Daddy's Not So Little Girl. (2)

Please read Part One http://surabhix.blogspot.in/2012/04/daddys-not-so-little-girl.html#links if you havent read it as yet :)

Lydia woke up to the sound of the lawn mower, squinting at the window as the sunlight poured into her spacious bedroom. As she yawned, she heard her name with a loud grunt. She wondered why her father was calling her at this time of the day. He usually left her to herself till he got back from the tea house that they owned. She pulled on her robe and flew down the stairs hoping that he hadn't found out about her being out last night. Timidly, she peeped into the garden and screamed.

George, her father, was lying on his back, a stream of blood pouring out of his nose. She rushed towards him and shook him fiercely. She yelled for help but no one seemed to hear her. Her neighbours were long gone to the farms and Mrs.Turnhouse was off to her sister's place in NewEngland. " Wake up Papa, please wake up", cried Lydia. She felt helpless till she remembered someone at the bar mentioning a new hospital that had been inaugurated last week. It was 13 kilometres from her home. Leaving her father to the hands of God, she ran inside the house to get the car keys and some money.

10 minutes later, she was struggling to lift him into the car. Her once slim and fit father, was now as heavy as 10 bags of stones. Sweat poured down her face along with tears of helplessness. She murmured consoling words to herself, her father would be okay obviously, he must have fainted due to the heat. She drove furiously, almost rashly, knowing that every minute, every second could kill or save her father. As she reached the hospital, she yelled for someone to help her lift her father out of the car. Nurses rushed towards the car and Lydia ran alongside till the reached the intensive care units.

Overcome with stress, Lydia broke down as doctors rushed in and out of the room. She tried to understand their conversation as they spoke to the nurses but the sound was blurred by the fear of losing her father. She prayed hard, wishing that she had her mother with her at this moment, enveloping her in her arms and whispering calm words against her hair.

She sat in the waiting room, numb and lifeless.. Drug overdose and kidney failure, the doctors had said.

The nurses brought her tea and biscuits, they asked her if she wanted to see her father. Lydia didn't respond, she looked at them and down at the floor again. Her whole world had come to a standstill. Her head throbbed, the tears were long gone. She was a mixture of emotions but none showed on her scarred face. She slowly got up, indicating that she was ready to meet her dead father. To say goodbye. One of the nurses guided her towards the room where her lifeless father lay, as if he were sleeping and was oblivious of what was happening around him. She dragged her feet till the hospital bed, taking in the unwanted aroma of the million medicines and chemicals.

She sat down at the edge of the white linen bed, staring at her father's face till tears finally escaped her eyes.

To be continued..