Your Regrets Won't Bring Me Back - Chapter 16: Chapter 16
You are reading Your Regrets Won't Bring Me Back, Chapter 16: Chapter 16. Read more chapters of Your Regrets Won't Bring Me Back.
Adaline cradled Elena's hand tenderly. "Elena, your hands... they were so beautiful when you played the piano. How did they become like this?"
Annabelle yelped, "Ah—ow... that hurts..."
The fruit knife slipped from Annabelle's grasp and clattered to the floor; fresh blood welled from a cut on her finger.
Adaline instantly let go of Elena's hand and rushed to her daughter. "Heavens, you're bleeding!"
Almost simultaneously, everyone else hurried toward Annabelle.
They formed a tight circle around her, fussing over every breath.
Julian barked at the nurse, "Nurse! She's bleeding—get over here and stop it!"
The nurse, still searching for a usable vein on Elena, didn't even look up.
Julian yanked the nurse toward him. "My sister's bleeding—are you deaf? Stop it now!"
The nurse stared, stunned; Annabelle's finger was barely scratched, yet their panic made it seem as though she had lost an entire finger.
Adaline bent over the little girl and cooed, "Does it hurt, Annie? Let Mommy blow on it and make the pain fly away."
The nurse, unable to stomach the scene any longer, said coldly, "My job is to start the IV. I don't do bandaging."
With that, she returned to Elena Bennett's bedside and muttered, "Your hands are impossible to stick now. We'll have to use the vein at your ankle."
Elena answered, "All right."
From her pillow, Elena watched the four members of the Bennett family fussing over Annabelle—each of them flustered, crowding around to escort Annie to have her tiny scratch dressed.
Not one of them spared a thought for Elena's own hands, raw and bleeding.
When the nurse finished setting the drip, she looked up and found the room empty of relatives. Over a mere scrape on the younger daughter's hand, the whole clan had abandoned the one lying here covered in wounds.
The favoritism was downright absurd.
The nurse wanted to offer a few words of comfort, but Elena's face was so calm it bordered on numb; clearly she was long accustomed to treatment like this.
The nurse reminded her, "The needle's in your ankle, so keep that foot still. You must stay fasting for four hours, and once the IV is done we'll take you for a gastroscopy."
Elena murmured, "Okay."
Annie's entourage didn't return for three full hours.
By then Elena's bladder was screaming; she inched to the edge of the bed and, balancing on one leg, hopped toward the restroom with the IV pole.
She barely made it back before her strength failed and she crumpled to the floor.
The door burst open. Adaline rushed in, aghast. "Elena! How did you fall? Julian, hurry and help your sister!"
The catheter yanked free of her ankle, and a ribbon of crimson spurted across the tiles.
Julian Bennett's brows knitted; pain flashed in his eyes as he scooped her up. "Why were you wandering around? You know your health's fragile—lie still and rest!"
Then he snapped, "I swear you're doing this on purpose just to make Mom worry herself sick!"
Elena pressed her lips together; a stab of hurt pierced her chest.
Eyes lowered, she said softly, "I couldn't hold it any longer."
"You could've called us! Had to take a tumble so we'd feel guilty, is that it?"
Elena shook her head. "I don't own a phone."
Julian's throat tightened; for a moment he had no reply.
Adaline gasped as though struck. "I'm sorry, Elena—Mom should've thought of that. I'll have someone buy you a phone right away. From now on, call me for anything, understand?"
"Thank you, Mom. Really, I'm fine on my own—please go back."
Annabelle yelped, "Ah—ow... that hurts..."
The fruit knife slipped from Annabelle's grasp and clattered to the floor; fresh blood welled from a cut on her finger.
Adaline instantly let go of Elena's hand and rushed to her daughter. "Heavens, you're bleeding!"
Almost simultaneously, everyone else hurried toward Annabelle.
They formed a tight circle around her, fussing over every breath.
Julian barked at the nurse, "Nurse! She's bleeding—get over here and stop it!"
The nurse, still searching for a usable vein on Elena, didn't even look up.
Julian yanked the nurse toward him. "My sister's bleeding—are you deaf? Stop it now!"
The nurse stared, stunned; Annabelle's finger was barely scratched, yet their panic made it seem as though she had lost an entire finger.
Adaline bent over the little girl and cooed, "Does it hurt, Annie? Let Mommy blow on it and make the pain fly away."
The nurse, unable to stomach the scene any longer, said coldly, "My job is to start the IV. I don't do bandaging."
With that, she returned to Elena Bennett's bedside and muttered, "Your hands are impossible to stick now. We'll have to use the vein at your ankle."
Elena answered, "All right."
From her pillow, Elena watched the four members of the Bennett family fussing over Annabelle—each of them flustered, crowding around to escort Annie to have her tiny scratch dressed.
Not one of them spared a thought for Elena's own hands, raw and bleeding.
When the nurse finished setting the drip, she looked up and found the room empty of relatives. Over a mere scrape on the younger daughter's hand, the whole clan had abandoned the one lying here covered in wounds.
The favoritism was downright absurd.
The nurse wanted to offer a few words of comfort, but Elena's face was so calm it bordered on numb; clearly she was long accustomed to treatment like this.
The nurse reminded her, "The needle's in your ankle, so keep that foot still. You must stay fasting for four hours, and once the IV is done we'll take you for a gastroscopy."
Elena murmured, "Okay."
Annie's entourage didn't return for three full hours.
By then Elena's bladder was screaming; she inched to the edge of the bed and, balancing on one leg, hopped toward the restroom with the IV pole.
She barely made it back before her strength failed and she crumpled to the floor.
The door burst open. Adaline rushed in, aghast. "Elena! How did you fall? Julian, hurry and help your sister!"
The catheter yanked free of her ankle, and a ribbon of crimson spurted across the tiles.
Julian Bennett's brows knitted; pain flashed in his eyes as he scooped her up. "Why were you wandering around? You know your health's fragile—lie still and rest!"
Then he snapped, "I swear you're doing this on purpose just to make Mom worry herself sick!"
Elena pressed her lips together; a stab of hurt pierced her chest.
Eyes lowered, she said softly, "I couldn't hold it any longer."
"You could've called us! Had to take a tumble so we'd feel guilty, is that it?"
Elena shook her head. "I don't own a phone."
Julian's throat tightened; for a moment he had no reply.
Adaline gasped as though struck. "I'm sorry, Elena—Mom should've thought of that. I'll have someone buy you a phone right away. From now on, call me for anything, understand?"
"Thank you, Mom. Really, I'm fine on my own—please go back."
End of Your Regrets Won't Bring Me Back Chapter 16. Continue reading Chapter 17 or return to Your Regrets Won't Bring Me Back book page.