77 Aftermath

Ramon parked the SUV car at St. Mary's Hospital parking area. The two women were rushing inside the hospital entrance, they went straight into the information window.

Catherine's mother was being confined in the 10-ward bed when they went inside the room, all bed were full, it's a crowded place, patients and their relatives mixed together. On the last bed near the window, they saw Caroline feeding her mother with food given by the hospital staff.

Catherine and Grace rushed to their side.

Caroline stopped feeding her mother when she saw her sister coming towards them.

"Mother!" said Catherine, she brought her mother's hands into her lips.

Thelma looked at her daughter with tears in her eyes.

"D-did you finally married him?" she asked.

"No mother. I rushed here when I know what happened to you. The marriage didn't push through," this time her voice was quivering.

Thelma smiled triumphantly. "Maybe God knows your union with him is not good, so he did not allow you to marry him today."

Catherine winced and gritted her teeth if only her mother knew that she was dying inside when she left John alone in the Hall of Justice looking defeated and very sad. But what important for her right now was her mother's safety and health.

"What happened to you, Mother?" she asked worriedly.

"I am cleaning the entrance of our house, then suddenly I had a hard time breathing, I feel pain in my chest, then I got dizzy. I don't remember collapsing. The next time I opened my eyes I'm already here in the hospital."

"How are you feeling now, Mother?" asked Catherine.

"I'm feeling better, we should go home now."

"No. Not yet Mother. Let's wait for the doctor's discharge order first."

"Get well soon Auntie! We're so worried about you!" said Grace.

Thelma smiled at her niece. "How did the wedding go, Grace?"

"The wedding was canceled, Auntie. Before the Judge can enter the courtroom to officiate the wedding I received a text message informing me about your condition, so we rushed her to check on you," said Grace sadly. She was really feeling sad for John and Catherine. It was such a beautiful day for the wedding and yet ended before it even began. Terrible!

Thelma just smiled as if she was feeling happy and was rejoicing with the news that her daughter was still single and not married to her rapist today.

"Mother, I will look for the doctor to ask for your condition," said Catherine. "Caroline, take care of Mother," she added while looking at her sister with a frosty glare, her twin just bowed her head.

Grace and Catherine went out of the ward. They were looking for the doctor's office to ask for more information regarding her mother's condition. When they found the doctor's office, he was talking to a patient so they were told by her assistant to just wait a little bit for their turn.

They finally have their turn when the patient got out of the doctor's office after ten minutes.

"You are the daughter of Mrs. Ramirez?" asked the doctor.

Catherine nodded. "Yes, Doctor."

"Your mother has high blood pressure, I already have written a prescription for her. Aside from the common foods that need to be avoided in her diet, she needs to avoid stress as well. As much as possible people with high blood pressure must avoid stress, extreme negative emotion such as getting angry, upset, too much fear or worry. While we might be able to acquire lots of friends, lots of lovers, several husband or wives in this lifetime but there is only one mother for each of us. Take care of your mother, avoid giving her problems or stress. High blood pressure is a deadly disease. Make sure your mother drink her medicine every day to regulate her high blood pressure," explained Doctor Ferrer.

"Yes Doc," said Catherine. "When she will be discharged, Doc?"

"I will still observe her condition for the whole night, just to be sure. If nothing comes up and her high blood pressure is already stabilized then tomorrow afternoon she can go home."

"Okay Doc, thank you!"

Grace and Catherine exited the physician's room. They went to the pharmacy section and brought all the prescribed medicine.

Catherine sighed and sat down on the wooden bench scattered in the hallway of the hospital.

Grace rubbed her cousin's back.

"What a disaster on my wedding day!" said Catherine. Tears emerged from all corners of her eyes.

Grace pulled a handkerchief from her shoulder bag and gave it to her cousin.

"Do not be sad Catherine, you and John can always reschedule the wedding in another time."

"I dunno Grace. Didn't you hear what the doctor said? My mother must avoid feeling extreme negative emotion. It's obvious why she was here in the hospital, my wedding angered her so much that her blood soared high, causing her to fell unconscious."

Grace was puzzled by the way her cousin speaks.

"Huh? You mean to say that you are now having doubts if you still want to continue marrying John?"

Catherine was silent for a moment...

"Of course not! Just that I need to find the right timing to marry John and at the same time not caused my mother extreme stress. She really despised John after she knew everything."

Grace sighed feeling sorry for her cousin for carrying such a heavy burden on her shoulder. "So, how will you do that?"

She shook her head. "I dunno..."

Catherine asked for her iPhone, Grace took it out from the inside of her shoulder bag.

She texted John asking where are they now~if they are still in the Hall of Justice waiting for her.

She got a reply from him...

' Reception venue, eating, and drinking celebrating...' with sad emoji.

She sighed. She knew it must be very hard for John that his dream wedding ended before it even began. He was very much looking forward to this day that he can legally have her as his wife.

Today is a total nightmare! So painful! She pushed back the pain away.

She sighed deeply holding back another round of tears before they can fully emerge from her eyes.