Crises in Love (Zora and Jaylan)
Chapter 413

I watched them hustle away in a flurry, sure as anything that something big had gone down; otherwise, Logan wouldn't have bolted too. I quickly turned to Hannah and blurted, "Hannah, go check it out, okay?" Hannah glanced around, noted the presence of the police, and figured I'd be safe enough. She nodded and immediately hurried to follow.

I was left scratching my head. What exactly had happened that made both Logan and Dalton rush over?

It looked like they were both heading the same way. Could it be that Jerome had shown up again?

My hunch was confirmed soon enough when Logan and Hannah came rushing back.

I didn't even have to ask. Logan read the question in my eyes and whispered, "Jerome was there, but the slippery devil got away!"

I was taken aback and pressed on, "What happened? How did he escape?"

"He was very cunning, even disguised himself. Plus, he knows the hospital layout like the back of his hand," Logan recounted with detail, "Our guys didn't corner him. Looks like he was prepared; jumped right out of a third-floor window onto some cushioning he had set up!"

I stared at Logan, dumbfounded, imagining the scene, and let out a sigh, "I gotta hand it to him; the guy's got a crew. The thugs who ambushed me must be Jerome's guys; they shouted my name."

I thought back to the scuffle just now - how Larkin had swooped in to save me. I'd glanced back to see at least a half-dozen of Jerome's goons held back by Larkin.

Logan was lost in thought for a long while before he finally said, "Seems like Clara tipping you off wasn't just to help you. It was a decoy, meant to draw the police to the Eastgate District while Jerome slipped away to check on Hazel."

Hearing Logan put it that way, I couldn't help but agree with him.

"And Clara going off the grid wasn't 'cause she was scared to pick up the phone. It was a stalling tactic. They never intended for Catherine to make it. They wanted to use her for a big distraction, to draw the Internet's eyes."

"You're saying, to take the heat off Medsafe Liyah Inc.?" I pieced together Logan's line of thought instantly.

"Exactly! That's why they arranged the explosion in the room where Catherine was, both to destroy Catherine and to blow up the police to make a big fuss, relieving the pressure on Medsafe Liyah Inc.," Logan said with certainty.

"A triple play! What was Catherine's condition when you found her?" I finally got a chance to ask Logan about it.

"When I got there, the room was a total mess from the blast. But we found Catherine under the bed, knocked out cold!" Logan recalled vividly.

"Under the bed?" I was puzzled. How did she end up there?

"I'm guessing she woke up at some point," Logan said softly, pain evident in his eyes.

"You mean she hid herself?" I prodded with skepticism.

"It's entirely possible!"

I muttered under my breath, "Hopefully, she wakes up soon. Then we'll know exactly what happened."

My concern was all for Catherine, who was still out of it, so I didn't press any further.

An hour later, Catherine was wheeled out of surgery.

The doctor said, "It was excessive bleeding due to a head injury, fortunately not affecting vital areas. And the position of her body must have somehow applied pressure to the wound, helping it to close quicker than expected, which was a stroke of luck."

The doctor kept stressing it was a miracle, "Otherwise, with that much blood loss, she wouldn't have stood a chance!"

I had to ask, "When will she wake up? Could there be any lasting damage?" After all, it was a head injury.

The doctor pondered for a moment before answering, "Hard to say right now. We'll have to see how her body recovers. The loss of blood and lack of oxygen to the brain caused the coma, so it'll take some time. But don't worry, it's not as bad as it could have been."

Once Catherine was settled in her room, I finally called Dad to let him know I was okay.

After some thought, I warned him not to tell Kenny - I'd stay by her side until she pulled through.

Dad agreed readily but reminded me to be careful and thorough in my care.

Three days passed with Catherine still out, and during that time, Logan barely left her side, his vigilance unyielding.

Truth be told, we were all carrying a heavy load on our shoulders, dreading what might happen when she finally came to.

I hadn't been home at all. Logan had arranged an adjacent room, so anyone who couldn't stand the strain could catch some shut-eye.

We were silently praying for Catherine to come back to us, safe and sound. It was on the morning of the fourth day that Catherine finally woke up.

We hadn't even had breakfast when Logan softly called out, "Catherine, are you awake? Catherine..."