Page 30 of Bittersweet Revenge

When we walked into the room, my stupid dead heart squeezed painfully in my chest. Seeing her sickly pale, lying motionless in the bed...

I leaned against the closed door as Dr. Willis worked on Esmeralda with the two paramedics. I watched as they attached a mini-heart monitor and put an IV in her arm. It was like they’d brought a hospital room to our house. Seeing all of this brought back some uncomfortable and unwanted images from a past I’d thought was long buried under meters of concrete.

This was something great about America. Money could buy you the health system, giving you access to private paramedics, ambulances, and hospitals. You could get the best of everything... But there was a price.

After a further twenty minutes, Dr. Willis dismissed the paramedics. He waited for them to leave before starting his assessment.

“Truth be told, Mr. Astor.” Ah, the ’Caleb’ was finally forgotten; he had learned his place. “There is no concussion or any other head trauma suggesting an accident.”

I nodded.

“Her vitals are still weak but stable, which is good,” he continued, pointing at the screen. “We’ve set her up with an IV just as a precaution in case her system is compromised by any…”

I ground my teeth, understanding only too well what he was saying. My mother was a pill-popping addict.

“When will you know for sure?”

“I’ll do a full tox-screen when I get back to the hospital.”

“The results will only be shared with me and then they will disappear. Are we clear on that as well?”

Dr. Willis studied me silently.

“Are. We. Clear?” I repeated, my voice as firm and cold as I could make it. “And don't start serving me your license and Hippocratic Oath! We both know for a fact that you’ve done things like this and much worse over the years,” I added, my scars suddenly itching as a physical reminder of my memories.

At least he had the decency to look away, his face reflecting the shame of my words. “Yes, we are,” he replied with a clipped tone that radiated disapproval. Not that I cared for his judgment. He was too far down the same path to have any legitimacy in that regard. He looked at his watch. “I will go now. I believe she will sleep most of the night; her body suffered quite a trauma and needs the rest. As we don't know how long she was underwater, I fear I can't say what the damage will be, if any, and there is also the risk of secondary drowning.I will come when she is up to do a full cognitive assessment, but for the time being, I will have a nurse come and–”

“No, I’ll do it.”

“You’ll…do it?”

I couldn’t deny that it was uncharacteristic to have an Astor do something like this, and yet, I felt like I had to. “I can take an IV out. I’ve done it before.”

Dr. Willis pursed his lips in clear displeasure before letting out a sigh of resignation. “Very well, please call me directly on my cell when she wakes so I can do the assessment.”

It was late. I couldn't contain my yawn as soon as the door closed behind the old man. I didn’t have to look so controlled anymore. With him now gone and the adrenaline having dropped, I finally realized my clothes were still soaked. Shivering, I rushed to my room, discarding clothes on the way. I toweled myself dry, then slipped into a pair of pajama bottoms. I looked at my bed almost wistfully, but I’d said I would keep an eye on her. Maybe I could just… I thought about her king-sized bed before rolling my eyes at the consideration. I would just be lying there beside her to ensure she was okay, nothing else.

Walking back into her room, I was grateful once more that my parents had decided not to come back today. I knew I was showing a lot of weakness right now, even if I didn't want to.

I lay beside her, staring at the ceiling and wondering how I could even consider sleep after all that had happened. Iclosed my eyes, not realizing I’d dozed off until I was jerked awake by Esmeralda mumbling in her sleep.

I looked at the alarm clock. It was after seven in the morning. I'd slept almost five hours. I turned towards her. Despite the lack of light, I could see some of her color had returned and a little bit of the tightness in my chest eased. How could this little woman, this traitor, have such an unwanted effect on me? Was it life’s sick joke? Karma punishing me for the tricks I'd played in my past?

I sighed, got out of bed, and rang for the maid.

I waited just outside of the door. When she rushed over, her cheeks were flushed.

“I will be gone for thirty minutes. You will go into this room and keep an eye on Miss Forbes as if she was the most important thing in your life. Do you understand?”

She nodded briskly.

“If anything, and I meananything, changes, fetch me from my room immediately.”

She nodded again, but remained in front of me. Was this girl mentally challenged? She was only a maid after all.

“Do you understand the words coming out of my mouth? Hablas Ingles?”

She frowned, apparently taken aback by my question. “I…I understand, sir,” she stuttered.

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