3• Karma

“Speak now!” Chris yelled at her raising her head with his finger, “did you inform your mother or anyone about this?”

Amanda shook her head and tears gathered in her eyes. She hated to see her father reacting that way.

“I was scared, Dad. But I took him to the hospital immediately…”

“And dumped him there only to disappear? Is that in my character?”

Amanda shook her head.

“I am so sorry Dad. I really am. I was worried that something bad could have happened to him and it would be linked to me.”

She was sobbing now and shaking vigorously.

“Look how foolish you are. Well, for your information, someone caught it all on camera and your face is all over the clip. Amanda, do you know how much your foolishness has cost me today?”

Amanda's eyes widened with shock. She thought the streets were lonely that day but she had no idea that she was caught on camera.

“How were you driving when you did not see a human being walking across from you?” Chris asked, groaning so loudly.

“I was heartbroken Dad!” She cried out, “that was the same day Greg broke my heart!”

Chris became livid and clamped his hands together, trying to hold them back from slapping his daughter on her face.

“You were heartbroken? And that was the justification for knocking someone down? You are definitely insane, Amanda!”

He tapped his driver.

“You can drive now!” He ordered him.

“Where are we going, Dad?”

“To see the man whose life you ruined! God help you that he is recovering, else, you would see the worst of your father today.”

His face was stern and Amanda dared not argue further.

The rest of the ride was done in silence except for Amanda's gentle sobs and the sound of the running engine and the occasional honking of the horn.

Chris said no other word to her.

Once they got to the hospital, he got out of the car and made sure that she joined him too and he gripped her wrists tightly and dragged her along as they walked into the hospital.

Once they got to the receptionist, Chris greeted her briefly.

“I am here to see Mr. Roman Black, he was involved in an accident…”

“Don't worry sir. I know who you are here to see,” the lady at the reception replied, her haughty gaze darting towards Amanda, “I recognize her,” she said with a distasteful look at her.

Amanda rolled her eyes and looked away from the lady and Chris was disgruntled by the lady's words.

“Can we see him?”

“Sure. Mr. Roman may not be too pleased to see you but I guess I have to let you in afterall.”

Chris nodded and thanked her. As they walked behind the receptionist, he turned to his daughter, his eyes filled with anger.

“Do you see the harm you have done to your reputation here? Do you see how contemptuous she was, speaking about you?”

Amanda simply nodded her head, not willing to speak a word as she couldn't believe her father would handle it the way he did.

She probably expected him to be soft on her but he took it with a hard level of discipline.

Once they got to the room where Roman was admitted, Chris felt a pang of guilt staring at the young man with the heavy equipment wired to his body and his legs lifted.

His state was pitiable.

Amanda looked away from him sharply, unable to keep her gaze on him.

Roman could not move his body and the doctors were standing by his side, looking at him.

“Good afternoon,” Chris greeted him and the doctors. “I am Mr. Campbell and this is my daughter, Amanda, the person who hit you.”

Roman grimaced at the sound of that and Chris could see the fury in his eyes. Amanda moved gently to her father's side and slid behind him, shielding herself from Roman's gaze and the doctor's look of disdain.

“I am sorry for what my daughter did to you. I do not know to what extent this has gotten but I am ready to bear the responsibility for whatever costs come with this situation.

One of the doctors let out a long breath and shook his head.

Roman looked at Chris with a look of fury and pain.

“I can see the pain in your eyes,” Chris mentioned, his voice filled with emotions for Roman. He truly felt empathetic about the entire situation.

“I know that you must be going through a whole lot now, Roman. But I promise you, I am here for you. To show you how sorry I and my entire family are, I will start by paying for the hospital bills immediately. If that has been taken care of, I would ask for a refund of your money immediately!” He spoke so clamantly and it seemed to get on Romans nerves because he had limited his issues to money.

“Enough already, sir!” Roman groaned. “I could have asked you to leave here the moment you walked in with your daughter but I had to show you respect especially because I can clearly see that you feel sorry for me.”

Chris nodded, wondering what Roman was going to say.

While Amanda gently moved out of her hiding, Showing Roman her face and it got him even more aggravated seeing her standing and he would not be able to anymore.

“Sir, sometimes, money isn't the problem. The problem could be, the person who did this, does she feel sorry? Does she understand what she has cost me?” He asked, looking at Amanda with pain evident in his eyes.

“Not only did your daughter hit me but she gave me reasons to question my faith in humanity because she dumped me here and disappeared only to reappear because you clearly made her. I can see the look of disinterest and lack of remorse in her face!”

He was in pain and now he was crying. Tears rushed down his cheeks and Chris felt that pain too. He turned to Amanda and nudged her with his fists at his bedside.

“Come one, go there now and apologize to him! He needs to know that you are sorry.”

Amanda grudgingly walked towards Roman and stood afar from him but willing to have any physical contact with him.

“I am so sorry, Mr. Roman. I really cannot take back what happened but I promise to be there for you.”

Roman said nothing. He was just silent, looking forward and holding back the tears that rolled down his cheeks.

The doctors saw that he was not going to say anything else, so they led Mr. Chris and Amanda away, insisting that they let Roman have some rest.

Once they were out on the corridors, one of the doctors decided to explain the damage done to Roman.

“Mr. Chris, I am sure Roman appreciates your visit. However, there is something you need to know. This accident may have cost him his legs.”

Shock appeared on Chris's face and he could barely speak.

“What does this mean?” Amanda asked, looking panicky.

“He may not be able to walk again.”