3 FIGHT FOR LOVE AND LIFE

MAX'S POV Karen's apartment was a little bit outside of town. A perfect sized house, hidden among various species of flowers and other plants. It felt like she was hiding from the whole world. Her house could be barely seen from the road, but it was a cute little place. I found her car outside the beautiful apartment, which meant she was in. I tiptoed to the porch and made an attempt to knock at the door. However, to my dismay, I found the door open. Soft music flowed like an endless stream from the living room. I wondered where she could be, leaving her front door opened. “Hello? Karen? Are you in? Is anyone home?” I shouted softly. I walked myself in and surveyed the living room. Not too big, but okay for a single lady. It was painted cream and brown, with a touch of gold stripes here and there. The appearance of her living room portrayed the fact that she was an exceptionally clean woman. The throw pillows were accordingly arranged on the couch, the glass table sparkled like gold. The furniture was properly polished, giving the vibe of new ones. The ceilings were free from cobwebs, unlike other houses. As I walked, the floorboard creaked softly, adding a sort of rhythm to the song in the background. The center table had a brown vase on it, with an almost dried plant, waiting to be replaced. I touched the couch. It was soft, plush and soothing. I sat, rested my back for some seconds with my eyes shut and enjoyed the moment. I stood and walked to the shelf, full of numerous books by different authors. I saw one of my favorite books, by Colleen Hoover and smiled to myself. “She's got the right sense of choice when it comes to book.” I murmured All the time, Karen was nowhere around. I helped myself into the kitchen and drank a whole glass of chilled water to calm my nerves. Karen's kitchen was clean, all the dishes were done and everything arranged in their place. I was about to walk away from the kitchen when I heard a faint cry for help. I strained my ears to listen and decode where the sounds were coming from. I wanted to confirm if my ears were still functioning well. The second time I heard the weak “help me” I didn't hesitate to walk round the whole house to the backyard, to see what was happening. I got to the yard and found Karen on her back, unable to move. A ladder had fallen on her, restricting her movements. I hurriedly lifted the ladder and tried to pull her up. But, her screams sent signals to my brain that she was hurt. I tried to process the whole thing but failed to come to a reasonable conclusion as to why she was on the floor, with a fallen ladder on her. After attempting to scoop her up failed again. I dialed the emergency line. Ten minutes later, the ambulance arrived and professionally lifted her up. Her screams pierced the peaceful atmosphere, sending nature into a frenzy. The birds squealed and fled for safety, the trees shook madly and everywhere was in a state of chaos. I locked her door and followed the ambulance closely. I had the best doctor around check her for any sign of damage. I paid for the most expensive private ward for her, so that she might get the special treatment I want for her. “How is she, doctor?” I asked the doctor on duty. I watched him keenly for any sign of bad news. But, his eyes only twitched probably from an eye infection. He was composed and calm, which meant nothing bad had happened. “Well, Mr. Maxwell. There is nothing to worry about. Just some broken bones. She will be fine in like two or three weeks. She suffered a broken shoulder. I think it was from the fall.” He said “Is it really bad? Is there anything else?” I asked the doctor. “Nothing to worry about, at the moment. It's just the shoulder. I can assure you that she is perfectly okay. She just needs total rest.” He added before handing over a list of medicine to get for her. Without wasting time, I went down to the pharmacy and got the prescribed drugs and injections for her. She was sedated so that she could have enough rest. The next morning, she woke up with a strange expression on her face. “Hi..wa…water.” She slowly said as she tried to study her environment. Seeing that she was still a bit at a loss for words, I decided to help her out. “White walls, weird smells, saline, medicine, and all….I know you are confused. You are in the hospital, yes! Getting treated.” I helped. She gulped down the whole glass of water I offered her and stared at me with a bold question written on her face. “W..what? How did I get here? How come you are here?” She finally voiced out. “I guess what you're trying to say is thank you, right? And, you're welcome, anytime, anyday.” I responded with a smile. “Still, how did I get here? I wasn't expecting to see you here by my side, in a strange hospital room.” “Actually, after the call yesterday, I discovered I was a bit rude to you. I made up my mind to make it up to you by surprising you at your apartment.” “Okay. How were you able to get my address?” “It is not a big deal. A friend of mine helped in getting your location. So, I got to your place and I found the door slightly opened. I walked in and just enjoyed the beauty of your room. Until I heard a faint cry and I found you lying on your back, with a ladder fallen on you.” I concluded. “Ouch! Yeah. I just remembered! I fell and then the ladder fell too. I thought I was going to die. I was in agony.” She said “You are in safe hands now. The doctor said you'll heal completely in two or three weeks because of your broken shoulder. Apart from that, you're good.” “Thanks for coming at the right time. You saved my life.” She said “You can thank me by becoming my friend. Like I said earlier, I came to apologize for the way I responded over the phone. I was not in my best mood.” I apologized sincerely. “It's alright. I guess we're even now. Uhmmm, I'm starving. Is there anything to eat around?” “Let me check at the restaurant. Do you want a special order? What do you want to have for breakfast?” “I think I will go for a pancake and some lemon juice. That will be enough for now.,"she instructed. “I will be back soon.” I assured her and turned my back towards her. As soon as I left, my phone buzzed loudly. I checked my screen and discovered that I had tons of missed calls from both my mum and Alexa.