Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 81488 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 407(@200wpm)___ 326(@250wpm)___ 272(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81488 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 407(@200wpm)___ 326(@250wpm)___ 272(@300wpm)
Instead, more droughts came to more places, and more locusts, too. To make matters worse, there were far less ships arriving with fresh fruit, and the pigs eating the crops multiplied. The people fell to their knees and asked, ‘Why has God forsaken us?’
Because you prayed to a demon, instead of to me…
When has a devil ever told the truth? Only when they’ve gotten what they wanted from their victims and hung them out to dry. They gloat about how much of a fool we as humans have been to place money, status and power above the wellbeing of humanity, and forget the true meaning of love.
One must understand that there are no good bits of a demonic entity, and there’s no bad bits to walking in truth. Deals with the devil never allow us to be on the winning end of things. Our stick will always be short, our hearts shattered, our wells dry, our luck run out, and our weaknesses exposed. A deal with the devil is a treaty for destruction.
Whoever shook Satan’s hand and didn’t get burned?
Roman sat in one of the lobbies of Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge. He cradled a hot cup of coffee between his palms, looking down at a dismal, dull off-white hospital floor. The place smelled of antiseptic ointments and sickness. Genesis had been correct—his father was sent there, as it was the closest hospital to Angola State Penitentiary and had the necessary staff and equipment to accommodate him and address his injuries.
Penetrating neck trauma was what the nurse called it. Dad was in surgery. That was all he knew, and the prison posed little assistance—probably more focused on trying to shield themselves from a potential lawsuit than offer helpful information, concern, and comfort. The nurse he’d spoken to upon his and Genesis’ arrival had remarked about how strong Reeves Wilde was. His will to survive overrode the fact that he’d been lying on the prison floor for at least a couple of minutes before the guards was alerted, cupping his own throat to try and keep from bleeding out.
“Mr. Wilde?”
“Yes?” Roman looked up at a dark-haired man with a bit of gray at the temples and a ruddy complexion who stood before him with a tablet in hand. The doctor’s eyes were almost the same color as his own.
“We’ve completed your father’s surgery. Our principal focus was to detect and restore his impaired, damaged blood vessels, and address his injured airway which resulted in an emergency tracheostomy upon his arrival.”
Roman nodded in understanding, then set his coffee down on the nearby table cluttered with home improvement magazines and a copy of the Christian, ‘Daily Word.’
“He’s okay now?”
“Mr. Wilde, your father is still in serious condition, but the emergency surgery was a success, and now he’s conscious, but resting. This is a critical time. We’re watching him closely. His injury was severe, and we won’t know the full extent of the damage until we can see how he progresses over the next forty-eight hours.”
Roman’s eyes clamped shut, keeping the tears of relief at bay. A warm hand and the scent of soap and light perfume surrounded him when his lady ran her consoling touch along his back. He leaned forward, clasped his hands together and rested his forehead against his trembling fists.
“Do you know if Roman will be able to see him soon?” Genesis spoke up for him. Became his voice when he’d lost his own.
“I’m not certain, but as soon as we feel it is safe, I’ll send someone to let you know that you can visit his room,” the doctor responded. “Do you have any other questions?”
Roman slowly looked up. The surgeon’s reflection appeared, glassy and rippled behind his unspent tears.
“When we first got here, a nurse said he was trying to speak. Do you know by chance, what he was saying?” Roman questioned.
“I’m sorry, I don’t.”
The two of them looked at one another. Something in the doctor’s face denoted a peculiar understanding—as if he, too, had a father who was on the fringes of society and almost lost his battle with his inner demons, or perhaps, someone he loved dearly was lying in a bed fighting for their life, too. Even though Reeves Wilde was still alive, it felt like a death of sorts, anyway. Like Daddy was some feral tomcat who’d turned in his eighth life and only had one left to spare.
“Thank you.” Genesis stood and shook the doctor’s hand. “We’ll wait for an update.” The two spoke a few seconds longer about where he’d be relocated in the hospital later in the day, and then, he was gone. They were alone. He looked at the back of her, and he felt empty inside. The harsh hospital lights crowned her head of braids that flowed down her back, like a halo with rays of sunshine. She turned slowly in his direction, serenity in her dark, large eyes that beckoned to him. He wanted a little of that. The sound of the wall-mounted television interrupted his thoughts.