Chapter 3: Take Back What Was Rightfully Theirs.

Rayna completed all the formalities and paid the hospital bill before taking the elevator to the floor where her brother's room was.

As she rode the elevator, her mind could not help but wander to the happenings of today.

'How was she going to pay for her brother's hospital bills? Where was she going to live?' Rayna asked herself inwardly.

What baffled her was her father's change in attitude. He used to be very warm and listened to all that she had to say. Not once had he shouted at her but he had slapped her today.

She didn't know what to do and she was running out of time. "Let me see how my brother is doing first." She said as the elevator opened and she stepped out.

Her mind ran through many things as she walked down the hallway. "Ohh, Doctor..." She called out to Jack but stopped herself when a nurse came to call him and he rushed down the hallway.

"He must be busy." Rayna muttered.

She got to the front of her brother's room and breathed out. She opened the door but her whole body froze. 

'Her... Her brother.' She wasn't sure if she was seeing things; she wouldn't even be shocked if she was because her mind had conjured every possible scenario of her brother waking up, and she guessed this should be one of them.

Liam heard the hospital room open and thought that it was the nurse who Jack said he would send.

"I don't need anything for now, I'll call you when I need anything." He said without opening his eyes. 

Rayna stood rooted at the door, not daring to say a word for fear that everything she was seeing would be dissolved and she would be welcomed with the sight of her brother lying motionless on the hospital bed.

He heard no response and thought the nurse had left until he heard a soft voice behind him.

"Li?" 

Rayna didn't know when she called out his name. If this was a dream, she wanted never to wake up.

Liam froze. The only person who called him that was... Rayna.

"Rayna?"

Rayna continued to stand by the door, still not daring to move.

"Won't you greet your brother?" Liam asked with a smile.

Rayna burst into tears and ran forward. She flung herself into his arms. 

"It's okay. I'm here now." Liam said as he patted her back, trying to soothe her. 

By the time Rayna had finished crying, her eyes were red and swollen. She pulled out of his arms to look at her brother and then hugged him again.

"Are you okay? Are you in pain? Is your head alright?" Rayna fired all her questions at Liam who only smiled at her.

"I should call the doctor." Rayna said and was about to leave the room, but Liam held her wrist tightly but not enough to hurt her.

"I'm okay, Ray. And Jack has checked me already." Liam replied.

"Are you sure? I think he should check you one more time." Rayna said firmly.

******

"He is fine, Rayna. He just needs plenty of rest and exercise to get his body moving again since he has been lying down for about five years now." Jack said to the worried girl, softly.

"You see, I told you I was fine." Liam said, smiling.

"But you need rest." 

"I have rested enough. Now tell me all that has happened, and do not leave anything out." Liam said with all seriousness.

"I'll leave you siblings to it." Jack said and went out of the room.

Rayna fidgeted. She didn't know what to say.

Liam noticed. He pulled her and made her sit beside him on the bed.

"Tell me everything, Ray." He said warmly as he noticed how she played with the hem of her shirt absentmindedly.

"Mum suddenly had a heart attack...." Rayna started telling him everything that had happened since he was unconscious five years ago till date.

With every word that Liam heard, his expression, hardened. His sister had gone through all of these? And what was their father doing?

"And then she told me to get out of the house after I signed the transfer papers. I called out to Dad severally, but he didn't answer." Rayna said as she shrugged.

Liam was like a volcano about to erupt. He didn't even know what to say as he was so angry. Let's assume that he had not woken up on time; that's how he would have died, and his sister would continue to suffer.

He had to hand it over to his father; he deserved a special trophy, 'Dad of the Year.'

"Don't get too angry, it's not good for your health." Rayna said as she noticed her brother was trying his best to hold in his anger.

"You have to rest now." Rayna said worriedly. "Ahh! I didn't bring a change of clothes, ohh! Did I mention that I packed everything in our rooms, I didn't even leave the toothpaste." Rayna laughed.

"Samantha must have forgotten to check through my things, as she always wanted everything that I had. She must be boiling in anger right now." Rayna continued laughing. Rayna had always wondered why Samantha liked everything that she had, and she would always take anything of hers that she liked and pretend that it was her own.

But during those times when she came back home from the hostel for a holiday, she would always find her room exactly the way she left it. She didn't think much of it and wondered if maybe Samantha didn't see anything she liked, but then she overheard when her dad told Samantha not to take anything from her room again.

Samantha must have forgotten to do so because it would have been the perfect opportunity to take some of her things since she was leaving the house. Rayna was satisfied that the greedy girl would be very angry.

Liam was happy that his sister was happy; he wanted her never to be sad again, and he would make sure of it.

"Tell me about your school days." Liam said, wanting to take her mind off the matter on their hands at the moment.

Rayna talked and laughed with her brother until she fell asleep beside him.

The bed was big enough for both of them. Liam lifted her legs and placed them on the bed. He had a hard time getting her to sleep comfortably as he couldn't stand yet. 

He looked at her sleeping peacefully without a care of the world. He just needed to regain all his strength and take back what was rightfully theirs.