Chapter 3 - The Hospital Revelations
I arrived at the busy city hospital just as the sun began to set over the horizon.
The sterile smell of disinfectant did nothing to calm my fraying nerves.
I found my mother’s room at the end of a long,
brightly lit corridor on the fourth floor.
She was resting quietly,
an intravenous drip connected to her frail,
bruised arm.
The doctor came in shortly after,
holding a thick medical chart with a grim expression.
“Mr.
Daniel,”
he began softly,
looking at me with deep sympathy,
“your mother has suffered extensive physical neglect.”
He listed her injuries one by one,
each word striking my heart like a physical blow.
She had severe dehydration,
advanced malnutrition,
and an untreated wrist fracture that was weeks old.
“The housekeeper,
Elena,
saved her from much worse,”
the doctor added,
shaking his head in disbelief.
“The girl took the brunt of the recent physical blows,
protecting your mother's head.”
I thanked the doctor,
my jaw clenched tight to keep from crying out in sheer agony.
I walked across the hall to the minor trauma unit where Elena was being monitored.
She sat on the edge of the bed,
a clean white bandage covering the fresh stitches on her forehead.
Her face was pale,
but her eyes were clear and remarkably resilient.
“Thank you,
Elena,”
I said,
my voice cracking with immense gratitude as I sat beside her.
“You risked your life for my mother today,
and I will never forget it.”
Elena offered a small,
sad smile,
wincing slightly as the movement pulled at her stitches.
“I could not let her hurt your mother,
Daniel,”
she whispered softly,
looking down at her hands.
“Mrs.
Vanessa became a completely different person the moment your plane left the ground.”
She explained how Vanessa would cut off the house phones,
confiscate my mother's wheelchair,
and leave her in darkness.
Elena had tried to call me multiple times,
but Vanessa had blocked my number on Elena's phone and threatened to deport her.
“She told me she would ruin my life if I ever told you the truth,”
Elena confessed,
a tear escaping her eye.
I reached out,
gently squeezing her hand to assure her of her absolute safety.
“She will never hurt you or my mother ever again,”
May you like
I promised fiercely,
“I will make absolutely sure of that.”
