Fighting Shadows!

Confrontation

Emily's POV

As I sat in the doctor's room, drowning in my sorrows, Linda's voice broke through the silence. "Emily, Blake is here to see you," she announced, opening the door and interrupting my thoughts.

Immediately, I felt a surge of emotions overwhelm me. Frustration, anger, and sadness all mixed together, making me feel sick. I didn't want to see him, not after everything that had happened. But Linda insisted, telling me that he refused to leave until I came out.

Reluctantly, I stood up and made my way to the front desk where Blake was waiting. His appearance matched his shattered state of mind, with bloodshot eyes and dishevelled hair.

"What do you want?" I asked, my arms folding defensively across my chest.

Blake straightened up, dragging his hands through his messy hair. "Thank you, for taking care of my mother," he said, his words devoid of any apology.

I couldn't help but feel a surge of anger at his lack of remorse. "How is she?" I inquired, my voice laced with a mix of curiosity and concern.

"In rehab. I booked her in this morning," he replied, his tone distant and detached.

"Good," I responded curtly, turning away, ready to retreat back to the safety of the ED.

But his voice stopped me in my tracks. "So that's it?" he yelled, frustration evident in his voice. I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself, remembering the technique he had taught me to control my emotions before I go off like a lunatic and potentially lose my job.

I turned to face him, my eyes piercing through his dishevelled appearance. "You left me with your mother who overdosed," I began, my voice trembling with a mix of anger and hurt. "What if she had died? Do you really think I would have been able to handle that after my own mother died of an overdose? Don't you think I would have wanted to help my mother? Do you have any idea how I felt while I was helping your mother? And you just decided to go off on a drinking spree and leave me."

My words hung in the air, the weight of the truth sinking in. My veins pulsed with anger, my emotions reaching a boiling point. But amidst the fury, I couldn't help but also feel a sense of relief. Finally, I had let out the pent-up emotions that had been festering within me.

He kept quiet, with still no apology. I sighed and turned around to walk away.

"Don't walk away from me, Em!" Blake's desperate voice echoed in my ears as I stood with my back to him, refusing to face the pain that threatened to consume me.

"You promised to never break me," I finally responded, my voice filled with a mixture of anger and hurt. "And yet, you did the worst thing possible. You left me with a drug addict, and I had to save her. So forgive me if I'm not in the mood to commit to a promise you never intended to keep."

I could feel his eyes boring into my back, but I didn't turn around. Instead, I walked briskly towards the entrance of the Emergency Department, determined to bury the burning pain in my heart. Linda noticed my distress and asked if everything was okay. I simply nodded, not trusting my voice to convey the turmoil within me.

Once inside the chaotic environment of the ED, I threw myself into my work. Filing paperwork, attending to patients, anything to keep my mind occupied and prevent that haunting image of Blake's mother from replaying in my mind. The memory of her throwing up and crying, overwhelmed by the guilt of not being able to save her daughter, haunted me. And Blake, in his grief, blamed her for walking out of his life.

I understood his pain. I knew he had a terrible childhood, filled with neglect and abuse. But that didn't excuse him for leaving me with his broken mother. I knew she had hurt him, but I couldn't help but empathize with her. How could she not be affected by the loss of her daughter, especially since his father had never wanted her in the first place? How was she supposed to act?