for most of the conversation, and so did the nurse, who kept her voice low so as not to disturb her.

I watched them with a ghost smile lingering on my lips.

Only if her little dimple smile would last forever

Just then, my phone beeped, and I snapped my gaze at the incoming message.

Rachael?? I tapped on it, hoping it was some good news.

'I am busy, I will see you later. Take care of our daughter and stop calling me like the world is about to end.'

I stiffened, blood drained from my face at her words.

She wasn't coming??

I turned my gaze back to Jasmine who was laughing and talking happily. My chest knotted, anger, frustration and pity gnawed at me.

Today was meant to be special, today was Jasmine's birthday, a day I wanted to make her feel more special, to make her forget she was still in the four walls of the hospital. Rachel was meant to be here, beside Jasmine for the whole day while she celebrated with the other kids here.

It was a simple plan that would have brought a smile to Jasmine's face, one that won't fade away.

Jasmine waited for hours, still her body still gave up. She had another seizure, one that was more deadly. She was rushed into surgery, which took an hour.

"She could have died today," the doctor's words beckoned in my ears. Thankfully, the doctor had given her some antibiotics and a surgery, which calmed her weak heart down.

Still, I can't take any more risks.

"Mr Zane," Rosa said, yanking me out of my train of thought. "She is fine for now, she is still under observation. Take care of her "

"I will."

"Before I leave." Rosa leaned in, grabbing a tablet which was at the side.

"Since you have been such a brave girl, I will let you have this. Just for a while."

Jasmine blinked repeatedly, a sign that she was happy.

"Bye Supergirl." She beamed happily, handed the tablet to me and left.

I pulled my chair closer, holding up the tablets while I scroll through the endless I*******m reels of her cartoons for her. Her eyes brightened, filled with a momentarily happiness. She looked lost in her little world, screaming and giggling softly.

I smiled, relief washed over me.

She was okay and happy.

But I knew deep down it wouldn't last, once she whines out of her world and looks around,not seeing her mother, then that happiness would vanish.

"Daddy.." she called out after a long while, her voice heavied with uncertainty and pains.

"Yes." I drifted closer. "Do you want anything?"

"Isn't this mummy" I furrowed my eyebrow, concerned etched itself in my face. I focused on the screen which displayed a certain busy person dancing around with a child.

Rachael?

"Happy birthday, Leo. I love you, Leo."

Disappointment, anger and shame gushed through my veins.

This was her supposed important stuff, today was her own daughter's birthday, and she was out there celebrating God knows whose child.

The clip ended, and my brain scrambled for a possible answer to this.

"Daddy..” she called out, her voice low. “Why is Mummy playing with him??.” those eyes which one glowed in happiness dulled in pains, they held questions I knew I couldn't answer.

"Sweetheart, it..."

"Didn't you say she was stuck in traffic?”

"She was but...I.. maybe something came up." I fumbled for words as she blinked, her face slowly turning pale.

"Daddy…” she whispered, tears rooted at the base of her eyes. “..does mummy love me?" Her words pierced into my chest, ripping their way through my heart in an excruciating way.

"Sweetheart, there’s no mother who doesn’t love her child; she’s just too busy, but she does love you a lot."

"She lied, mummy doesn't love me." She whispered through her cracked voice.

"Don't say such things about your mum." I gripped her hands in mine "Trust me, dear. She will come. When you open those little eyes of yours tomorrow, she will be here, beside you. Mummy will come tomorrow." She stared blankly while her tears did justice in explaining her emotions.

"Sweetheart, mummy will come. She loves you a lot. A whole lot, she will come." She opened her mouth to talk as blood poured, splattering over her oxygen mask.

Panicked shot in as I sprang to my feet. The machine once gently beeped, turned violent, and rang incessantly.

"Mum.." she grasped, shaking, more bloodshot out of her mouth.

"Jasmine!!. Jasmine look at me. Jasmine." Her condition worsens. "Doctor!!!" I yelled. "Doctor!!!." The door busted up as a nurse rushed in, her eyes widened at the sight.

"Doctor!! It's an emergency. The post-op patient is in danger. She needs immediate resuscitation." In the second minute, more doctors and nurses rushed in, each had the same horrified look

"Start the CPR now!!!!, she is dying and fast."

~~~

RACHAEL

"Leo." She giggled, roughing his blonde hair. He looked a lot like his father, hot, handsome, with a lovable smile.

"Thank you so much, mummy."

"I told you not to call her that," Marco added looking all hot in his grey top and joggers, his blond hair packed into a ponytail as he leaned onto the wall watching them.

"He is just a child."

"Still, you shouldn't lead him on or else you do want to be his mother." He said jokingly.

"Yeah yeah." She waved off his words, gripping her bag she tossed aside earlier."I have to go, Marco but today was fun."

"I know this may sound selfish." He started, roughing his hair gently. "But can you please help me put, Leo, to sleep. I do try but..." He trailed out as she nodded.

She purses her lips, she won't blame Marco, being a single parent wasn't easy, she sometimes wonders how he takes care of Leo and himself.

"Alright," she agreed softly, taking Leo’s small hand and leading him to the bed.

“Can you stay with me tonight?” Leo wriggled under the blanket, his bright eyes sparkling with hope.

“I—”Her heart tugged at the thought.

"Please, just stay with me. Please." Leo spoke, mugging my grown.

"Leo,..."

"Stay with me, be my mummy forever."

"I can't."

"Why?? I like you, and so does Papa. Stay with me."

"I...." Her phone buzzed, disrupting her words.

Ryan!.

She puffed at a sigh.

Jasmine just has a cold; it's a slight illness. Why does he act like it's something much worse?

She slid the answer button.

"I am...."

"Where the fuck are you??!!." He growled, and she fretted.

Ryan never shouts.

"I..I told you I was....."

"Jasmine's condition has worsened."

"Huh??. What do you mean?"

"She is dying"