Chapter 4

For hours, Elena sat next to her brother. She held his hand, whispered prayers and words of encouragement in his ear, anything to keep him with her. But nothing seemed to work.

He was in a deep, seemingly endless, coma.

When the doctors finally came in and asked her to step outside, she refused.

“I’m not leaving,” she told them firmly.

“But Madam—”

“I said I’m not leaving.”

The doctors shared a concerned look before turning back to her.

“All right,” one of the doctors agreed. “But we’re going to have to run a few tests on him, so if you could please step outside the room for a bit, we’d appreciate it. And I’m not sure if someone informed you or not, but Mr Matthews' son has been shifted to the children’s ward. He might wake up soon, so maybe you should…check on him.”

Elena swallowed, wiping her wet lashes. The doctors were right. She should check up on Caleb, now that he was out of the observation room. She could always come back to Josh later. Or maybe she should finally visit Shelly, her sister-in-law.

Elena’s stomach churned at the thought. She had met her a few times before. She was a lovely woman, always ready with a smile. She couldn’t imagine the pain Caleb would go through once he learned of her demise. How would he cope with it? He was only six.

Taking a deep breath, Elena forced herself to get up and leave the room. The doctors were quick to begin the tests, and Elena stepped out into the corridor, closing the door behind her.

She felt so numb, she didn’t know what to do. She could go and see Caleb, but she was too shaken to face him. Instead, she decided to see Shelly first.

She went to the nurse’s station and asked where the woman’s body was. Mr Jones was right behind her, following her silently like a shadow, as if too afraid to leave her alone.

“They took her down to the morgue, Madam,” the nurse said.

“Thank you.”

With a heavy heart, Elena headed to the morgue.

The smell of disinfectant filled her nostrils as soon as the doors to the elevator opened, making her gag. She didn’t like hospitals. In fact, she hated them. They reminded her of her mother. The woman who died too young.

Elena tried her best not to think about it, and instead focused on finding the morgue.

She found it at the end of the corridor and stopped in front of the large doors.

“I’ll wait here, Madam,” Mr Jones said, standing beside her.

“I don’t even know if I can do this,” she admitted, feeling a fresh wave of tears welling up in her eyes.

“You can, Madam,” the old man encouraged her. “You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for. And the sooner you face this, the easier it will get.”

She appreciated his words. He always seemed to know exactly what to say to make her feel better.

“Okay.”

Elena took a deep breath and pushed open the door.

She stepped inside the dimly lit room, her eyes immediately falling on the bodies covered by white sheets. She swallowed the lump in her throat and approached the nearest table.

“You can do this,” she told herself as she reached for the sheet.

She pulled it back, revealing Shelly’s pale face. Elena’s breath hitched, tears rolling down her cheeks. She looked peaceful, as if sleeping.

“I’m so sorry,” Elena whispered, gently stroking her hair.

“I wish I could’ve saved you. I wish…I wish things were different.”

She stood there for a few minutes, staring at her lifeless body. It was hard not to feel sad. Shelly was young, full of life, and had a bright future ahead of her.

But it was all taken away in an instant. It was so unfair. Shelly did not deserve this.

Elena took a deep breath, trying her best not to break down completely.

She pulled the sheet back over her body but instead of walking away, she stood there a while longer. She was in no hurry to leave.

“Don’t you worry about Caleb, Shelly. I’ll make sure he’s taken care of. You just rest now. And know that I’ll always watch over him. Always.”

And with that, she turned around and left.

She didn’t have the strength to see her brother yet, so she headed towards the children’s ward.

On her way to see her nephew, Elena couldn’t help but think about what she was supposed to do if her brother really did not make it. What if he never woke up? What if he left her too? What would she do then?

She didn’t want to think about it. It was too much for her to handle.

The truth was, she didn’t know what she would do without her brother. He was her rock, her anchor. He was always there for her, no matter what.

And now, the thought of losing him was terrifying.

She would be all alone in the world. Her only family would be gone, leaving her to fend for herself.

“I can’t let that happen,” she said, wiping away her tears. “It won’t. I won’t let it.”

Her mind raced with thoughts as she walked, until she reached the children’s ward.

A middle-aged woman greeted her with a sad smile, her eyes red-rimmed. Elena didn’t know who she was, but she didn’t look like the hospital staff. “We’re very sorry for your loss,” she said. “My name is Maria. I’m Master Caleb’s nanny.”

That made sense.

Elena nodded, unable to speak.

“Caleb is in room 104. Just down the hall. Let me take you to him.” The woman offered.

“Thank you.”

They walked together, the older woman keeping an eye on her.

“How is he?”

“He’s been asking for his father. Poor boy doesn’t understand what’s happened yet. I didn’t have the heart to tell him.”

Elena understood. The little boy would learn of the truth soon enough.

“Thank you for watching him,” Elena said, as they reached the room.

“Of course. I’ll be nearby, should you need anything.”

With a nod, Elena turned and went inside.

There was only one bed in the room, and her nephew was lying in it, looking small and fragile. His dark hair was disheveled, his skin pale.

Elena’s heart ached at the sight.

She slowly approached the bed, trying not to startle him.

“Hey, buddy,” she said softly, her voice shaking slightly.

The little boy looked up at her, his brown eyes wide. “Aunt Elena?”

“Yeah, it’s me,” she said, sitting down next to him.

“Where’s daddy?”

Elena hesitated, unsure of what to tell him.

“He’s…um, he’s in the hospital too. He got hurt, but he’ll be okay.”

“And mommy?” Caleb asked, his eyes filling with tears.

Elena swallowed thickly, her heart breaking. She couldn’t lie to him.

“Mommy…she’s…” she trailed off, unable to continue.

The tears began to flow freely down Caleb’s cheeks as realization dawned on him. He understood.

“No,” he cried, burying his face in Elena’s chest. “No, mommy!”

Elena wrapped her arms around him, holding him close. Tears streamed down her face as she listened to the little boy’s cries.

“I’m so sorry, Caleb,” she whispered, her voice breaking.

She held him tight, wishing she could take away his pain.

But she knew she couldn’t. Nothing she said or did would ever be able to ease the little boy’s suffering.

All she could do was be there for him, to comfort him as best as she could.