Life's Tough With The Odds Against You - Chapter Seven - Hell Hath No Power Over Love
#7 of Life's Tough With The Odds Against You
Well, here it is. The grand finale, the coup de grâce, the inevitable end of a love story... Maybe. I say this because as much as I enjoy writing this type of story, I feel this particular one is at its final resting place. However, if enough of you really really don't want it to end just yet or want just one more chapter then I may continue it. But I also have many things I've neglected while focusing on this series and would like to get back to them. But before you begin, I thank you all who have taken the time to read my story and even more so for those who commented and rated. I hope that you continue following my works and look for my next upload when it comes. Regardless of whether this is the last chapter or not, enjoy, because all good things must come to an end.
Life's Tough With The Odds Against You - Chapter Seven - Hell Hath No Power Over
Love
"Gahh, where's the damn estimates I asked for." I mumbled to myself, shuffling through my desk. "Suzy, where's the estimates!" I shouted out of my office to my assistant.
"Eric took them back to make a final change on it, he will have it to you in a few minutes Mr. Lios."
"Suzy, tell him I need it five minutes ago, it's for the meeting I'm late for!" I ran my hands through my hair, trying to both fix it up and calm down. Taking a deep breath I leaned back in my chair, propping my feet up on my desk. I closed my eyes to concentrate on what was important right now. The meeting, taking a few résumés and overseeing an interview or two, sending my report up to the top floor. Suddenly an image, a memory, of a fox with strange black markings across his tan fur. My eyes bolted open and I kicked off of the desk, setting the chair off balance. I crashed to the floor, uttering a single word. "Ierlex..."
"Mr. lios, are you ok there?" Suzy called from outside my door.
"Yea, I'm fine." I said, standing up. Wh- what was that? I know it was Ierlex, but why did I just think of him like that? I thought that I had already accepted the fact that he was gone. Just as I sat down there was a noise that sounded like a thunderclap booming in the distance.
"Hey, Suzy. Turn down the TV, it's too loud!" I said, knowing I needed to prepare myself for the meeting.
"The TV's not on, I could turn it to the news if you want."
"Sure fine, whatever Suzy. Just make sure Eric has the estimates done in the next 60 seconds!"
I leaned back in the chair again, running through the meeting in my head. This was for a major contract, I had to nail this. Just had to go in, give them a quick rundown of the plan, show them the damn estimates, and then seal the deal. I finished the coffee on my desk and threw away the cup just as Eric walked in my office.
"Mr. Lios, here they are." He said, holding out a small stack of papers.
"Finally. You better hope for your sake this doesn't make me late." I said, grabbing the papers. As I walked out of my office I was stopped before I started down the hall.
"Hey Michal, Check this out. Some psycho tried to ram a plane I to us!" My co-worker said, pointing to the news report. I turned my attention to the TV, which had a news reporter standing near a burning plane that had crashed in some open fields.
"I am reporting live a scene of a tragedy. Flight 1989 was on its way here when a psychopath took control of the plane. The radio communications was left on so the entire ordeal was recorded before things took a turn for the worst. His mission? Crash the plane right into the headquarters of an international corporation, passengers and all. From the looks of it, I don't know if anyone could have survived. It would take either a miracle or a guardian angle to live through this plane wreck." In the background a group of firefighters emerged from a hole in the side of the plane, flames spewing forth from it. "I don't believe it... Well, it appears that the firefighters have found two survivors and dragged them from the wreckage. It looks like two foxes, a male and a female..."
She continued to talk but I was too stunned to comprehend what she was saying. I moved closer to the TV to get a better view to find out if my eyes were playing tricks on me. The fox, he... He was- "Ierlex!" I dropped to my knees before the TV. "It's my son!"
"... It seems like the female fox has slight burns and minor cuts, maybe a broken bone or two," The reporter said as the rescue team dragged the survivors closer to the camera. They stood them up, but Ierlex soon fell to the ground, unconscious. "It seems that one of them was shot and is now unconscious. Paramedics are now rushing both of them to the nearest hospital. Their situation looks critical, I don't know how much longer he could survive..."
I tossed the papers on the ground and jumped to my feet. "I've got to get to the hospital. Now."
"But Mr. Lios! What about your meeting!" Suzy called after me as I ran towards the stairs. I threw open the door and descended as quickly as I could without hurting myself. From there I sprinted towards the main doors and rammed my shoulder into them as I dug around for my keys. I unlocked my car and ripped the door open, jamming the keys in and starting the car before I even was able to shut the door. I tore out of the parking lot, grabbing my phone. I hit the speed dial I had set for the house and waited impatiently for someone to pick up. Luckily Cindy picked up because there wasn't school today.
"Dad? Whats up? You don't normally call during wor-"
"Cindy, no time to explain. Get your mother and get outside, I'll be there in a few minutes. Just do it."
"Dad, what's going o-"
"Cindy! Just please do it!" I said, swerving hard to avoid crashing into a turning car. To my advantage there were few cars on the road and no cops to see me driving thirty over in a forty zone.
I soon arrived at the house just as my wife, Margret and daughter were walking out of the front door. I slammed to a stop and unlocked the doors.
"Get in now!" I yelled to them, tapping the wheel impatiently.
"Why Michael, what's going on? Where are we going?" Margret asked as she got in the car.
"Hospital. Ierlex. Alexis. I'll explain later." I said, spinning the tires as I slammed on the accelerator.
"Michal, are you crazy! What's gotten into you!"
"Just wait, you'll understand when we get there." I just hope we can get there soon enough...
Darkness. The cold void of complete blindness has once again claimed me as its victim. Through this veil, however, I heard something. A rhythmic beeping and someone weeping. Slowly, light began to penetrate the dark cloak that swallowed my mind. My eyes slowly opened, adjusting to the bright lights that were shining down on me. I let out a groan as a familiar pain in my chest greeted my body. As I moved up to my elbows there was a break in the crying.
"I-Ierelx? You-you're n-not dead!"
My vision was less blurry than a moment ago, but I still couldn't see or hear straight. A warm body hugged my chest, sending a wave of pain shooting up my spine. I squeezed my eyes shut to block some of it, but that didn't do much.
"Ierlex I thought I lost you again! I was so scared." The voice said again between sobs. I opened my eyes and looked to see who was hugging me so tightly.
"Alexis... Urgg," I grunted as more pain flowed through my veins. "That really hurts."
"Oh," She said as she took her arms off of me. "I-I'm sorry."
"I said it hurt, but I'll take that pain to be able to feel you again." I said, reaching my arms out. Through her tear-marked face she managed a smile before hugging me tightly once more. I began crying both tears of joy and tears of pain as we continued our loving embrace. There was a knock at the door as our nurse moved to the doorway.
"Excuse me, but you two have visitors. Shall I bring them in?"
"Umm, sure." I said, reluctantly letting Alexis go for now as she sat back on her hospital bed. The nurse nodded and motioned towards the waiting room before moving on to her next patient.
"Ierlex, do you know who it could be?"
"I don't know Alexis. I don't think anyone here knows me except for..."
"Except for who Ierlex?" Before I could answer her a few people walked into our room.
"Ierlex Lios! You have no idea how upset I am with you!" We both looked as found my family in the doorway. My mother yelling, my sister smiling, and my father just kind of blank, speechless almost. " Do you have any idea how much stress you put on me by running away?!?..."
"Margret..." My father said, trying to make her stop screaming at me.
"... I don't see you in months, almost years, and now the first time I see you you're in the hospital!..."
"Margret..."
"We've been waiting here for hours to see you and-"
"Margret!" My father said, raising his voice. She finally stopped talking and sat down in one of the chairs. "Thank you," He said before turning to me. "A few old friends from back home sent me a link to a newspaper clip from some strange city." He paused for a moment. "So, that's what you've done with your life since you left."
"What, what did he do?"
"Margret, please just wait. Don't smother him in shame and regret, he doesn't need that right now." He turned back to me. "She doesn't mean to be that way, she's just worries about you."
"Yea, I get it."
"As I was saying, pretty impressive. I don't know a single other person who would willingly go through what you did just for a single girl."
"And I'd do it all again in a heartbeat just to feel hers against my chest." I said, hoping that he wasn't disappointed in me.
"I figured you'd say that."
"Dad, are you ashamed of me for what I did?"
"What? Absolutely not. You've made me the proudest damn father on the planet, and I just wish I could have spent more time with you rather than just focusing everything on my work. I know I haven't been the best role model for you, and I made it hard on everyone in this family doing what I do, but I just want you to know that you turned out to be a great man."
"Thanks dad. Oh, that reminds me," I said, reaching into my pocket. I pulled out the Rolex I had bought for him. "Here, this is for the one I took." I looked at it for a second. "Oh, I-I'm sorry..." The watch was busted up, cracked, and parts of it melted. He took it and jimmied the latch a bit, forcing the clasp open. He slid it on his wrist, smiling once it was on.
"Thanks..." He said, tearing up a little. "I-I love it."
"But dad, it's all junked up."
"And that's what makes it so special. I used to worry that I'd never see you again till the day I died. But now, no matter what happens or where you go, I'll always have something to remind me of you. I couldn't ask for anything better than this." He turned back to Margaret and Cindy. "Come on you two, let's let them rest a little bit, we'll come back later." He said, slowly walking towards the door. Margret walked up to my side, hugging me.
"I don't really know what to say to you except that I'm relieved to know that my baby's not dead."
"I love you too, mom." I said as she pulled back and moved next to my dad.
Lastly, Cindy came next to me.
"You know, I always used to take you for granted and wished you'd disappear. But then when you actually left, I felt for the first time what it was like to live without a brother, to lose you." She wrapped her arms around me. "I'm sorry for everything I did to hurt you and I love you, I really do."
"It's ok, sis. It's alright. I love you too. All is forgiven." She stood back up, wiping a tear from her sorrowed eyes.
"Thanks Ierlex, you don't know what that means to me to hear those words."
They eventually made their way out the door, leaving us two alone again. Alexis came over and hoped up on the side of my bed.
"So, that went over better than expected, didn't it?" She said, smiling.
"Well, it definitely wasn't the way I though we'd see them, being in the hospital after a horrific plane crash and somehow surviving the impossible odds and all, but yea, I'm glad they were here when I came to. But what I'm most grateful for is that you were still by my side."
"Only because of you did I survive, my guardian angel. And it saved us the trouble of tracking them down." She said, giggling at the end. As I rolled my eyes I heard someone in the hospital scream 'what'. I paid no attention to it, however. Probably just someone looking at their bill. Alexis laid down and curled up next to me, resting an arm across my chest but being sure it wasn't hurting a burn or a gunshot wound. "Ierlex..." She whispered delicately into my ear.
"Yes, my love?" I whispered back.
"I love you, forever and ever."
"Me too, with all my soul."
She put her head on my chest, closing her eyes. I slowly stroked my paw through her beautiful, flowing hair, closing my eyes as well. However, a knocking on the door brought our attention to it.
"I'm sorry to interrupt after just saying goodbye, but we forgot to mention one teeny tiny thing before we left."
"And what would that be, mom?"
"When and how can we help with your wedding plans?"