Chapter 17

Arabella’s P.O.V

“ Is he okay?” My mom asked the nurse, over five times which felt like the hundredth time as she was pacing around the room. I could barely focus, I just sat in the waiting room chair, unsure of what to feel, I just hated the sight of hospitals as it reminded me of Ryder, his last moments were spent in the hospital, and the thought of it made me cringe.

"He's stable now," she began, her eyes locked on my mom's anxious face. "Hopefully, he won't have another seizure. You all can see him, but please, one at a time." She paused for a bit, as her eyes shifted to me then back to my mom, and was contemplating on what to say.

"He's been transferred out of the ICU room to a private room, but he's still being closely monitored. The doctor wants to see you, Mrs. Arabella, to discuss his condition and the next steps." She said as she left.

My mom didn't hesitate, rushing to my dad's room, while I headed towards the doctor's office. As I entered the doctor's office, I took in a deep breath

“ Good evening, Mrs. Arabella Blackhood, you can have your seat please,” he said.

I nodded, as I took my seat.

“ You didn't come with your husband?” he asked concerned as he looked at the door to see if he was coming.

“No he isn't…he is quite busy," I said.

“ Oh, I just asked, because you might need emotional support, but since he is not around, we would move on,” he said as he put on his glasses as if trying to prepare for something serious.

“ Mrs Arabella, your father's case is quite serious, he has a myocardial infarction which means the blood that flows to his heart is blocked and unfortunately, his is serious as he just had a seizure due to reduced blood flow to his brain which had caused hypoxia…” I zoned out as the doctor continued speaking in complex medical terms, my eyes growing heavy with exhaustion. I nodded mechanically, feigning interest. All I wanted was to see my father and have some good bed rest.

When the doctor finally finished, I forced a concerned expression. "Can I go now?" I asked, stifling a yawn.

"Of course, have a good night and stay strong," he said with a sympathetic smile.

With a curt nod I left, eager to leave the office, for I badly wanted to sleep, can this night just be over already?

As soon as I came out from the doctor's office, my mom wrapped her arms around me, holding me so close. Her embrace was tight and it felt warm, but also very strange, like a hug from a stranger. She placed her face on my shoulder, her body shaking with sobs. "He looks so...lifeless," she whispered, her voice already choked by tears, as the tears streamed down her face, soaking my shirt as she clung to me.

I just stood there frozen, unsure how to react to her unexpected hug, for it all felt foreign, i could barely remember the last time she hugged me or if she ever had. My mind raced was a roller-coaster of thoughts - should I hug her back or pull away? I yawned for a bit as exhaustion washed over me, the long night taking its toll. All I wanted was to escape and find a bed.

But her tears held me captive. I had never seen her cry before, not even when Ryder passed away. Now, she wept like a child, her body shaking with sobs. I felt a pang of discomfort, unsure how to comfort her. I muttered feeling sleepy, "It would be okay," trying so hard not to yawn and also sound lady-like, like she had taught me.

I gently led her to a seat, I watched her cry, unsure of how to provide comfort or if I wanted to even comfort her, for her vulnerability was a strange and unfamiliar thing to me, and I had no clue how to react to it, I stared for some few minutes struggling not to doze off.

With a quiet excuse, I gently slipped away to my father's room, as I couldn't wait to see him, driven more by curiosity than concern. I needed to see him, to make sense of this night and the strange emotions that lingered within me, which made my entire body bubble strangely in a happy way.

As I entered the room, my eyes met a sight that left me breathless. My father lay motionless, his now frail body was surrounded by machines that beeped and hummed, their wires tangling around him as if he had been choked by it and an oxygen mask that covered half part of his face, he looked like, a fragile, helpless creature, which was something I could never imagine of him, I let out a gasped, my heart filled with shock and disbelief.

I took a step closer as if trying to confirm if he truly was the one on the sick bed, my eyes fixed on his gaunt face. His eyes, once bright and cruel, now seemed sunken and lifeless. His skin was pale, stretched tight over his cheekbones. I felt a lump form in my throat as memories flooded my mind - memories of his hurtful words and his cruel actions.

My vision blurred as tears pricked at the corners of my eyes. But these tears weren't tears of sadness or pity. They were tears of anger, as I remembered the way he had called me a bastard, the way he had sold me off in marriage without a second thought. I remembered the pain and hurt he had inflicted on me, the scars he had left on my heart, the pain he was going through was barely worth the thing he had made me pass through.

My gaze drifted to the oxygen mask, and for a moment, I felt a rise of fury. I wanted to rip it off, to silence the machines that kept him alive. I wanted to make him suffer, to make him feel the pain he had caused me. But I stood frozen, my hands clenched into fists.

I moved a step closer to him, as my hand held the oxygen mask.