I was afraid to look at the bed, where the mother was lying lifeless. I knew she was breathing, except looking at her put a face to the victim. I couldn’t let myself get attached to a case, especially one that was so close to my past.
When the nurse left, I started to get up and request that they contact me if anything changed, except my eyes glanced over at the poor mother fighting to live. Her blonde hair was a mess and dried blood made some spots appear red. She had a bandage over her nose and a stitched up spot over her eyebrow. Even with all of that mess going on, I could tell that she was an attractive woman. Her body was covered up with blankets, but her arm was hanging out enough for me to see the artwork that went from her wrist to her shoulder. It was done well and I continued to stare, I thought about the tattoos on my own body; the ones I got after I lost my girls.
Sadness overwhelmed me again, forcing me to sit back down in the chair. This woman was those kids mother. I had to know that she was going to pull through. I couldn’t just walk away. Something wouldn’t let me get out of that chair.
I put my hat over my eyes and leaned back to try to rest. Some would say that prayers were all that could be done. I’d lost faith in that. This woman’s will to live was what would decide whether she ever opened her eyes again. I owed it to Sue to stick around and wait.
I’m not real sure how long I’d been sleeping, but I woke to someone touching my arm. I grabbed my hat and placed it back on my head as I sat up straight and looked around for the nurse. Instead, the arm with the tattoos was reaching over to touch me again. I stood up, partly in shock, and looked down at the awake woman. She was struggling for words and I knew what she was going to ask before the words could come out. “You’re kids are fine, Ma’am. They’re with your aunt. You’ve been in an accident. I’ll go get you the doctor.”
I rushed out of the room, leaving the woman all alone. As I passed the nurse’s station, I alerted them of the patient waking up, and left the hospital.
The woman was going to make it. My involvement was over.
Case closed.
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Blinding Trust Page 26