Joel's POV

12:30am Saturday

Everyone wild awake and seated in the waiting room, but I couldn't seat still like every one else. I kept pacing to and fro trying to stay sane. Lyla had talked Taju and Kelvin into going home, so only her and Charles were left with me.

Lucky for us, my mum was on night duty when we got into the hospital so we were able get Zaria in very quickly. My hand was still bleeding and I was in serious pain but I didn't put my attention to it. It was the least of my problems. I saw my mum walking up to us and I looked up, expecting her to give me great news.

"How is she?" Lyla asked, standing up.

"She is going to be fine, right?" I asked.

"She is going to be fine. She is not yet awake but I promise she will be fine." She looked down at my hand. It was shaking involuntary. "We need to attend to that hand." She added, looking up.

"I'm fine, mum." I lied.

"No you are not." Lyla said.

"You have been wincing in pain since we got here and you can't even touch anything with that hand." Charles chipped in. I sighed then looked at mum. She raised her eyebrows.

"Joel, I need to bandage that up. You are in pain. We have to treat that hand." Mum told me sternly and I exhaled

"I need to be here when Zaria wakes up." I replied.

"Don't worry, It won't take time, I promise. Now come on." She held my other hand and pulled me along.

She took me to her office and sat me down. She took a clean cotton wool to clean the dried blood off my hand. She then took out a new bandage and started to dress my wound. I felt pain shoot through my knuckles but I didn't pay attention to it. My eyes just stared straight ahead. I could feel my mum's eyes on me but I didn't look back at her.

"You know, what you did was really brave. Zaria is lucky to have you...all of you." She said. I looked at her, my face contoured in anger as the image of Sam on Zaria appeared in my mind.

"I wish I killed him." I muttered. "I wanted to kill him." I growled out through gritted teeth.

"Then you would be in jail right now, honey..." She replied but I interrupted her.

"And it would have been totally worth it. That man doesn't deserve to live." I told her sternly.

"He doesn't but it's not in your place to give him the justice he deserves." She smiled. I closed my eyes as my emotions rushed through me. A single tear dropped from my eyes.

"It's all my fault." I muttered.

"Why is it your fault?" She asked.

"I made her promise to call me anytime she senses danger. I promised to be there for her." I sniffed, tears flowing from my eyes as I looked away from my mum.

"She called me. She called me 20 times but I wasn't there to pick her call. I failed her, mum. I broke mine promise." I replied as more tears fell from my eyes. I rarely cried but this was totally worth my tears.

"Hey..." Mum cupped my face in her hand and used her thumb to clean my tears. "It's okay. You can't control everything no matter how much you try to. One way or another, that man would have gotten what he wanted. It might not have been today but trust me it would have even be worse. Pull yourself together. Everything will be fine."

"I'm scared mum." I told her.

"Zaria will be fine. I promise." She kissed my forehead and pulled me in for a hug. I cried my eyes out on her uniform.

Zaria,please be okay...please.

***

6:30am Saturday Morning

"We need to call one of Zaria's guardian. A family member needs to be aware of what's going on." Mum said to Lyla and I. Charles had gone how to freshen up. Lyla's parents had travelled out but her elder siblings knew she was needed here.

"I can get across to Aisha." Lyla said, fishing out her phone and pressing some buttons. She got through to Aisha quite alright. Mum also chipped in some things but didn't disclose too much details. Aisha promised to be on the first flight from Calabar back to Lagos.

"Now that that's settled, I need someone to pick up Zaria's things from home. Her major necessities." Mum said.

"I need to freshen up anyway, so I'd go." Lyla volunteered again.

"Let me drive you. I should go home and freshen up as well. You can meet up with me at my house, we'd go get Zaria's things together and we'll come right back as soon as we can." I told Lyla and she nodded.

"That settles it then. I'd be on the look out for Aisha. The flight from Calabar to Lagos is just an hour and twelve minutes. So she'd be here in the next two hours, give or take." Mum stated and I nodded.

"We'll be back as soon as we can. If there is any update on Zaria please give me a call." I said and she nodded, giving me her car keys. Lyla pulled me along and we made our way to the car.

***

By the time we were back to the hospital, Aisha had not come but Charles, Kelvin, Taju and Tyler were around. I sighted a familiar face hiding at a corner and I immediately knew who it was. Lyla also saw and her expression turned into a scowl. Charles sighted this immediately and stood up.

"Is this bitch for real?!" Lyla growled out and stood.

"Lyla..." He called as Lyla advanced towards the figure.

"What the fuck are you doing here, Ada?!" She looked at Charles and the others. "Did you bring her here?" She grimaced at them. Kelvin went ahead to try to calm his girl friend and Ada stood up.

"Lyla, you have to calm down." Kelvin said calmly.

"I'm here to make amends, Lyla. Please let me." Ada pleaded, guilt written all over her face and I almost scoffed.

I must be seeing things. Ada is never guilty.

"Calm down?! Make amends?! She's in this state because of you! This is all your fault, Ada!" Lyla snapped pointing fingers at Ada who had tears welled up in her eyes.

"I'm sorry. Zaria is my friend, I didn't mean any harm?" Ada said and that pissed me off.

"You didn't mean any harm yet you were quick to call her names and blab her secret to the entire world. Sam has had his way, are you happy now?! Some fücking friend you are." Lyla yelling angrily and Ada burst into tears.

"Ada, please just leave." Was all I said. I did t want to see her. Not after what she did.

"Guys, chill. This is neither the place or time for this. Zaria needs us." Charles held me back and tried to calm me down as I heaved heavily.

"You need to stop shouting because we are in the hospital." It was my mum that spoke and I looked up. "I know you all are hurting, but I need you to calm down and pray for Zaria's safety." She added.

"How is she now?" Tyler asked.

"She's coming around, still unconscious." Mum replied.

We began to hear the clicking of heels and we all looked to the direction of the sound to see Aisha making her way down hall way. Lyla and Charles went over to meet her and she recognized them immediately. They brought her to mum.

"Doctor Bamidele?" Aisha called my mum, wanting to confirm if she was the one that she spoke to her on the phone.

"Yes. Good to have you hear, Miss Aisha. Can we talk for a moment?" Mum pulled Aisha aside. I watched their expressions and I saw Aisha's expression move from confusion to shock to anger and then to sadness before she broke down. I sighed, looking at Lyla.

"She knows already. I let this happen. This is all my fault. I made a promise and I broke it." I told them. Charles patted my shoulder

"Don't be too hard on yourself Joel." Taju said.

"No one could have seen this coming." Charles chipped in.

"Like you mum said, the only thing we can do is pray for her to be okay." Kelvin said.

"Let's pray, guys." Lyla suggested. "Let's join hands." She said and we joined hands together, closed our eyes and Taju took the lead.

"Almighty Father. We know we are unworthy to come before You but we need You to help us. We come before You today on behalf of our friend, Zaria. Please let her be okay. Heal her, Lord and let Your name be glorified. In Jesus Name."

"Amen." We all chorused.

"Dr Bamidele." A nurse called, rushing towards my mum.

"What is it?" My mum asked.

"The patient is awake. She's awake." The nurse announced and my chest bubbled in joy.

She's awake.

Zaria is awake!

****

Everyone rushed towards Zaria's private ward with my mum taking the lead. Soon we got to the entrance and got in. My heart broke into a million pieces when I saw Zaria.

My Zaria.

She was clothed in hospital garment, her back resting on the headboard of the bed. She looked very pale and unwell, staring ahead and hugging her knee to her chest. Her right hand was in a cast from her elbow down to her wrist. She didn't look like herself at all and it broke me.

She felt our presence in the room and she looked at us, her eyes meeting mine. I could hear sobbing and I knew it was coming from Aisha and Lyla but I tuned them out, my eyes fixated on hers. I saw her lips quiver as fresh tears formed in her eyes and tears automatically formed in mine.

She looked away from me to Aisha and Lyla who rushed to her but I just stood there staring at her as tears fell from my eyes. I felt a hand on my shoulder but I didn't have to look to know it was Charles' hand. I had footsteps from behind.

"Why didn't you tell me anything?" I heard Aisha ask her.

"I'm so sorry." Zaria's hoarse voice replied. Aisha pulled her in for another bear hug.

"No. It's not your fault. I'm the one that should be sorry. I should have known there was something up." Aisha whispered. Lyla took a turn to hug Zaria, both of them crying their eyes out. Everyone rushed in except Ada and I. I heard Ada's soft sob and rush away, my mum following her behind. Zaria looked at me. I stayed rooted on the spot.

I couldn't move.

I just stood where I was, staring at her. This was my fault. I was the reason she was crying and I had no idea what to do to stop the tears. I wanted to walk right in and gather her in my arms, wanted to tell her everything would be okay but I couldn't move. Charles and Lyla looked at me, confusion on their teary face.

"Joel..." Lyla called but I didn't reply. Like my body had a mind of it's own, I turned around...

...and ran.