Lost ✔️

Chapter 38

Stephanie was staring at the wall in front of her with Marilene, Chris and Steve beside her bed. It had been almost an hour that she had been crying over Brian.

Her cheeks were all puffed up and her eyes were swollen and red. She realized and felt the loss of her sibling in the morning when she suddenly started weeping.

Chris was outside with Nathan at the time. When he came back, he saw Stephanie just crying and crying and crying. She wouldn't stop crying at all!

That's when the others came.

"Steph, it wasn't your fault. Trust me", Marilene comforted her.

"But.. but he-he died! I had no idea. H-how d-do you ev-even.......", Stephanie tried to speak but she burst into tears. 

Steve checked her vitals and the monitors and suddenly called the doctors in. 

"Her vitals are decreasing. Let's calm her down for the time being with some Benzodiazepine and check on her in about a half an hour.", he said.

"We know, sir, thank you", one of them said, annoyed by his bossiness.

They didn't like to be corrected by any visitor in their hospital.

They did as they were told and seconds later Stephanie went into a dreamless sleep.

*

Stacy and Jake were sitting in the discussion room where they and the doctors had just had a meeting about Angela.

It was clear from their statements that they were afraid of Angela. However Jake remained persistent about continuing with her treatment.

"She's mentally disabled!", he had argued.

"But can you see how dangerous she is?", one of them had retorted back.

"Ya'll are doctors! You have taken an oath to never give up on your patients. A human. Do you even want me to tell you how she became what she is currently? It won't be pleasant.", Jake had said.

"Go on", the head doctor had said.

Jake had not been expecting that. He shrugged and stood up to explain the life story of a psychological patient.

"Angela Bats. She grew up in a totally cruel atmosphere. May Bats was her two years elder sister and was actually quite an angel. So their parents always treasured May more. Nevertheless, Angela was never jealous in a bad way of May and trusted only her. However, her mental state had not always been alright. It was a little tipsy but safe and unharmful too."

"Her parents were known to be strict Christians and were quite abusive. Not the kind that Stephanie went through. But worse.", Jake paused for impact. 

Then he continued.

"Both of her parents would often kick her, whip her with a belt, punch her and also scar her with knives and scissors. This aggravated her mental state and traumatized her. This is how she turned out for the worse and abused Stephanie by seeing how much she was loved. Just like May she was elder to her brother. Perhaps it triggered a wrong part of her brain. "

"And that was the entire story."

Jake completed.

There was a pin drop silence around the room.  Even the atoms and molecules remained still.

"Mr. Detective we will....er...try once again.", the head doctor declared.

Jake nodded his head again.

Now Stacy and Jake were the only ones left in the room. She was patting his arm and had a glazed look over her face.

"I was wondering all this time why you were always so determined to help that suspect", she let out.

Jake looked at her from the corner of his eyes. She knew him too well to hide anything. 

"It's because of your mother", she said.

It was a statement, not even a question.

"Yeah", he sighed.

Then he closed his eyes and recalled the events that occurred about fifteen years ago.

*

"I'm sorry but we can no longer continue with the treatment for your mother. It's beyond repair.", Jake was told.

"So you're just giving up on her?", he asked, struggling to hold back his tears.

"Basically, yes"

He was torn. Literally shredded into pieces of human bones and muscles. His dad had died before he was even born and was on the verge of losing his mother. His world. His only savior, friend and lover.

She had developed a self-harm psychological disorder due to her age and  it was worsening as the days passed by.

Jake remained seated outside her room. He could not bare to see her in that state knowing she had been given up on.

Soon he went asleep.

When he later opened his eyes, he found his shoulders being shaken by a nurse.

The nurse who was in charge of his mother. She had tears in her eyes.

"Sir! Please..", she began.

"What?", he asked, suddenly fully awake.

"Your mother's handcuffs was unlocked....", she wailed.

"Please just tell me. Whom did she hurt now? I thought she was suffering from self harm instincts?", he asked tiredly.

The nurse shook her head so fast Jake was afraid it might just pop out of her neck.

"No one. She jumped out of the window and I'm...sorry",she said, bursting into tears.

There was a hustle in his mother's room.

He rushed into the room to find the bed empty and a group of doctors huddled around the window. He pushed his way through until he stood in front of it. The window was just broken indicating that she had broken it with her body by force.

He looked down to see his world. His mother was lying on the footpath with the dark velvet colored blood surrounding her head like a wreath. Her eyes were closed. Had he not known better, he would've thought that she was just in a peaceful sleep.

It was true in a way.

Jake didn't want to observe anymore. He felt sick at what he had witnessed. He went over to his mother's bed and sat on it.

It was unkept. Perhaps his mother had been sleeping before taking the drastic jump. On the pillow he found a piece of parchment of paper with scribbled writing.

I'm sorry Jake, it said.

Then the tears came.

*****

A little backstory on Jake. If you have any doubt you can ask me right away. I'll clear it up in the coming chapters ^^

Please vote and comment guys!!!