Three weeks later

Three weeks.
It had been exactly eighteen days and she could still remember it like it was yesterday. She could hear Austin fire that gun over and over and over again, every time she closed her eyes. It was like cancer, eating up a part of her brain and leaving only selective memories of the time she didn't want to remember.

It was even harder getting past every day when the news always found some reason to talk about it. She was roped into a continuous cycle of remembering a day she would have rather forgotten for the rest of her life.

The storm was meant to be over. Austin was dead, he had died at the spot. Apparently, Matthew didn't hold back when he fired his shots at him. He didn't make it to the hospital. The death of the famous son of Silver group was all over the country, and trust Nigerians to spill all the tea and hit where it hurt. But Austin's death wasn't the only death that made it to the news, Victoria had committed suicide barely a week after Austin's death was announced. Apparently, the hurt and burden of losing two sons was a lot for one mother to take in. The prison guards had claimed that they had found her hanging to a ceiling fan during labor Day. She left no notes, she left nothing.

But that wasn't all.

Ever since the Silvers had fallen, the country had no use for them. There was no reason to talk about them or concern about their loss, but the country mourned. Three weeks since Sommadina's body was found cold in their home and retrieved. According to the results of the autopsy Ivory was given, she and Randal had both been poisoned by the food testified to have been prepared by Sommadina. It was a mess, a lot to take in and Ivory was having a hard time getting past the situation or forgiving herself for what happened. That could explain why she had locked herself away for days and barely left her house or let anyone in. Olivia had tried countless times to reach her but she wasn't taking her calls, neither was she taking the door too.

She drew a deep as she turned to the EKG. The beeping sound that came from it, snapped her to consciousness as she lowered her gaze on him.

It had been three weeks  and he was yet to open his eyes again. She could remember the words of the doctor echoing in her head over and over again. Words could not express how broken she was when she was told that Rafael had slipped into a coma during operation. They were able to get the bullets out but the doctors could not confirm when he was going ever going to wake again. What he went through, it was a lot for anyone, he had advised her to just wait and hope for a miracle. Hopefully he fought hard enough to be back home, back to her.

She had faith in him.
She slowly reached for his warm hands and squeezed them, raising her other hand to her belly too and holding it gently, she also wanted a miracle to happen.

"You should get some rest,"

Olivia snapped out of it, raising her head to the doctor that was standing at the other side of the bed. She had been thinking all minute that she barely remembered that she wasn't the only one in the room. The way she was lost in her thoughts must have bothered everyone else, the doctor and his nurse.

"You've been by his side all week, the hospital can take good care of him."

Olivia smiled warmly, rubbing her hand on her belly gently.

"It's fine doctor." She said. "I'm fine."

He exhaled.

"You've gotten way bigger from the last time you stopped by." He lowered his gaze on her belly.
"You'd be due any time from now, you have to think about yourself and the health of your baby. You've been though a lot, too much. It's a surprise how you've been able to remain pregnant through it all. Your case, it has to be one of the toughest I've seen in my entire career. You should let your son know how lucky and strong he is to have endured all that you both have been put through . I'm sure Rafael feels the same way."

Olivia knew. She was just as aware as he was about her condition. She knew just how tough the previous month was for all of them. She was also surprised at how hard she and her baby had fought to be okay with everything that had happened. The doctor hadn't lied, her belly had grown a lot within the past few weeks, three months left and she'd be ready to get the whole pregnancy phase done and over with.

"At least stop by at the office let's get you and the baby checked. You're at the hospital anyway, we could just go ahead with your prenatal once and for all and get it done and over with while you're here."

The way his warm smile lifted his whole face and his glasses made Olivia glad. She understood him perfectly.  She nodded to show him that she did. She turned back to Rafael and went back to watching him sleep so peacefully even with the oxygen mask on. She grabbed on tighter to his hand and squeezed it, too occupied with her thoughts to even notice the doctor leave the room with the nurse.

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"So, what's going to happen now?"

Olivia exhaled, opening her can of malt as she walked down the hospital's hallway leading out of the maternity ward with Amy beside her.

"I really don't know Amy, a lot has happened, too much, I can't make any choices yet, at least not until Rafael wakes."

"Did the doctor say anything about that? Has there been any improvements on his condition?" Amy's eyes were laced with concern.

Just like Olivia, she also had a hard time with forgetting what had happened. It was a lot to take in, too much that she even had night mares because of it. Olivia shook her head, she could feel a sudden sadness rise inside of her.

"Same news." She said. "It's like everyone is more worried about me caring for myself than about the fact that he's in a coma. I'm scared Amy, I really am, I took care of a child once without her father, I don't think I can do it again. I don't know how I'm going to ever face Grace, how I'm supposed to explain to her that she might never get to be reunited with one of the best things that had ever happened to her. I can't lose Rafael, I need him. I don't know if I can ever be able to live without him."

Amy exhaled, she stopped walking, and it caused Olivia to stop walking too. Olivia exhaled and turned to her. Amy raised a brow.

"You're doing it again."
Olivia sulked.

"I can't help myself Amy." She said.

"Yes you can," Amarachi raised her hands to Olivia's shoulders and held on to them, she gave them a squeeze.
"You're doing amazing so far, you did amazing with Grace, and I know you'd do even better when your baby is born, I'm sure Rafael knows that too. And come on, you and I both know the man that's in that room. That bed won't be able to hold him in much longer. He's going to wake up Olivia, you of all people should know that he would, have faith sister."

She knew, she wasn't going to dispute the fact that she knew the man she loved. Rafael was a fighter, sometimes, more than she ever was. She didn't doubt that for one second, but the more she was approaching her final months, the more she needed him. She needed him to get past all that was going on. She needed him by her side again. She couldn't bear the thought of him being in that bed any longer. She was scared for him, she was worried about him. Going through one pregnancy alone was hell for her, Olivia didn't think she had the mental strength to go through it again. She exhaled and nodded, just as Amy smiled and let her go.

"I don't know Amy, I'm just," she turned and started to walk away again, Amy joined her. "A lot has happened, a lot has changed, everything has changed. I mean, the Silvers are finally gone for good, but that also cost us Mum Sommadinah and Randal as well. I just can't believe that she's dead," she let out a weak exhale. "It's just-" she swallowed hard.

"I spent a whole time wanting vengeance for what happened to my parents, I wanted to make Randal pay for what he did not just to me, but to all those villagers. I should be happy that karma caught up with him-"

"But you're not?"

Olivia shook her head.

"I didn't mean for anyone to die, I didn't want this, I didn't ask for any of this. I- it's just been hard to live with myself after everything that happened. Somehow, I can't just shake off the feeling that this all happened because of me. When Rafael wakes up, it's going to be a lot for him to take in, he didn't act like it but his family were his whole world. I know he and Sommadina had their differences but he loved her, he loved her more than anything and Randal, he is still his father. I just can't help but feel worried about this, about how he would take this. I can't help but be worried about him, about us."

"You're worried he might blame you for it? Hate you for it?"

Olivia turned to her and then looked away, she exhaled weakly.

"At this point, I wouldn't blame him if he does blame me for it. Turning his back on his family while they were alive is one thing, someone died, because of this crazy war his mother died. It's only natural that he gets exhausted and decides to leave me."

"Olivia," Amy cut her off and she stopped talking. "Olivia you have to take this one step at a time." She went on.
"You literally just escaped a kidnapper's den, and like you said, People have died. It's a lot to take in, for anyone especially you and Rafael. It might be a lot to understand right now but the storm would pass. Rafael can not blame you for what happened, Sommadina's death is not on you, she made the choice on her own. You didn't do this, and as for Randal, he only got a taste of his own medicine for destroying his family and trying to ruin his wife, everyone knows this, and now look, he got a fate even worse than death. I mean never in his entire life did he ever expect karma to get to him the way he did. He is a livid corpse, literally a walking dead."

Olivia exhaled weakly. She wanted to believe Amy's words with all of her heart but they were not enough. It didn't matter how much they gave her hope, they were simply not enough.

They both began to hear footsteps running towards them quickly. Olivia turned first and then Amy, they had been talking for too long that they had barely noticed how they had already returned to the VIP ward. There were nurses and doctors running towards Rafael's room and it made Olivia really worried.

She turned quickly and started to hurry too, while Amy rushed as well behind her. Olivia stopped in front of the door upon the instructions of the nurse that had stopped her from getting in.

"W-why? D-id something happen?"

"We just got a reflex response from the patient."

"A reflex," Olivia gasped, what did that mean? Did it mean that Rafael had finally moved? Was he going to wake soon? The nurse rushed into the room and closed the door before she could even ask anything else. Olivia had tears in her eyes, she slowly turned to Amy hoping she had heard that too.

"Amy," Amarachi reached for her hands, her eyes were filled with tears too and she couldn't hide the excitement in her eyes like Olivia. "Amy did you hear that? He moved."

Amy nodded. She heard it alright.

"Yes I did." She squeezed Olivia's hands.

"He moved," Olivia turned back to the door in excitement and then returned her gaze to Amy. "Rafael moved Amy, he moved."
Amy pulled her into her embrace immediately and held on super tight to her while she cried into them. They were both so excited and couldn't hide how they felt. This was good news for them both. For Olivia, it was the best news she had heard in weeks and she was grateful for it. She was grateful for every second of it.

It was like the heavens had already answered her prayers. There was a God, and he still cared about her. He was on her side. Good luck was on her side and she was grateful for every bit of it.