Molten Chocolate

Chapter 11

Jasmine’s POV

After work on Tuesday, I went to the hospital to see my mom. I walked slowly to the room she was held in.

I hated hospitals. The scent of antibacterial cleaning products lingered in the halls and it always felt like the cold hands of death were reaching for me.

I pushed in room fourteen and saw my mother laying down on the bed. Machines attached to her to help her breathe, mask over her nasal area to flow the oxygen to her nostrils so it can enter her lungs and a monitor beeping to indicate her heart beats per minute. She looked like she was asleep.

Or dead.

“Mom, I’m here. I know you’re slipping away from me and Zenia as the days go by but I’ll do something to get that money so you can have a successful lungs transplant. I can’t let you die knowing I’ve done absolutely nothing to save you. I don’t care if I’ll have to sell my body to make that money, I’ll do it for you mommy.”

I buried my face at the side of my mother and I began crying bitterly.

I hated seeing her like this. I hated the fact that she was slipping away further and more each day.

I hated the fact that I didn’t have the money to save her.

I hated the guilty feeling that was creeping up on me and made me felt like this was somewhat my fault because I’ve let her down. I vowed to take care of her and I couldn’t even do that.

The door opened and a female doctor walked in.

“Good evening. Are you one of Mrs. Blackman’s daughters?”

“Actually it’s Miss. Blackman. My mother was never married. And yes I’m the eldest daughter.”

“Thanks for that clarification. I have some news I should tell you no matter how hard it may be on you and the family.”

I braced myself for the awful news I knew she was coming with.

“Her situation hasn’t changed since she got here. And everyday without the lungs transplant, is a day worse for her. She has exactly one month to live..or even less if the transplant can’t be done, and there’s a waiting list also.

I wouldn’t like to pull the plug on this woman. Isn’t there anything you can do Miss. Blackman? Isn’t there someone you can ask for the money? Isn’t there a bank you can get a loan from or anything at all? Time is ticking.”

I began to cry again. My mind was blanked. I couldn’t do anything for her. It would take months for me to save that money, maybe even a year or more. I don’t know anyone with that amount of money who’ll lend it to me so I can save my mother. The only business I did at my bank was withdrawals. I have no savings and no securities that would qualify me for an instant loan. I didn’t know what to do. I can’t sell myself to save her, although I did say that before. Mom would be so disappointed in me. She taught me self-respect and self-worth, I dare wouldn’t go against that. I couldn’t do anything but to watch her fade away from me and my sister.

“I’m sorry Miss. Blackman, I didn’t mean to upset you so much,” the doctor said again as she stood beside me and looked on.

“Would she wake up?” I asked through tears.

“I’m afraid she had been heavily sedated since she can’t breathe on her own as she should. But she should be awake by tomorrow or the following day.”

“Thank you doctor.”

“Oh I’m Dr. Shannon by the way.”

“Dr. Shannon,” I repeated.

“I’ll leave you now. If there’re any changes, please push the nurse’s button and we’ll be here.”

I nodded yes and she left the room. I wiped my tears away, not taking my eyes off my mother. The tears were coming again and again. I looked up to the ceiling and said a silent prayer to the God I believe in.

I got up and walked out the room. I wasn’t capable of baring it anymore. I couldn’t stop crying and feeling sorry for my mother.

I signed out with trembling hands then I left the hospital.

I sat down at the back of the bus, trying to think about any possible solution to this.

I was blanked.

When I got home, I went directly into the bathroom, took my clothes off and stepped into the shower. Taking a cold bath, I cried again.

I gathered myself, changed into something comfortable and went to the living room where my sister was doing some research on my computer.

“Hey,” I greeted her coldly.

“Hey,” she responded.

“I went to see mom today.”

“Any good news?”

“No. She has exactly one month before her lungs completely failed and without the transplant she’ll.....“I couldn’t bring myself to say that last word.

Zenia took a big inhale and paused. She looked over to me with wet eyes now.

“Jassy, isn’t there anyone you could ask for the money?”

“No. I don’t have any friends.”

“What about the friend you said you slept with?”

“WHAT!!” I shouted from astonishment by her question.

“You said that you had a friend....” she began again.

I didn’t let her finished that statement.

“Zen, I can’t ask that friend for any money.”

“Why not?!”

“Because I just can’t!”

“Even to save our dying mother?!”

“You don’t understand Zenia!”

“Well make me understand Jasmine. Why you can’t ask her for the money?”

“It’s not a ′her’... It’s a ‘him’ and I can’t ask him because he’s my boss.”

There was a long silence from her.

“You slept with Evan Hollen? Mr. CEO of Hollen Tower?” she finally asked.

“Yes,” I said, a ridiculous blush appearing on my cheeks.

“Well he’s fricking loaded. He can give you the money without even putting a dent in his pocket.”

“Zenia, he wouldn’t give me the money...”

“Why not? After you two slept together he wouldn’t at least help in a terrible situation like our mother’s?”

“What happened between us was a mistake and he made it clear that he wasn’t interested in me.”

“WHAT? Oh hell no, he can’t do something so awful to you after you slept with him.”

“We woke up in the same bed but I don’t think we had sex.”

“You don’t think?”

“We were both drunk, Zen. He has no feelings for me and furthermore, he has a girlfriend.”

“Oh my God.”

She looked at me and shook her head. For the first time, I felt embarrassed about Mr. Hollen. I had to forget about him. I couldn’t allow myself to let something so stupid happen again with him or any other guy for that matter. I had a little sister and I had to set an example.

“So even if you at least tell him, he wouldn’t give you or lend you the money?” she asked, still holding on to the hope and possibilities that my boss would be the saviour to our situation.

“I honestly don’t know,” I answered her.

“Will you ask him?”

“I wouldn’t get the money from him Zen. He’s not my boyfriend, he’s my boss. He wouldn’t just hand out a large sum of money to one of his employees and that’s all I am to him and that’s what I’ll always be! An employee! A personal assistant!”

I stormed towards my bedroom, shutting the door loudly behind me. I began to cry again. I wished life was different for us. Instead of a genie, I was wishing for a miracle.