'It's Arnold.' Lina whispered, informing Christopher who her caller was.
'Don't answer it.' Christopher voiced.
'Okay.' Lina responded, setting her phone down to her thigh.
The ringing phone stopped after a while, but when it started to ring again, she couldn't help but feel something may be wrong.
'I'm going to answer it.' Lina proclaimed.
'I can't believe you still want to talk to him after....' Christopher started, but his words trailed off when his sister eventually answered the phone.
'Put him on speaker.' He added and Lina did just that.
'Hello, ma'am.' A strange voice spoke from the other side.
'Hello, who is this?' Lina blurted, unable to shake off the fact that Arnold may be in trouble.
'I'm with the emergency services. I'm calling from a phone belonging to...an individual who's been involved in an accident.' The responder answered.
'What?!' Lina exclaimed, her heart pounding fast.
Christopher halted the car as soon as he could by the side of the road, so they could get in the information about what was going on properly.
'Is his okay?' Lina went on.
'He is currently unconscious and we are providing him with medical care at the moment. We will transfer him to an hospital soon, but we needed to get in touch with his next of kin.' The emergency responder reported.
'Ma'am, can you please tell me the name of the individual whose phone I'm calling from and your relationship with him?' He asked.
'He is Arnold Simmons, and I'm a fri....' Lina's voice trailed off, recalling Arnold's words from earlier that morning, stating they were no longer friends.
'I'm an acquaintance.' She said finally.
'Great. Please help us get in touch with his next of kin or any member of his family, if you can.' The responder stated.
'Okay.' Lina answered.
'But in the meantime, could you come to the Northwest Medical Centre to identify the patient and provide some documentation until his family arrives?' The responder queried.
'Of course.' Lina blurted.
'I'd be there.' She added, and motioned to Christopher to drive.
'Are you sure about this?' Christopher asked after the call ended.
'Sure about what?' Lina shot back.
'About going to the hospital to be with Arnold after whatever may have transpired between you two this morning.' Christopher rejoined, as he drove.
'I'm just going there as a representative until his family arrives.' Lina stated.
'He wouldn't even have to be awake before I leave.' She added.
'What exactly even happened to have caused him to be involved in an accident?' Christopher questioned.
'He was drunk, Chris.' Lina said.
'He drove while he was drunk. I have never known Arnold to be irresponsible.' Christopher blurted.
'Can we not talk about this now, I need to get in touch with his family.' Lina whispered, in order to avoid spilling the reason why Arnold got drunk and drove down to see her.
'Fine.' Christopher muttered, as Lina dialled Lisa's number.
'Hello, Crystalina.' Lisa spoke in a sing song from the other side.
'Hello, ma'am.' Lina voiced, her tone laced with tension.
'Are you okay?' Lisa asked, after detecting the worry in Lina's voice.
'Ma'am, your son...' Her voice trailed off.
'Arnold was involved in an accident.' She said eventually.
'What?!' Lisa expressed in shock.
'The emergency responders contacted me and I'm on my way to the Northwest Medical Centre. I was told to inform his family.' Lina voiced.
'Why did they call you?' Lisa puzzled.
'Apparently, I was the last person he contacted.' Lina answered.
'I will be on my way now.' Lisa declared and ended the called.
Christopher pulled over at the parking lot at the hospital in a short while.
He and Lina scurried out of the car into the hospital, heading for the reception.
'We're here for Arnold Simmons.' Lina announced to the staff at the front desk.
A nurse at the station had barely gotten her words out when a police officer approached Lina and Christopher.
'Hello, I'm Officer Maximus.' He mentioned after he got Lina's attention.
'I contacted you earlier from the patient's phone.' He added.
'Arnold Simmons.' Lina chipped in.
'Yes, Arnold Simmons.' Officer Maximus acknowledged.
'Come with me, please?' The officer declared, heading towards the ER.
Lina and Christopher followed suit.
The Officer stopped at the glass-walled corridor and gestured towards the ward Arnold was in.
Lina's eyes etched in sorrow when she saw him laying unconscious in the hospital bed.
She moved closer to the glass partition and placed her hands on it as though she was trying to reach for Arnold inside, and tears pricked her eyes as she looked at him.
She noticed the bruises on his arm and his plastered head.
Then, tilted her head slowly to the study the rise and fall of his chest.
'So, that is him.' Officer Maximus stated, certain Lina knew the patient judging by how she is reacting.
She wiped her face and turned to the officer, nodding her head subtly in agreement.
'Here is a form for you to fill so the hospital can carry on with treatment.' He went on, handing a clipboard with a form on it to Lina.
'Present it to the front desk when you're done, and you can go when his family arrives.' He added.
'I'd give you two a moment.' He concluded and turned to walk away.
'Thank you, officer.' Christopher muttered and Officer Maximus nodded as he walked away.
Lina turned her gaze to Christopher, and he instantly opened his arms to her like he knew she needed an embrace.
She walked right into his arms and sobbed quietly.
'This is all my fault.' She cried and Christopher raised an eyebrow.
'Why would you say a thing like that?' He whispered, stroking her hair calmly.
'He got drunk because of me.' Lina answered.
'If he had not gotten drunk, he wouldn't have gotten into an accident.' She added.
'Don't beat yourself up about this. The most important thing is that he is fine now.' Christopher rejoined.
'Fine!!' Lina expressed, lifting her head to meet her brother's gaze.
'Can you even see him on that bed?' She turned towards the glass partition again.
'He has bruises all over.' She sobbed.
'It's okay.' Christopher pulled her into another warm embrace.
'He is going to be fine.' He murmured.
'We will be praying for him.' He added and Lina chuckled.
'I don't pray, Christopher. But if you do, I really hope your prayers are answered.' She moved away from her brother, and returned her eyes to the form she took from the police officer.
'We should head back to the lobby and wait for his family there.' She stated before Christopher could say anything else.
'Sure.' He nodded, and walked to the reception with her.
Lina found empty seats at the reception, and proceeded towards it.
She took a seat, and Christopher followed suit.
The form was filled in no time, and Lina started to search around the hallway with her eyes, to find the officer who handed her the clipboard but she didn't see him.
Then she got up from the waiting chair, motioned to Christopher she was going to submit the form to the front desk.
He nodded and Lina moved to the nurses' station.
After presenting the filled form to someone at the station, she turned back to return to her seat, when she saw Lisa coming into the hospital with Arnold's brothers.
She suddenly felt a lump in her throat as she stared at the family looking worried sick.
She met them halfway and told them all that she knew about Arnold's accident, leaving out the part that he was drunk and they had an argument before the accident happened.
'I'd speak with the staff at the front desk. Thank you so much for being here for him.' Lisa spoke and Lina nodded sadly.
She let the family have their way, while she returned to her brother at the waiting section.
'I think we should leave.' She announced.
'Why?!' Christopher rose to his feet.
'What if the police need more information from you?' He asked.
'The officer from earlier told me I could go after his family arrived. So, if they needed any more information, his family are already here.' Lina responded.
'But you know we are not here for just anybody, right?' Christopher reached for Lina's arm, giving her a gentle stroke.
'It's Arnold we are here for, he's family.' He stated.
'I know, but I really don't want to be here when he wakes up.' Lina's voice cracked.
'I doubt I am the person he really wants to see right now.' She articulated.
'Did you two have a fight?' Christopher's face etched in concern.
'Yes.' Lina dead panned.
'And Arnold is right. I can't have my cake and eat it.' She added.
'What's that supposed to mean?' Christopher puzzled, and Lina was going to say something before they both saw Lisa approaching them.
'Is he doing okay?' Lina asked in a tone laced with worry.
'He is awake now.' Lisa replied, and Lina let out a pent-up breath in relief.
'His brothers need to get back to work now to handle an important meeting, and it's school closing hour already. I need to go pick Freddie up.' Lisa went on.
'Okay?' Lina muttered, almost certain Arnold's mother has a few more things to say.
'I need you to stay with him for a little while longer, if you don't mind.' Lisa voiced, confirming Lina's doubts.
'Oh no!! I have been trying to avoid this.' Lina screamed in her head, widening her eyes.
'Please, he needs somebody here by his side.' Lisa's plea cut through her thoughts, vague but insistent.