CHAPTER 1

"Nurse!... Nurse, where is my father?" Marie asked as soon as she burst into the hospital at a speed that lightning would envy.

Everyone in the hospital turned to stare at her as she ran as fast as her legs could carry her, her sneakers thudding on the tiled floor and her ponytail swinging at her back.

Marie was still in her Cafe uniform and had even forgotten to take off her apron; she had quickly left her job as a waitress as soon as she got a call from the hospital that her father had been rushed over.

She was going to get in trouble no doubt but she needed to see her father, her heart was beating madly against the wall of her chest as she ran, tears stinging at the side of her eyes.

Just then, the doctor came out from the theater, pulling his nose mask from his face. She rushed to him, probably startling him.

"Doctor, where is my dad? What happened?" She asked, pulling his hands.

"Calm down, you must be Miss Mariagoretti Ambrose." He asked.

Marie nodded quickly, impatiently, "Yes, yes. That's me. I'm here to see my dad. Where is he? Is he okay?"

"Calm down, miss, "The doctor said, "Please, follow me to my office"

Marie quickly followed him down the corridor to his office, and she sat down uneasily as if she were made to sit on hot coals.

"Look, Marie. Your father is in a very critical condition, he was rushed down here after he had another seizure" The doctor told her, his life was in danger, "I'm afraid we need to carry out an operation for him immediately, miss, else you might lose your father"

Tears rushed down Marie's cheeks. An operation? Had it gotten so bad that her father would have to need an operation? She had spent all her earnings from the cafe to buy her father's drugs and made sure he ate the right food according to his nutritionist who she also had to pay.

Marie felt as if the earth was turning its bad side. Why was all this happening to her? She sniffed and looked up at the doctor, who had a remorseful look on his face.

"Okay, so how much are we looking at?" Marie asked him, fingers crossed.

The doctor sighed deeply, "The whole cost of his surgery is a hundred thousand dollars, miss, and remember, it had to be carried out as soon as possible"

The doctor's words kept ringing in her ears even after she had excused herself from his office, promising to gather the money in three days as he had advised.

It was impossible to do so, it was just the beginning of the month and there was no way her grumpy employer would pay her for the month, tears slipped down her cheeks.

She was allowed into her father's room and the constant beeping of the life machine filled her ears, her heart tightened in pain at the sight of him on the bed asleep.

Marie walked soundlessly to him and took his hand in hers, "I promise to get the money for your operation no matter what it takes, Dad"

She lowered her head to his hand and tears poured down her cheeks, her shoulder shaking in her sob, "Hold on tight, Dad. I'd get you out of this bed in no time"

Marie walked absent-mindedly out of the hospital, she didn't mind the glances that the passers-by threw at her as she walked past, she felt tired and in pain.

There was just so much going through her mind, so much she couldn't handle. She wiped her face quickly with the back of her hand but tears just kept on strolling down her face.

Her heart was heavy, so heavy as if placed on a heavy scale. Marie kept walking confusedly, the soles of her sneakers making a soft thud against the sidewalk, there was too much on her head but there was no one to pour out her problems to.

No one she could turn to for help, the truth was that no one could help, was it her boss back at the cafe? The thought of going to help for help itself sounded so lame and absurd, it could only happen in her imagination.

She couldn't just sit back, do nothing, and watch her father, the only family she had left die. Maria boarded a bus and sat down heavily at the back, she looked out of the window and allowed her tears to cascade down her cheeks.

"Where the hell have you been?" Ri, her friend, rushed to her and dragged her to the back of the counter as soon as she walked into the cafe.

Marie sat down heavily on one of the cafe stools, her face stained with tears and her eyes swollen. She looked down at her palm absent-mindedly and took a deep breath.

"I had to cover up for you; otherwise, Mr. Winchester would have noticed you were away and fired you in a blink," Ri told her out of breath. Her voice softened as she saw the dull look on her friend's face. "What happened, Marie?"

Marie sighed, her shoulders slumping down as she did, her face was a portrait of despair as she spoke up.

"My dad...he had another seizure and was rushed to the hospital," Marie said slowly.

Ri gasped audibly, "Oh my God, I'm ...I'm so sorry, Marie. I didn't know, so what would you do? What did the doctor say?"

Marie sighed heavily, "He needs to undergo an operation and he needs a hundred thousand dollars in three days else I will lose him"

Ri gasped again, louder than the last and her hands flew to her mouth, "How the hell can you raise a hundred thousand dollars in just three days? That's...that's impossible "

"I know, "Marie said quietly, "I don't know what to do, I'm just tired of everything and I can't lose my dad, he's the only one I've got left after my mum and sister died in that fatal accident "

Ri sighed and lowered to her, placing her hand on her shoulders, "Come on, Marie. You are not going to lose your dad and you should let go of those painful memories, it happened a long time ago"

"So what do I do now?" Marie looked up at her friend, a tear dropping from her eyes.

Ri straightened up and seemed to think for a few seconds then she looked down at Marie who had l of going to help for help itself sounded so lame and absurd, it could only happen in her imagination.

She couldn't just sit back, do nothing, and watch her father, the only family she had left die. Maria boarded a bus and sat down heavily at the back, she looked out of the window and allowed her tears to cascade down her cheeks.

"Where the hell have you been?" Ri, her friend, rushed to her and dragged her