Lights Of The Memory Lane ✔

#3 Hallucinations

   It has been a week since Emily woke up from her coma. She is still in hospital. She was supposed to check out of hospital yesterday, but there was an accident that made her stay for a couple days.

   Andrew sits by her daughter's bed and rubs her newly bandaged hands tenderly. He didn't expect that Emily is still haunted by the incident that cost her mother's life. He thought she had forgotten it. But, was he wrong.

   'She just witnessed a very traumatic event that left her scarred for life. That experience caused her to have hallucinations.'

   The doctor's words about Emily's condition spring to his mind as he thinks of a solution to keep his daughter safe.

   "Daddy?" Emily wakes up from her deep sleep and turns to look at Andrew.

   "Hey, sweetheart," Andrew smiles and caresses Emily's pale cheek.

   "Daddy... I-I'm scared," Emily's blue eyes stare into Andrew's sadly.

   "I know, baby. I promise no one can hurt you again. I will not let that happen to you, okay?" Andrew tries hard to hide his tears, but he fails as he feels them running down his cheeks slowly.

   Emily nods and stares at Andrew steadily. Her father never showed his sadness before and it's quite weird and awkward when he cries in front of her.

   "I'm fine, Daddy," Emily assures and rubs Andrew's arm adoringly.

   "No, I should've protected you! I was --" Andrew got cut off when Emily rises from her lying position and embraces him.

   "Daddy.. I don't want to hear you blaming yourself," Emily croaks and feels Andrew lightly hugging her back. He is holding her so gently because he is afraid that he might break her fragile body.

   Emily closes her eyes as she recalls what had happened earlier.

*******

   An hour ago ...

   Emily keeps tossing and turning in her bed. She is tired, but she cannot sleep. Or more like, she is afraid to go back to sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, she would see that man. Not just in her dreams, but sometimes she could see him in front of her bed or hiding in the bathroom.

   She sits upright in bed and looks at the time. It is 6 o'clock in the evening. She extends her arm to grab a water bottle from the bedside table and drinks it.

   "Emily..."

   That familiar voice almost makes Emily choke on her drink. She puts away the bottle and stands up.

   "Mummy?" Emily walks towards the door and opens it. She sees a few people outside, including nurses and patients, but she doesn't know where her mother's voice came from.

   "Emily!"

   Emily jerks her head up when her mother screaming her name. She looks around, and yet still doesn't see her. She just keeps walking, away from her room until she arrives in front of a dim corridor. She doesn't have an idea how she even got there. Her legs and mind just brought her here. She turns her head up to the ceiling, wondering.

   "Emily, no!"

   Emily hears her mother's voice again, so she turns around, facing the dim corridor where she sees her mother, Jennifer standing in the middle and waving at her.

   "Mummy.." Emily wants to run towards her, but a dream that she had a few days ago just reminds her about the consequence. She knows that if she goes further, the creepy man will show up in front of her. Hence, she just stays on her spot, watching Jennifer from a distance.