My Absence (Revised)

5 - Aiden

*TRIGGER WARNING - MENTION OF ABUSE AND SLIGHT GORE*

"I have an update on the girl's condition." I jumped up from the table as fast as I could, knocking down the chair I sat on only seconds ago. 

"How is she?" I inquired. My heart felt as though it couldn't beat any faster. The knots in my stomach only got tighter, the ball in my through only getting larger. 

"She's in critical condition. She sustained multiple AIS-5 injuries - critical, life-threatening injuries. She had internal bleeding that we managed to cauterize and get under control. She obtained a brain bleed that barely managed to stop. She has bad cuts on the right temporal and frontal lobe areas of her head. There were many puncture holes we stitched. Though these injuries can be summed up as a result of the assault, there were some things that the doctors found quite peculiar. During her full blood workup, we found that her blood contained alarmingly high traces of Aconitum Napellus, or what we call Monkshood nectar. During some of her other tests, we found evidence of injuries that were present before her assault and broken bones that didn't heal correctly. These instances of broken bones haven't been recorded in any of her medical records or medical databases. Do you know where she would have gotten these wounds from?"

*Monkshood (the wolfsbane flower) is a plant that is poisonous to wolves.

"No, I don't know where she could've gotten those injuries from. I just found her like that. I know nothing about her." 

How did she get so many injuries? Was she in an accident when she was younger? 

"We have a suspicion that she may be abused. Based on her numerous uncharted injuries and the trace of severity, we can draw some conclusions. I've seen some cases like this, not many, but the few I have seen have shown the same apparent symptoms. We can't call in CPS due to a few of the regulations set by the hospital's board of trustees, so there isn't much we can do about that suspicion."

Hearing this stunned me. Who would abuse such a nice person? Why would anyone harm someone to such a horrible extent? Was it those kids at school, or was there more to it than what meets the eye? 

"Do you know if the injuries that healed incorrectly are hurting her? Is there anything you can do about it?"

"I'm sorry, there's no way for us to know if they are hurting her or not. The only way for us to fix what's already been broken is to re-break the bones and set them where they should be, but with how many breaks have been dealt to her, it would be impossible to do and would cause her too much pain." 

"Can I go and see her?" I needed to see if she was safe. I didn't know why, but I felt this intense care for her. Maybe it was because I was the one who found her, and I felt responsible for her. 

"Aiden, no." My father said gruffly. 

"It's okay sir. Aiden can go and see her. She's currently under sedation to help manage the pain. We have an IV in to try to flush the Monkshood out of her system and provide extra fluids. She's very bruised and swollen, and it hurts to look at the poor thing, so keep that in mind." I nodded and followed her out of the room, my parents following me. 

Once we reached her room, I was completely horrified. Most of her body was covered in black and purple bruises, and what wasn't bruised was wrapped in bandages. My heart ached to look at her. It felt as though my heart was screaming out in pain. What could only be described as anxiety twisted my gut. 

I walked over to her and stood by her side. So many thoughts were running through my head. I was overtaken by a sense of indescribable emotional pain and complete anger. I wanted to hurt those who did this to her, but I also didn't want to leave her unattended.