Chapter 108

108 Whispers Of Death

Almost three weeks had gone by since the last time Rex saw his son. He sat back in his office lost in his thoughts, wondering how Leon was coping with the tremendous added responsibilities of the family businesses. His heart was heavy and his health was beginning to deteriorate. Hence, there was little he could do to support his son.

Every morning, Rex would take a walk around his wife’s garden, appreciating the splendor of nature and all its magical beauty. He spoke less, drank less, and worked less. Sometimes he would go into his private office in the pretense of working, just to sleep. He knew that exposing his newly induced sleep syndrome would only make his wife panic. Hence, he was discreet with all his activities.

Deep down within his soul, Rex could hear the whispers of death calling, like a trapped lone wolf crying in a very deep ravine.

At night, he would stand by the edge of his bedroom balcony; which oversaw his massive mansion, looking into the dark starry sky. The cold wind that blew, bought along an eerie silence, sending chills down his spine.

In the blanket of the night, his failing sight could make out the image of a hooded being walking towards him from a distance, bearing a scythe on its shoulder. This caused his body to tremble and his weak heart to thump erratically, as he wondered if what he was seeing was real or a mere hallucination. He shut his eyes tight and held his breath for a few seconds, to clear his mind of the image. Then he re-opened his eyes and everything around him returned to normal.

On a particular night, while he was lost in his stormy thoughts, Marissa quietly came up behind him and observed him briefly, before she spoke up.

“Rex, are you feeling alright? You’ve been acting weird lately,” Marissa walked up to him and took his hands into hers.

“I am fine, darling. There is nothing to be worried about. By the way, why are you not in bed?” Rex answered firmly and tried to change the subject of discussion.

“I won’t fall for your tricks, Rex,” Marissa’s face furrowed and her tone conveyed her displeasure. “I’ve been standing behind you for quite some time now, watching you. Something is eating you up and I can feel it. Talk to me, I am your wife. I am always here for you. You know that, right?”

.....

Rex pulled Marissa into his arms and hugged her tightly. He kissed her forehead and spoke more calmly to her.

“You observe correctly, my darling. However, it’s just work-related stress. It’s nothing I can’t handle. Come...” He led her gently by the waist. “Let’s go back to bed and keep each other company.”

Although Marissa followed him reluctantly, he knew deep down that she wasn’t convinced.

Marissa had earlier insisted on the family doctor coming by to give him a check-up when she observed his failing eyesight. However, Rex wasn’t supportive of the idea. He told her that she was worrying over nothing and that he was fine.

Even though his private doctor had assured him that he would be able to survive another three weeks, give or take, Rex knew that his time on Earth was almost up. Hence, he decided to start putting everything in perspective before his demise.

He called and informed his only brother, Maxwell Treshvire, of his current state. He also warned Maxwell not to disclose anything to Marissa until he was ready to part with her.

The thought of saying goodbye to Marissa was the most difficult decision Rex had ever contemplated in life. Words always failed him anytime he summoned the courage to do so. It felt like climbing to the peak of Mount Everest without any protective gear. The thought of watching her shattered look or listening to her sorrowful tears was more traumatic than his illness. Hence, he called his mother for help and she advised him to come over to the island with Marissa, which he happily agreed to.

After carefully ensuring that everything was running smoothly, he informed Marissa about his plans to travel with her on a vacation to the island, for two weeks.

—————-

After almost three days of being in a coma, Kyle fluttered his eyes open.

At first, all he could see were blurry images of white light and different figures moving forward and backward. However, as his vision adjusted to the room, he saw the swollen eyes of his sister peering into his. She was saying something that he couldn’t comprehend and he wondered why she suddenly started crying.

Another person came closer and from the looks of his attire and the stethoscope hanging around his neck, Kyle could easily tell he was a doctor.

“Madam,” the doctor politely addressed Sophie, “please, give us some space. I would like to run a quick checkup on your brother to assess the level of damage to his senses.”

“Okay, doctor,” Sophie replied in a broken voice. She left Kyle’s bedside sobbing gently.

“Mum, it’s okay, stop crying!” Silvia walked up to her mum and slowly led her to a seat in the room. “Uncle Kyle is awake now and out of danger. We should be grateful for this new development.”

Kyle’s ears picked up his niece’s voice as she spoke to her mum. His eyes widened in alarm and his heart rate picked up. His memory flashed back to the night of the incident. ‘Didn’t they say she was involved in a fatal road accident? Wasn’t she supposed to be on a life support machine? Why was she standing so tall and looking so healthy when compared to someone that just had a fatal accident?’ Different questions kept popping into Kyle’s head.

Kyle tried to say something but he felt a big rock stuck in his throat. He tried to swallow his saliva but his mouth was dried. He folded his lips inwards and tried to wet them with his tongue.

“Wa...water!” Kyle’s voice was more like a whisper but the doctor; who was busy giving him a thorough check, perfectly understood him.

“Get him some water!” The doctor ordered the nurse beside him, but Silvia swiftly brought a bottle of water to Kyle’s bed.

“Uncle, how do you feel?” Silvia asked after Kyle had drunk some water.

“Silvia, how come you survive the accident unscathed?” Kyle’s eyes scrutinize Silvia like a hawk for any signs of injury.