Chapter 5

At the hospital, Anna followed Detective Anderson with a pale face and a shaken heart. After riding the elevator to a floor, she wasn't sure if it was the fourth or the fifth, they walked through a long white-painted corridor that reminded Anna of her days at the hospital, and the therapy she went through to get rid of her nightmares after the accident, but it seemed to her now that somehow she was living one of them. The sound of the opening doors woke her up from her thoughts. She looked up to see a couple of men, who, judging by the guns and badges hanging on their waistlines, were cops too. The two men stood facing Detective Anderson, who asked directly

"Where is he ?" One of them replied, pointing at the set of doors behind him "- They got him in, " Anna followed his sign to face Bold red letters forming the words"Opiration room", Her heart sank even more, and the floor moved under her feet, but a strong hand grabbed her. Anderson helped her to the nearest chair, her voice came to Anna so distant "- Are you OK?" Anna closed her eyes a bit, took a deep breath, and nodded a yes. She heard her voice while opening her eyes, saying, " You said he wanted to see me. Did you say nothing about surgery? How bad ..." Detective Anderson interrupted her." Easy, Miss. Nilson, you'll see him soon. " One of the men handed her a bottle of water and said, "They'd to get him to surgery. He couldn't afford to wait, though he did insist to ." Anna looked up at him, so he smiled, adding," I am Jack, by the way, " he pointed to the other guy and introduced himself." That's Gorge, we are your uncle's team ." Anna nodded her head as a silent greeting while her eyes hung on the closed doors. The man called Gorge spoke for the first time and asked, " Have you got anyone...older to call ?" Anna looked at him with attention, so he added," You know other family members. " Adam, " Anna cried in realization. It was just then that part of her senses came back to her. She should let Adam and Sam know. While Anna was searching her bag for her phone to make the calls. The lady and two men stepped away and started to whisper.

"What are we going to do? " Liz asked, her eyes on Anna. " Let's hang around till Alex gets out safe and sound, or one of her family members shows up," Jack replied, "Didn't you hear Alex, he is all that she's got here, Why do you think he resisted that much going to surgery before seeing her" Gorge commented. "One way or another, we're stuck here till Alex is back, We'll keep an eye on her and make sure she's safe If Alex's fears were right, she is at a deadly risk " Liz concluded, and the two men agreed silently.

Anna called both her brothers, but no one answered, which made her freak out even more. She closed her eyes and leaned her head on the wall behind her in an attempt to calm her racing heart. Instead, her mind went wild playing on and on what Detective Anderson said in the car. " Alex was shot," she said, watching Anna's wide-open eyes in shock. " The shot is not deadly but critical, he refused to go to surgery though, not before he sees you." Anna's eyes shot open at that thought only to meet the eyes of the last person she thought she could see there, the boy sitting next to her in class and making her days as a newcomer to the school even harder, Allen Maxwell.

Back at another hospital, Sam got out of his third surgery for the day, headed to his office, and dropped himself on the sofa seeking some rest. His eyes, though, opened wide when he remembered his appointment with Adam to go and see Michael's basketball game. He tapped on both his trousers' side pockets only to find them empty. He looked towards his office to find his phone sitting there, he breathed loudly covered his eyes with his arm, and whispered, "Cannot move a muscle, I need rest," and he fell asleep. On the other hand, Adam was in a meeting finishing an important deal when his silent phone lightened with Anna's name, thinking that as she used to do, she called to remind him of Michael's coming game, Adam smiled and turned down the phone thinking " I'll call you in a bit, I know" however how little he knew.

At the hospital, Anna was about to talk to Allen when the doctor got out of the surgery. She stood up to go to him like the others, only to sit down again. Her knees could not hold her, a tear ran down her face, and once more, she stood and pushed herself till she reached him. Gorge has already asked the question hanging on in everyone's mind there in the cold white waiting room. " How is he ?"