Lady k.

The harmony of the choir as they rehearsed the "Ave Maria" song right in front of the alter could be heard if you stood outside the hospital's church and it was even more beautiful when you heard it from inside. Like every regular hospital's church, this one was was almost empty.

Kora sat calmly on one of the pews, her eyes focused on the crucifix on the alter and her hands folded on her thighs as she waited for Jeremiah. He had been on the call with his mother for quite a while. Not that she was complaining, it was a good thing he had called her to put her doubts and anxiety to rest. At least now her nanny could at least sleep without worrying so much. She on the other hand, had something to thank God for, he didn't take Jeremiah from her and that was enough reason to be grateful. She exhaled and then rubbed her arms together, she was getting really cold plus, it was almost midnight.

"Hey." She heard Jeremiah call her as he returned to her, she turned to him slowly and let herself smile a bit. A lot of things had happened and it made Kora realize that she didn't need to hide how she felt about him anymore. She was just going to look at him and smile at him from now on. She wasn't going to hold back either. Jeremiah sat beside her.

"Are you sure it's okay for you to be here?" He asked her. "It's almost midnight and your mum could be really worried."

"It's fine." She told him as he pulled out his jacket quickly and then placed it around her shoulders. "I already called to explain the situation. She knows I'm here with you and I'm safe."

Jeremiah forced a small smile on his face and then slowly turned to the alter.

"What did you pray for?"

Kora turned to the alter too. She shrugged her shoulders.

"Everything." She answered. "Nothing in particular."

He exhaled and then rubbed his hands together. She could see how he was fighting himself just so he didn't look so sad in front of her. He was handling everything way better than she had thought he would. She watched him draw a shaky breath and then exhale. He sniffed.

"I was eight you know." His voice was shaky and he still had his eyes glued to the alter. "When I found out my father wasn't dead. When I found out Benjamin Ozor, the man who owned the big house my mother and I worked in, the man that had picked my mother and I from the shabby room we used to sleep in, was my father."

That was the perfect time and place to tell his story. Jeremiah had been through a lot for one day and he just needed to talk to someone, he just needed someone to listen, he needed her to listen. He never really got the chance to tell his story to anyone, he never got the chance to tell anyone who he really was so Kora understood. She wasn't going to interrupt him, she was just going to listen to him, to be there for him.

"My mother always told me that my father lived far away from us and that one day he was going to be back for me, for us. She told me that he had made so much money and so when he came back, we were never going to suffer or live the way we did anymore. I could finally go to school in a uniform and have a pair of new shoes. We could live in a bigger room and not have to worry about mosquitoes or rent or our leaking rooftop. She said I could have my own bicycle so none of the other kids would have to bully me for not owning one anymore, or the landlady cussing my mum for not being able to pay our rent. I had so much faith, so much faith in him, in them."

" I would wake up every morning and go to this church that was close to our home and I would pray, I would pray he came back to us sooner so my mother didn't have to hawk fruits anymore in traffic to pay my fees or buy me a book for school. I waited for him. I always got excited when I saw big cars driving into our neighborhood but when those cars never stopped in front of our house, I got really disappointed. One day, for the first time all my life, a car finally stopped right in front of our house. It was the biggest car I had ever seen and I just knew..." he paused and drew a deep breath.

"That was the happiest day of my life because I thought I could finally get to meet him, meet my Dad, should have seen the look on my face." His voice broke. "My mum and I got into the car and it took us to this really big house, to the mansion. My mum never explained anything to me, she just told me that we were going to stay there for a while, with the owners, the family, because they offered her a job and it was a good one. They gave us a room to stay in, a room bigger than the entire house we used to live in. They gave us food, healthier foods and I got to go to a private school. The lady of the house was the nicest woman I had ever seen and she accepted both my mum and I with open arms. They treated us like we were a part of the family, they had a son who treated me like I was his younger brother. He let me get on his bicycle and played with me, he told me stories and let me sleep beside him at night whenever I had a nightmare. He let me call him brother in public and he picked up fights with people that tried to bully me. Everyone legit thought we were related because he told all his friends that I was his little brother."

That was the perfect description of how his relationship used to be with Christian before the bomb dropped, before the truth that had destroyed all their lives dropped.

"They treated us so well that it made me forget. It made me less curious to know who my father was because I felt that if he ever came back, if I ever met him, he was going to take me away from them, from my new family. Everything went on so well until the night of my birthday. That day, my mum said we'd be eating with the family together at the table. It was the first time so I was excited. I had never had the chance to eat on a big table before, as a family. That was the only gift I ever wanted. I had no idea that that day was going to be the worst day of my life, and at that table, the bomb dropped."

"My father had announced that I was his son and I was going to be living with them from that point onwards. He changed my first name to Jeremiah, I became Jeremiah Ozor. That was the day that changed my life forever, it changed all our lives. That was the day she died first, the lady of the house. The truth killed her on that table. I woke up the next day and my mother had left, she had abandoned me without saying goodbye and I wasn't allowed to look for her. The lady of the house started doing drugs too and the boy that used to be my brother saw me as an enemy, as an enemy of his family. His hatred for me grew worse after his mother died two weeks later, she OD'd; Cocaine and meth and the man that called himself my father wouldn't even look at me or let me go to my mother when things became so hard. I got my own room and I had maids at my beck and call but I was never happy for one day. I'd have given anything to return to the life I used to live, the life I used to live when it was just my mother and I. I just wanted everything to go back to how it used to be, back when I didn't know anything. I started to hate myself for wanting more, for praying for a father. I asked God to take it back, I felt I was being punished for wanting a Dad so badly, for asking for more than I deserved, more than I had."

Kora could feel a heap-load of sadness well up in her. She didn't know what to do or say, or how to comfort him especially since he had tears in his eyes that made them shine like crystals. She held on gently to his shoulder.

"My father's business experienced some hiccups right after. Stocks dropped and so he got married again two months later to save Benoil. He didn't even give us a chance to heal. I was sent away after a while, to the states, the excuse was to study but it wasn't, I was being banished and exiled so Christian's grandparents didn't take away their shares with Benoil. They weren't going to let me come back home, it was Christian's idea. He hated me and he never wanted to see me, he couldn't stand me, he blamed me for everything and all my father wanted to do was make it up to him. He abandoned one son to save the other, not like I blame him though, I've never really had much to offer. My mother didn't even have any parents, she was just a maid and a traffic hawker."

He sniffed and then buried his head on his joined hands. He needed a minute, sniffed and raised his head back up.

"Not like he was ever going to choose an illegitimate son over his heir. Christian's maternal grandfather would have buried him together with the company back then because Dad's influence could only go so far. I practically had no power, I had no one. He ruined my life and then abandoned me. He never called me for once or visited me. I hated him so much. I thought I did, that I had no atom of love left for him but after tonight, after seeing him get shot like that, it got me really scared. Thinking that he might not come out of that room alive, scares the hell out of me. I know I'm not supposed to feel this way, he probably deserves it. He deserves everything he gets for what he did to us, for what he did to me but it doesn't change the fact that I'm terrified." He slowly turned his head to meet hers.

"I know it could be interpreted to be a weakness. I am weak, I know this, but he's still my father. He gave me life, a life, how could I possibly hate him? Even after everything he did to me, even as extremely selfish and greedy as he is, I still think he's worth saving. Sounds stupid doesn't it?"

She shook her head and then sniffed. Kora was almost crying too. His story had messed with her emotions a lot and now, she had tears lingering in her eyes.

"It doesn't sound stupid." Her voice broke. "It doesn't sound stupid at all." She slowly reached for his hand and then held on tight to it.

"It only shows that you're human. Jer, it only shows that there are some people we can't choose to hate or love no matter how we try, people like family." She sniffed again, trying to hold her tears back from falling. "And admitting that you love your Dad doesn't make you weak. We can't be strong all the time, there are some times like this, some times when it's okay to be vulnerable, and admit that certain people make us that way. Times when it's okay to be vulnerable."

A drop of tear fell from her eyes. Good lord, what was wrong with her? It wasn't even her story and there she was, being so dramatic about it. No one could blame her though, hearing Jeremiah's story reminded her of how hard it was growing up without a father too. Growing up with everyone making fun of her at school for having so many fathers. She cleaned her eyes quickly.

"I'm sorry." She told him. "My emotions are just all over the place right now-"

Jeremiah raised his hand to her face and then he cleaned her tears slowly. From one eye to the other while she just watched him. He dropped his hand after he was done and then smiled at her. He slowly leaned towards her and then dropped his head on her shoulder. He was really exhausted and needed to close his eyes for even a minute. Kora let him. She of all people knew what it was like to be in his shoes.

She slowly turned back to the alter and closed her eyes too, letting the soothing song from the choir comfort her and Jeremiah. She needed rest as well. She held on tightly to his hand. She wasn't going to let him go ever again.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

"What do you mean he just got out of a critical state but you're not sure when he's going to wake up?"
Susan looked just as surprised and distressed as everyone else did and even more. Her acting was top notch.

The surgery was over five minutes ago and one of the Doctors had come out to give them an update, an update that they didn't see coming.

"What are you trying to say Doc?" Christian glared at the white haired man, his voice trembling. "Are you saying my father is in a Coma?"

The man exhaled and then took off his glasses just so he could explain to them better, like his explanations had anything to do with his glasses.

"We did all we could to handle the situation." He told them. We were able to take out the bullets but he went into shock right after."

Natalie let out a weak exhale, slowly reaching for one of the seats. Her legs were finally weak and almost failing her.

"Right now, we can't tell or confirm his situation until he wakes. All we can just do is hope that he wakes up soon."

"Wakes up soon?" Jeremiah asked him. He really wanted to understand the words he had just heard.

"Some cases, we have patients that wake up form comas like this in a week, some as early as three days and some even take years, ten years, twenty years, some never wake up. They turn into a vegetative state before they open their eyes. When it comes to Coma, we really can't tell. All we can do is ask God to keep the chairman safe and hope that he fights harder so stay alive-"

"What are you talking about?" Christian grabbed the Doctor by his coat, squeezing it so the Doctor looked right at him. Jeremiah and Nicholas quickly rushed to stop him. "Why did we pay all that money if you can't save him?" He asked the Doctor. "Why did our company buy all those shares if all of you are excessively useless and incompetent? Over six doctors and not even one person can save him? Is that all you're trying to say?"

"Christian that's enough." They pulled him from the Doctor immediately. Nicholas hurried to stand between them so Christian didn't try to attack the Doctor anymore while Jeremiah held on to Christian's arm as tight as he could.

"My sincere apologies." The Doctor bowed slightly, not bothering to fix the rumples on his coat.

"So what's going to happen to our father now?" Kodi asked, not really referring to anyone in particular while Kora rubbed her back to comfort her. "Is he never going to wake up?"

"We can keep him here for as long as it takes. We can watch him and keep him on life support till he wakes up. We'd have all our Doctors attend to him and work towards making sure he wakes up soon."
The doctor exhaled and then turned to Christian who just stood there, glaring at him still.

"My apologies once again." He told them. "Let us see if there's anything else you'd need." He bowed slightly and then walked away.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

"Nicholas."
The room was practically empty. Jeremiah and Christian were back at the doctor's office, Kora had gone home and Natalie was on a call outside the room. You could hear the beep from the EKG right above Benjamin's almost lifeless body on the bed.

Susan turned to look at him, he was still. That was what happened when you're in a coma anyway. She turned back to her son who was already fast asleep with Kodi sleeping on his shoulder.

"Nicholas." She whispered again, tapping him gently this time, a bit louder so he heard her, he did. He opened his eyes slowly right after and then scanned the room right before his eyes settled on her.  He frowned. What was she doing? Why was she squatting in front of him?

"M-mum?"

"Shhh." She placed a finger on her lip so he didn't wake Kodi up.

"What's wrong?"

She smiled, exposing her white set of teeth. She shook her head, everything had to be right. Everything had to be right how she wanted it to be.

"You must be tired." She told him. "Why don't you take your sister home so you both can have a good rest?"

"Mum, what about Dad?" He had a huge frown on his face. He turned to the bed slowly and then back to her. "What are the doctors saying about Dad? Is there really nothing that can be done?"

She shook her head, still keeping the smile on her face.

"No." She answered. "And we should leave it that way. Everything is working to our advantage, we should be happy nothing can be done."

He squinted his brows. He didn't understand.

"We've waited for a chance like this my baby," she placed a hand on his cheek, looking at him deep in his eyes. "This is your chance, our chance to get what we always wanted. We finally did it, we made this possible. We are only a step now to achieving all we've wanted."

"M-mum." He stammered. Why did it sound like his mother was happy with what was happening? She didn't look like a wife who was praying endlessly for the swift recovery of her husband. She looked pleased, like she wanted this to happen, like she hoped it did, like she made it happen and that was exactly how he was looking at her.

"Yes." She had to put his mind at rest. He didn't have to think so much. "What you're thinking is right, I did it." She told him. "I'm the reason for all of this."

What?
She was? She was the one that sent the assassins to kill his father? Nick blinked twice. He couldn't believe it.

"M-mum-"

"The only regret I have is that my men didn't shoot to kill." She continued. "Even though I made my Instructions clear but who cares? We can work with this. We have enough time to have the company wrapped around our fingers before he wakes up and guess what? It's all going to happen according. We won't get into any troubles if our plan goes south."

Nicholas had his eyes on his mother. He was listening attentively.

"Remember what I told you about striking from behind, without anyone knowing? About letting those at the top do all the work for us?"

He slowly nodded his head.

"Y-you said w-we just had to sit back and watch them fight it out. Our fight would be with who wins."

She nodded. It was good he was catching up.

"Christian and Jeremiah are our target. I've been able to get into his head, to make his thoughts alive. Christian is going to do all he can now to make sure Jeremiah isn't going to rule in his stead. He's going to do everything to make sure your father never returns, I can feel it,  I can see it in his eyes, he's so predictable and when that happens, it's going to be a war. A war we'd be ready for, and all along, he's going to think we are on his side. We'd watch them and then after we let them fight for the position, after he destroys his  own brother, we'd destroy him."

"How do we do that?

"We'd tell the board what he did. We'd tell the board that he did this for the company. We'd turn the board against him, who would want to vote a man that had tried to kill his father and make sure he never returned as CEO? With Christian and Jeremiah out of the way, who do you think is next in line for the position?"

"Me." He stared at her, toughening his shoulders. "I'm next. I'm going to be CEO."

She nodded.

"My love." She told him, her smile widening. "My sweet, sweet boy." She rubbed his cheek. "How you must have suffered all these years. How inferior they must have made you feel all those years while they tried to steal what is yours from you. Benoil is yours, I always told you. It always has and always would be. What wouldn't I do to make sure you sit on the throne in the end? What wouldn't I do for you and your sister? Who wouldn't I shoot or Kill?"

Nick slowly raised his hand to reach for his Mother's.

"M-mum." He sobbed. He had a lot of tears in his eyes. Susan too. "Thank you so much Mum." He squeezed her hand. "I won't let you down."

"I know." She whispered.

"I swear to you, I won't let you down I promise."

"I know." She sniffed. "I know."

Kodi slowly opened her eyes. Not making a sound of bothering to raise her head so they didn't know she was awake. Her hands were trembling and it was like  the air in the room had gotten so thin.

What in the lord's name did she just listen to?