chapter four

James looked at his mother as she was asleep. The doctor walked in with some other doctors. "We need to have her take to the theatre now, James. Do you have any last words?" Dr. Raymond looked at him. "Will she be fine?" James asked 

"We need to do the surgery first, and then we are going to have to wait." Raymond said, and Martha was wheeled out of her ward. James followed behind as they followed her into the theatre room. "Why don't you go home and come back the following day? This is going to take hours." One of the doctors looked at James. All they could see was a young boy who had a lot ahead of him. "No, I am going to stay. I want my face to be the first face she sees when she wakes up." James replied and sat on the long chairs outside the theatre. 

The hospital was awfully silent, as the silent beeping of the fluorescent bulb could be heard. James clasped his hands together as he prayed for the first time in his life. He didn't believe in God or gods. He believed he had the key to his own life and could do whatever he wanted, but this time it was different. He knew, judging from the doctor's earlier explanation, that it was only God or gods that could save his mother. 

James dozed off on the chair he was in as he crouching, trying to get some sleep. He was having another nightmare again. It was the same as before. He opened his eyes suddenly and saw a man standing before him, a little far away from him. 

He was in black and was in a hooded dress. James got up gently from the chair and looked around. He saw there was no one there and wondered who the man standing before him was. The light flickered as if he had control over the bulbs. "Do you have it?" He heard a voice that sent chills down his spine. "Do I have what?" James shouted back at him. 

The man started to walk towards him, and James stepped back, trying to see where he could turn or run. His back was hitting the theatre room. He knew if he ran, the man was just going to enter the theatre room and probably kill his mother and also the doctors in there. 

"I have it." He said it all of a sudden, making the hooded man stop. "Show me." The voice came at him again.

James walked closer to him, leading him out of the hospital. They met Rose on the way out, and she wanted to talk to James, but he saw James winking at her to go. They were out of the hospital, and James kept leading the strange man to an unknown destination. They got to an awfully quiet abandoned house, and James turned back to look at his face. "Who are you, and what do you want from my mother?" he shouted as his voice echoed through the house. 

A sinister smile appeared on the face of the hooded man. "You are a brave little kid. Has anyone ever told you that?" He cracked his neck a bit. 

"You either tell me what you have to do with my mother or we can fight this out." James shouted yet again. 

"Oh, I am scared. What are you going to  do, kid?" The back-face man asked again. 

Before he could say another word, James ran towards him and gave him a blow, sending him backward. The man staggered back and held his mouth. He looked at James and wondered what he had hit him with. "You are going to regret this," he shouted and charged at James. 

He smacked James a few times, sending him to the ground. " would stay down if I were you." The man laughed. 

James groaned in pain. He tried to stand up, but his leg was broken. "Tell me where the spectacle is!" The man shouted, sending a kick to James head.

James coughed out blood as one of his teeth was removed. "I won't tell you anything. I would rather die!" He shouted, spitting out blood from his mouth. 

"Well, I am going to kill you and also kill your mother." The man said it in anger. 

He looked at James, and his eyes turned blue, and some energy pulsated out of his body. He was about to smack him, but the. James eyes turned red. His bone cracked loudly, and he began to heal up. He stood up, grabbing the man's hand, and the fight got heated. 

James managed to knock him out and race towards the hospital. 

Doctor Raymond was out with other doctors, and they were looking for him. 

"I am here!" James shouted, running towards the doctors. "Thank you." Doctor Raymond bowed down to the other doctors, and they walked away. "Where were you?" he said, looking at James,, who was havinga lotot of bruiseon his face. James winced as he stared at the face of the man standing before him."id you cure her? Is she alright?" James asked, trying to catch his breath.

"I am sorry, James." The broken bone had punctured some of her lungs. We tried our best, but you need to be ready to say goodbye." Doctor Raymond said, sadly, walking away from him. James fell to the floor of the hospital passage, sobbing as he remembered all he had to go through to get to where he was today. It was now dawning on him that his mother was running away from something or someone, and he needed to find out who it was. He stood up and walked into the hospital ward. 

Martha smiled at him as he walked in. "My cute little boy," she said, and James broke down into tears. 

"I know, I am selfish. I had hoped this day would never come. I promised your father I would protect you, and God knows I want to too," Martha said with a shaky voice. 

She gently opens a part of her belly using her hands, making James watch in awe. "Don't tell me this is what they have bees looking for." James looked at his mother.

"Yes, it is. I am sorry, I can't explain much because we don't have time." Martha said, her voice dropping.

"You are bleeding," James cried, using his hands to stop the open stomach.

"I love you, James McCall. I..." Martha was about to say another word but suddenly stopped. Her eyes were widely open. 

James shouted, trying to call out to the doctor. He quickly grabbed the spectatles, like it would wake up his mother. He put it on, but then he felt a lightning bolt hit his chest. He shook violently and fell down beside his mother.