TRAUMATIC MUTISM

After a lot of scanning, they finally arrived at the sitting room and saw Ella lying very helpless on the couch. She was still backing the entrance.

"Ella." Lola calls and rushes to her, moving her to face them. "Oh my God!" She exclaims immediately she saw Ella's face.

"What exactly happened to her?" Malik asks looking at how pale she was. "And why is no one with her?"

"Please save me." Ella whispers again.

Malik Carries her and runs to his car, Lola follows too. They were hoping and praying she does not die, she looks too pale and sick.

The scene reminds Ella of the good old days. There was one time she had food poisoning, her father carried her rushing to his car and her mom too was so restless as she follows them. Peter was so confused that day, even though he was a medical doctor, he couldn't bring himself to treat her. Instead, he rushed her to another hospital nearby.

Ella looks at Malik worried face so as Lola's, though she was in pains but still found a little comfort in the arms of Malik, she closed her eyes not in death, not to collapse but to sleep.

"I will follow you with my car, lead the way and let's take her to the nearest hospital." Lola suggests.

"Alright, please help me with passenger's door." Lola helps him and he lays Ella carefully.

Both of them enters thy car and drives on a very high speed again until they found a hospital nearby.

With rush, the nurses started attending to Ella. Her condition seemed to be a very critical one. She was taken into an emergency ward and started taking some treatment.

Lola was walking around the reception room with a lot of worry written all over her face. Malik was sitting, trying to think of what had really happened to Ella to put her in such state. Why is she alone in the first place? And why did Lola ask him not to call anyone else? There surely has to be a story behind everything.

"Ma'am." Malik calls to get her attention and immediately he did, he told her to seat beside him. "Please have a seat."

The receptionist was quite quiet, there were just about four people in total including Lola, Malik, a nurse sitting on the counter and another man who seem to be their to check on someone too.

"I just hope nothing goes wrong, I pray nothing happens to Ella." Lola whispers still sounding very worried.

"I hope so too. Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course you can."

"Why was she alone in the house? And why did you ask me not to call anyone the other time?" Malik asks maintaining a straight face.

"I don't know why she is alone, and I don't know what really got her in that condition. But I hope when she wakes she would tell us all that happened."

"Why didn't you want me to call anyone for support? I mean you said it clearly yourself that she was in danger, but you told me not to make an official call to the police, instead you told me to come." Malik sighs. "You were scared of something right? You called me because you were scared to go alone right?"

"Look, I will explain to you when Ella wakes, please for now let's just hope she wakes."

"If you don't tell me what is really going on, I will be forced to report to the police headquarters." Malik was getting all worked up.

"Do you really want to know what happened?"

"That shouldn't be a question anymore, you know I want to."

Without any more words, Lola brings out her phone and shows Malik the article she had read about Ella. "Take and read this."

Malik collects the phone quickly, the article title got his attention. 'Ella Smith is Missing' his eyes runs through the article and he couldn't believe what he just read. He looks at Lola in disbelief. "Ella is on the run?"

"Yes, she is in the run from the unknown. Whoever killed her parents and grandparents would be surely looking for her too. So she came here to hide in Burundi."

"What about that lady? The one who stood as her guardian the other day at the police station?"

"That is what I don't know about. Only God knows what really happened."

They were having their conversation when the doctor walks up to them. "Good day ma and sir."

"Good day doctor." Malik greets.

"Are you the ones that brought in that young girl not quite long?"

"Yes we are the ones." Lola answers anxiously. "Is she awake?"

"Yes." The doctor replies with a smile.

Both Lola and Malik sigh of relief, they couldn't have imagined what would happen if she didn't wake.

"Thank goodness." Lola murmurs.

"Let's go to my office." The doctor says leading the way and they follow him. They had their seat as soon as they arrive at the office and the doctor started addressing them. "That young girl needs a lot of care and attention, she has too much on her mind as young as she is, as a matter of fact she is going through a lot of trauma that is causing some anxiety disorders."

"I know about that, we would work towards that sir." Lola says trying to avoid the deep talk.

"Can we talk to her now?" Malik asks.

The doctor sighs and says "I am afraid to tell you she won't be able to speak for a while."

"What are you talking about? Didn't you just say she was awake?" Malik asks loudly.

"Yes she is, but can't speak due to traumatize mutism."

"Traumatic mutism?" Lola asks. "What does that mean?"

"Traumatic mutism occurs when a child develops mutism in all situations because of a trauma experienced."

With the explanation, Lola and Malik already had the idea of where it came from.