'O God, save this girl. Don't let her die'.

Jason could not remember the last time he had prayed. It must have been during their growing up years but he had since forgotten how to pray. But he was actually praying as he drove like the devil was after him to the hospital.

That was the problem with Lake District. all the sceneries and paths. It was almost as though getting to the hospital was going to take the whole day but he eventually got to the hospital.

He carried her in and with strict orders, Nancy was taken to the intensive care unit.

He made the necessary monetary depositions for the treatment to commence at once and the doctor on duty, Doc Manuel took charge.

Her fore head had hit the bonet of his car and there was a big lump there.

They tried reviving her.

Jason did not want to be charged with manslaughter but apart from that a young life was on the line and he did not want to be responsible for the lose of such a life.

Jason did not know what had troubled the girl so much that she felt the need to be careless with her life.

He had been a careful driver all his life and had respect for human life. He hoped it would not be another irony of life that he who valued human life the way that he did should be the one to be charged for taking it just because a girl was careless with her life or felt that her troubles were too much for her to endure them any longer or find a solution to them but to take the easiest way out, which was taking her own life or rather getting someone to do it for her.

Nancy had a bump in the head and was suffering from concussion.

' We should be careful that it was not more than concussion. A lot of people have lost their lives, some had had amnesia. memory loss and some such thing but she will soon be okay

We have revived her and are doing something about her concussion. We shall give her some drugs

You must make sure that she takes them'

'Okay, doctor. Thanks so much. It is a relief to hear you say those words'.

'I can understand that but you both should be careful next time' he said and Jason nodded.

That was truely a relief. The girl had been so still that he had thought that he had ended her life for sure.

On the way home, he would make sure to give her a piece of her mind.

'And, oh, one more thing. she should be careful with the kind of activities she engages in. So that the baby is not endangered'. The doctor added.

Jason was dumbfounded. 'The baby?' He must have thought it out loud because the doctor said, 'Yes, the baby. Did you not know that she was pregnant? She was extremely lucky that no harm came to her baby. but she had to be careful from henceforth'.

Jason did not even know when the doctor left. He was dazed. So if he had killed the girl, he would not have killed just one person but two? Thank God that was not the case. But now, a lot of things had become clearer.

The girl must have been fed up with her life because of her pregnancy. It must be an unwanted pregnancy. And she had just wanted to kill herself because she did not know what else to do.

Women with their fish brains. She must have fancied herself in love with some man who was just after her body and had run at the first sign of trouble.

He wondered why always seemed to have a poor sense of judgement. They were always poor judges of character.

Because of her stupidity, she had nearly got him into trouble.

He was there when she came out.

'Please she need to have adequate rest. She needs it. She is much stressed and with this accident and the concussion, she needs it even more now'.

Jason nodded. He looked at the girl and she was still looking dazed as though she could not believe that she was still alive or as though she could not believe what she was still doing there.

'Let's go home!' he said.

'Go home? Where is home?' she asked.

'Well, I was hoping you would tell me', he said.

'Oh, okay but what happened?'

'We shall talk all about it in the car on our way home'.

That word again. She did not consider where she lived home. It was just her hide out. She would rather stay there than allow her parents know that she had brought disgrace to them or ruined their reputation.

She entered the car, making up her mind not to allow this man know exactly where she was living. She was going to make him stop a little distance away from the hell hole which was her place of residence. She still had her pride and did not want charity from anyone but she had to find out what had happened and why she had ended up in the hospital and this headache.

It was starting and it was severe. She could barely think straight. But she had to find out some things.

'Well, you did say you were going to tell me all that happened because I can't seem to remember anything except going out this morning in search of a job.

'What about your husband?' he asked. He had looked at her finger and did not find any wedding band or any other indication for that matter that she was married except her pregnancy which he would not have known about had the doctor not mentioned it.

And being pregnancy alone was not proof of being legally married. So his suspicions were confirmed. It was an unwanted pregnancy and she had gone out in search of a job to be able to fend for herself and the baby. But for how long did she think that she would be able to keep it up? Even if she did find a job now, as soon as it is noticed that she was pregnant and without a husband, it was more than likely that she would be relieved of her job and other more capable hands employed

Well it depended on the type of job she wanted and if she had any training or education in any profession but he doubted it.

'Please, do you know what happened and how I ended up in the hospital?'

'And I just asked you if you were married?'

'No, why do you ask?' she asked him before remembering that she had been at the hospital and the doctor most probably had checked her and found out the truth about her and told this man about her pregnancy. But she was not going to reveal anything until she was sure what he knows and what he does. She was not going to reveal anything to him at all. Afterall, she owed him no explanation except thanks for helping her though how exactly he had come to help her was still what she could not fathom.

'You have my answer. I am not married at least, not yet. So would you kindly tell me what happened to me that I had to be hospitalized?' She said and flinched as she felt a wave of pain shoot through her head.

He was at once sorry that he had made her talk too much when she should have been sleeping or relaxing.

'Its okay. I shall tell you all about it later, just rest your head on the chair and see if you can just relax. Don't speak and don't think. Well, until you tell me where your house is. She gave him directions to a roll of tall buildings before her real place of residence..

As they neared the place, She became fidgety. She hoped he would allow her alight there and not insist on going in with her, now that she had foolishly told him that she was unmarried.

Not that she thought him capable of something as perverse as rape but because she did not want him knowing the condition of where she lived.

'You were walking listlessly as though you were fed up with Life and in the middle of the road as well. A lot of cars had been honking their horns at you but you were just not there, and I coming from a curve hit you before I could apply the brakes. You hit your head on my bumper and passed out.

Everybody thought that you were dead. We checked your pulse and found a faint beat and I rushed you to the hospital. Luckily, the doctor was able to treat you and here we are'.

'I guess that I should be grateful then that you had not abandoned me to die on the road but had the courtesy to take me to the hospital'.

'But there is something I don't understand. Why did you feel the need to end your life? What problem is it that cannot be solve except if you take the way you may consider the easiest way out? Which I'd death?'

Nancy was shocked. She hoped that he had not been able to read her and her situation correctly. She decided to be harsh with him so that he would quit disturbing her and mind his own business.

'Oh ho. Look who's talking. You just told me that you came round a bend a d before you could hold the brakes, you hit me and you are accusing me of wanting to take my own life?' she asked in an incredulous tone.

'What do you suppose would make me want to do that?'

'Your pregnancy?'

Nancy was shocked. She had forgotten that she had just surmised that the doctor must have discovered her pregnancy and told him about it drawing the wrong conclusion that they were together since he brought her to the hospital.

'My pregnancy?'

'Yes, your pregnancy. Oh, don't pretend you were not aware that you were pregnant!' he said and she kept silent. The fight had gone out of her before she even began.

'You could take care of yourself at least for the sake of the baby in your womb'. he advised.

Nancy just kept looking straight ahead.

'I do not want you to speak much so that you don't come down with a headache. But please do not try this again. It is not just your life that is involved here, your baby's is as well'.

He gave her some wades of currency. It was really very tempting and Nancy nearly took it but she remembered that she did not want charity from anybody and her pride reared its head.

'What's all these?'she asked.

'What does it look like? I am giving some money to help you take care of yourself while you go around for a job. It will help sustain you'

'I do not take charity!'

'What do you mean Charity?'

'Exactly that. I do not take what I have not earned. If you really want to help me, then find me a good job so that I can fend for myself and not depend on you or on anyone for that matter'.

He had thought about that. She was in no condition going round looking for a job. She looked malnourished, which was why he had offered her the money she was rejecting. He admired her courage but he felt that she was foolish to reject it.

'Of course. I had that in mind but for you to start there, you have to transport yourself to the place and I doubt that you have the wherewithal for that and you have to take more nourishing food and fruits so that your baby can be healthy. I am not offering you charity but just being realistic and I suggest that you swallow your pride and be as well at least for the sake of your baby'. he said looking at her with pity.

Nancy could not dare to hope that he was serious about his promise about getting her a job. Something good seem to be coming out of the accident afterall.

She looked at him and seeing an expression she interpreted to be sincerity, she stretched forth her hands and collected the money

What he had said was the truth. She needed the money more than he needed it and she was not going to allow her pride to stand in the way.

'Thank you for the money but how are you going to get me the job?'

'I now know where you are living, that was one reason I wanted to take you home. So, I shall get in touch with you. I have to speak with my friend and see what vacancies he has at this firm. I shall call in a favour he owes me and get you the job. But he is a perfectionist. He likes his employers being dedicated to duty. If you are lax with your work, then he just might relieve you of the job and I would be unable to do anything about it'.

'You do not have to worry. I shall not disappoint him. He will never regret giving me the job and neither will you for getting me the job', she gushed out excitedly.

The excitement on her face was something to behold.

'I have not spoken to him yet. You don't have to thank me yet'.

'No matter what his response is, that you have thought of it is enough for me and I am sure that even if he does not have a vacancy, you would find another place for me, I am sure of that'.

'So much confidence. I hope that live up to your expectations. But I have a question, is there any skill that you learnt or if you went to college, what did you study?' He asked so that he would know how best to help her and what job would best suit her.

'I went to a nursing school, so I have idea of medicine and nursing. I am also very good at typing, so any secretarial job would not be difficult for me', she supplied hopefully.

Jason nodded. He thought as much. Her speech was polished and showed that she must have acquired some form of education.

'What is your name?'

he asked realising that since they had met, he didn't know her name and neither did she know his.

'I am Nancy. Nancy Jones'. she said looking at him questioningly.

He saw her look and smiled

'I am Mr. Jason Campbell'.

'Well Mr. Campbell,I must say it has been a pleasure meeting you irrespective of the usual circumstance of our meet'.

'The pleasure is all mine, Miss Nancy. Well we are here.' He said as he applied the brakes and got out of the car and went round to open her side of the car.

She alighted and said goodbye to him. She found that she was hungry and dizzy and just wanted to get to her room as soon as possible and eat some of the stale food that she had kept there.

'Bye, I shall expect your call' She said, remembering that she had given him her number while still in the car with him when they were talking about him visiting her to tell her of the outcome of his discussion with his friend about the possibility of getting her employed.

'No,no. You are forgetting that I need to know exactly which of part of this buildings you stay in, so that I don't need to start asking questions when I come to visit for any reason. And you are dizzy and weak, I need to assist you to your room or apartment and ensure you ate asleep before leaving It is my duty,you know'.

Nancy was in a state of panic. What was she going to say to him to make him change his mind about going in with her? She couldn't possibly allow him get in and find the horrible situation she was living in. She had too much pride for that.

'Could you not mind your business for once? I have already given you my number. If you come here next time and cannot locate me, could you not call on the phone? I am not in the mood to receive visitors no matter how indebted I feel towards them and my apartment is unkept at the moment

So please go. We shall be in touch'.

Jason could not understand why she was being so secretive but he saw that she was not in the mood for argument and he would have carried her into the apartment but it was clear that she didn't want him in her apartment that day and wondered if her boyfriend was in there and if that was the reason she didn't want him entering her room.

'It's okay. You don't have to get so worked up. I shall not come in if you don't want me to but I shall remain here till you get in. This is just to ensure your safety'.

'Thank you very much but that will not be necessary. You have done the important part which is to take me to the hospital, foot the bills of my treatment and giving me a lift home. The rest isn't really that important and I am not a helpless woman no matter what you might think'.

He nodded. She was not helpless and that was why she had wanted to end her life just this morning, he thought to himself but he just waved bye ,got into his car and drove off.

He was not really interested in her other than the fact that he felt extreme pity for her and her plight.

He wondered if her boyfriend had really been in the apartment, why he had not called her even once since she had been away because he could not remember hearing her phone ring.

Anyways, that was their problem If he could get her employed, then he would have satisfied himself that he had done his part in making life a little better for a fellow human being and preventing a further attempt of hers to commit suicide for that was what she had intended this morning and nothing could convince him otherwise.

He forgot all about her as he drove not to his house but to the office.

He was surprised to find that his personal secretary was not at work. This was quite unlike her. He asked his other employees and they told him that Mrs. Amos had had to go back home because she was not too strong. She had come to work but could do nothing and had had to go back home but only several attempts to reach him had failed.