CHAPTER SIX
MICHAEL'S ILLNESS
The next day during sports, Raymond had all his attention on Michael. He has searched the internet for any information about Michael but he got none. He gave up. He noticed that Michael wasn't involved in any sports activity. Just sitting and watching others. He saw Kelvin walk over to hand a bottle of mineral water. This continued for three days and he kept noticing all the special treatments given to him. The games coach included.
"Why do they treat this guy like he's the most special?", Raymond asked one day while adjusting his white shorts.
"I can't tell, but it's been so since his first day in school," One of his boys replied, "I even heard the principal introduce him to his classroom and not their class mistress."
The next day, during sports and practice, he noticed again that Michael was just sitting and watching. Michelle was the one who brought water for him this time. He walked up to the coach, who was also gulping down water.
"Coach!", He called.
"RayRay—What's up?", The coach greeted heartily.
"I'm cool. Coach, I want to report Michael to you?".
The coach stops drinking water and looks at Raymond.
"Michael? Why?"
"For days now, I've noticed he isn't participating in any sports like others. Why is he receiving such special treatment? It's partial", Raymond explained.
The man just covered his water bottle and answered, "Yeah! Michael can't be involved in any sport for now".
"Why?!", Raymond kept asking.
"Can't you just go with the reply? I've given", The man was starting to get tired and pissed.
"I want to know why", Raymond stated firmly.
"He has a phobia for sports. You hear?" The coach said to push Raymond out as he collected his bag and walked out.
"Does that even exist?!", Raymond asked, but then he quickly hatched a plan.
Their school had an extra playground for other sports activities. Raymond felt Michael's weakness was his hair, so he asked one of his boys to go and tell Michael that Michelle and others wanted him to meet them at the school's playground. Quietly, he went and stood beside the merry-go-round. There were students around but there was no sight of Michelle or others. He took out his phone to call Kelvin, just and then fro,m behind som, one pushed him into the merry-go-round. His phone fell off and before he knew what was happening, the machine was moving at a very fast pace.
Raymond had pushed Michael into the merry-go-round and had one of his boys press the button of the machine that had the tendency to stop only when tapped to stop.
Michael didn't shout. He was almost out of breath, especially because of how fast the machine was moving. He couldn't even see anyone and his sight was hazy.
His cap flew to an unknown place, including the ribbon that held his hair slipped out. All the students there were in awe. Some even came to join them. Some took out their phones and took pictures. Everything happened so fast. Kelvin and Sylvester, who had heard what was happening, quickly ran to the scene. Immediately, Raymond saw Kelvin and Sylvester. He signaled to his boys, and they ran out of the scene. Kelvin ran to stop the machine from rolling further.
The machine kept rolling, and slowly, it finally stopped. Michael had to recollect himself. He knew everyone was there. He didn't want anyone to see him breathless. He stepped out of the machine without his cap. Kelvin and Sylvester rushed to his side. He was angry to face students who were pictures of him and shouting their 'wows.' he turned to Kelvin and Sylvester.
"I'm fine. For now, I just want to be alone. Please".
Kelvin and Sylvester nodded in understanding as they stood watching him walk out majestically, with students clearing the way for him to pass through.
"He'll be okay, right?", Sylvester whispered.
"I hope so. Let's leave him for now and find out who the plastic head did this to him", Kelvin snapped, looking around.
Michael had gone straight to the student's locker room to change. No one was there except him. He looks around only to find out that it is the female locker room. As he was about to take a step backward, he felt his heart beat faster than normal. The defibrillator inside his chest was also making some beeping sounds. He fell and that gave him great pain. He stayed like that for a moment; he remembered his surgeon saying he would be facing surgery in three months'' time. He sighed.
After some minutes of staying in that position, he tries to stand up and go get his drugs. After struggling to finally stand up, he fell again. This time, he started gasping for breath; the air was so tight. The pain in his chest became stronger as he held his chest with his left hand while still struggling to get up to go and get his drugs.
He started sobbing softly as tears were flowing. He couldn't get up again, as he lay there, hands on his chest, gasping for breath with blood gushing out from his nostrils. He tried hard not to pass out or close his eyes. His faint voice just said,
"Oh, God! Help me, please. Dad would die if anything happened to me." " and then he finally closed his eyes.
* * * *
Michelle didn't know what had happened; passing the hallway, she could hear students whispering, but that was common. She was halfway into the class when she remembered that her school bag was still in the locker room so she stopped and turned to go back to the locker room.
* * * *
The principal had entered the class alongside Kelvin and Sylvester. They all had worried looks on their faces. Some students also followed them in.
"No one has seen him yet?", He asked. His voice was unsteady.
"No, sir. We've searched all the places we know but we can't find him", One of the students replied.
Some teachers entered, and some were breathing hard.
"Anything?", The principal asked them.
"Nothing, sir. His driver is still in school. He's already phoned his dad" " the male teacher answered.
"What?!!", The principal shouted and quickly rushed out of the classroom.
The class was a bit rowdy as everyone had something to say. Raymond was by another corner. He knew no one noticed him, but he was wondering why everyone, including the principal,, was making a fuss all because of a cap that fell off Michael's head.
"Or is it just the cap?", Raymond wondered. He was scared because he knew some students must have seen him push Michael into the merry-go-round. He did that himself to reveal Michael's weakness. He didn't mean any harm, and he remembered Michael came out of it without any scar, so why all the fuss? But he knew if anything should happen to Michael, he was in trouble. A big one.
* * * *
Michelle got to the locker room. On her way, she overheard students whispering that they were looking for Michael but she didn't expect it would be the Michael she knew. She opened the door and stared at the person on the floor in deep pain with tears and blood all over his face and on the floor.
"Michael!" She paused, "Michael!!" She cried out and ran over to where he lay.
"Michael, are you okay? Please talk to me." She was already crying as she held his head up. Indeed, he was in a pitiful condition.
Michael tried to talk when he opened his eyes and saw Michelle through his blurred vision, but instead, he coughed out blood,d which splattered all over their bodies.
"Michael, pleaseee!! I beg you", Michelle cried still cupping his face in her palms.
"My drugs...", Michael whispered faintly before he started choking. Michelle wasted no time. She gently laid down his head and immediately ran out.
When she got to the classroom, she ran straight to collect Michael's bag. As she was about to run out, she met Kelvin and Sylvester at the door,
"What is it, Mich?", Kelvin asked.
"Mi...Michael", She whispered and ran out. Kelvin and Sylvester followed immediately. Some students who heard it followed them, including Raymond.
On getting to the locker room, Kelvin ordered Michelle to sit and hold Michael up. Sylvester took out the drugs, inhaler, and others from the box as Kelvin administered the drugs just as Michael had earlier told them to.
The principal and the school doctor arrived at that time. He even had to chase out the students who had clustered themselves at the door. Raymond saw what was happening. He wasn't expecting something like this to happen. He actually thought it was just the hair and now he knows he's in big trouble, especially if this kid is as rich as he'd always suspected.
The school doctor quickly went beside Micheal to check up on him while Michelle was cleaning Micheal's face with her hands. Tears on her face. Kelvin also helped clean her hands while Sylvester cleaned the floor where Michael's blood had splattered.
The school doctor then suggested that they bring in a gurney so they could take Michael to the school clinic while they waited for his dad to arrive.
"No!", Mr. Alfred objected immediately. He just arrived. He was wearing a mask again.
"Let him stay there. He shouldn't move for now. Insert the oxygen here, okay?".
"Okay!", the doctor nodded and started doing his things.
"I've already called his doctors. They'll be arriving soon." Turning his eyes to Michelle, he asked, "Can you hold him up like that for about an hour?".
"Mmmm! Mmmm!", Michelle nodded. She was slightly scared. Including Kelvin and Sylvester. Only his cologne was enough to tell one the kind of wealth and influence the man commanded. The principal brought him a seat, and by then, the doctor had finished what he was doing.
"CEO Alfred", The principal bowed.
Kelvin and others looked at themselves, including the school doctor. Even Mr. Alfred noticed it.
"I'm sorry this happened. I promise to find out how it all happened and give you feedback", He said.
Mr. Alfred nods, "You don't have to worry so much. I've already been told what happened".
The room went silent as everyone stared at him. The Principal was very shocked.
"You can go back to your school duties. I will stay here until Michael wakes up".
"Okay, Sir", The principal bowed again.
"And please, don't forget to make this place off-limits for now until we've left".
"I'll do just that." The principal bowed again and left with the school doctor, only to find out that all the students had gone except for five hefty men in suits standing outside the door.