Braelyn’s POV
A few days passed after I woke up, and in all that ti I didn’t catch a single glimpse of Lucien or Raphael. Genny and Alora ca every day, sotis in the morning, sotis in the evening, but always with the sa careful smiles and gentle voices.
.
There was a hidden agreent between us not to ntion either man. I spent the past few days rehabilitating since I have been bedridden for weeks. Although there was nothing physically wrong with my muscles needed a few days to recover
Being in bed for weeks had done more damage than I expected. My muscles felt like they didn’t belong to anymore. The first ti the physiotherapist helped sit up properly, black spots had danced in my vision and my heart had raced like I’d run a marathon.
"Your body just needs reminding," she’d said kindly. "You’ll get there."
So every day, I worked.
It was nice having Alora around; so days, Genny even let Alora stay with while she went to work. She accompanied for my treatnt, chattering all the way.
Slow walks down the corridor with a therapist beside . Gentle stretches that made my limbs tremble. Breathing exercises when dizziness crept in. It was frustrating knowing nothing had been physically broken, yet feeling like even standing was a battle.
Alora loved coming with . She would trail beside my wheelchair or walk slowly next to when I practised short distances on my feet. She talked the entire ti about nursery school, about a cartoon she liked, about a boy who cried because soone took his crayons.
Her little chatter accompanied those days, it felt like the world was moving without .
As the days passed, I grew curious about what was happening. Both n were avoiding . The flowers changed everything at night while I was asleep with new cards. I knew soone was coming at night. I wondered if it was Lucien...
It was soone influential since the person ca past visiting hours every night. I tried asking the night shift nurses but they always avoid the question. It was obvious the person paid them to stay tight-lipped.
I have tried staying up so nights but it was hopeless the person was really sneaky, and it felt like misery
The days passed in a blur of effort and exhaustion. And through it all, a quiet curiosity gnawed at . Who was visiting ? One night, when I noticed so peony flowers along with the normal primroses, I couldn’t help but ask the nurses as she was doing her routine massages every night before I slept.
"The flowers changed again." She looked startled but didn’t look away from her work. "I didn’t notice.." she laughed and avoided the question.
The nurses were terrible liars.
********
By the end of the week, they moved my sessions to the physiotherapy room downstairs.
The place slled faintly of rubber mats, sweat and disinfectant, sunlight pouring in through wide windows. Other patients were there too, so older, so using walkers, all fighting their own quiet battles.
Today, they had doing balance work.
Sweat clung to my skin as I stepped carefully over low foam blocks, my legs trembling with the effort of simply lifting and placing my feet where I wanted them to go. The physiotherapist stayed close but didn’t touch unless I wobbled too hard.
"You’re doing really well, Braelyn," she said. "Postural control is much better today."
I didn’t feel "well." I felt like jelly. But I kept going.
At the side of the room, Alora sat on a plastic chair swinging her legs, acting like I was performing on a stage just for her.
"Go, Aunty Lynn!" she cheered, clapping loudly. "You didn’t even fall that ti!" Her cheers were funny at tis, and other patients laughed too. Alora beca a frequent face here; she even started making friends with so patients during my session.
A breathless laugh escaped .
I finished the last step and grabbed the railing, chest rising and falling hard, hair damp against my neck.
The physiotherapist smiled as she handed a towel. "Honestly, I’m impressed. You’ve recovered remarkably well considering how long you were inactive."
I wiped my face, still trying to catch my breath. "So... that’s good, right?"
"That’s very good," she said warmly. "At this rate, you’ll be discharged in a few days. We’ll just keep building your strength and endurance."
A few days.
The words should’ve comforted .
Instead, as Alora ran over and hugged my waist, nearly knocking off balance, a strange unease settled in my chest.
Leaving ant going back.
Back to everything I’d been running from. That left a strange nut in my chest.
******
"I feel like mummy is avoiding soone..." Alora said like a little detective as she led back to my room after my psychologist’s therapy session. I had to attend that too because of the reason for my coma.
I was walking with a cane to support since the distance was a bit far from my room. My physiotherapist advised to get used to moving without the wheelchair.
I glanced down at the little girl who was holding my hand. "Why do you think so?" I asked.
Alora looked like she was in deep thought. "She is always busy, and I heard her talking to herself yesterday about not wanting to see Joey," Alora stated her observations. I nodded understanding the situation. Genny was avoiding the Joey situation. Since I woke up she hasn’t ntioned a word about Joey.
I wondered if Alora suspected that Joey was her father. She seed like a smart girl.
Alora stopped then stared at . Her curious blue eyes stared at . "Did bad Joey do sothing to mummy?" She asked and my smile faltered
I squatted to ruffle her hair. "You shouldn’t be stressing yourself about adult matters." I brushed her off. It wasn’t my place to speak. Alora wasn’t satisfied with my answer but she nodded.
We went back to my room. Genny ca to pick her up later that night. She was in a hurry, and we didn’t speak much, but before she left she dropped sothing I requested. A large cup of coffee.
Still curious about my night visitor. I secretly drank the coffee without my nurse’s knowledge. That night I lay on the bed closing my eyes for what felt like hours but no one ca
I was getting disappointed but there was no sign of sleep in my eyes. Pretty late past midnight, I heard the door open. I was certain it wasn’t my nurse.
My heart started racing as the person ca in. The strong cologne wrapped around as the person sat beside quietly. It took everything in not to open my eyes
I was curious what the person did in my room every day.
Reviews
All reviews (0)