UPSIDE DOWN

~ 6 ~

Matteo

I watch Sylvie through the rear view of the mirror, and the expression on her face is scaring me. I don't know what is going on in that head of hers, and I'm sure it's not pretty. 

It was my fault, I should've been more observant, I shouldn't have taken my eyes off of her. It all happened all because of me. 

I can't stop thinking about who that man was, she called him 'dad', but there's no way he can be alive, and why would he try to hurt someone who he helped raise. 

I can't stop the thoughts in my head, so I just decide to focus on driving us safe to our house right now. 

Sylvie didn't even acknowledge anything going around, she was lost in a trance. She didn't even move when Andrea lifted her up and took her inside. 

She looked lost, and it was all because of me. I did that to her. 

Andrea pulled her into a hug, which she didn't really take in at first, but eventually she wrapped her arms around him and started crying. 

Tears of my own pooling up in my eyes. I run my hands through my hair blinking away the tears. The sound of her loud sobs echo through the house and I can't stop feeling guilty about it. 

Francesco notices my guilt and places a comforting hand on my shoulder, a lone tear rolls out of my eye and now I can't hold myself back from crying. 

Francesco pulls me into a hug and I don't even resist it, "It's not your fault, Matteo" He whispers, "You did everything to keep her safe, no one could have seen it coming, it's not your fault" But it is Frank, how do I tell him that maybe I could've protected her better. 

"Sylvie" I hear Luca shout, I release myself from the hug and snap my head towards Andrea holding Sylvie's limp body. 

I rush next to him and Francesco lays her down trying to check her pulse. "Her pulse is very weak, we need to take her to the hospital wing, right now" Francesco orders and Andrea doesn't skip a beat before pulling her body into his arms and walking towards the hospital wing. 

Her eyes flutter open for a minute before she closes them again. 

All of us run behind, following Andrea's lead. He places her on a stretcher, while two doctors wheel her into a nearby room. 

The doctors run a few tests and ask us to wait for a while to get the reports, "why isn't she waking up, it's been 8 minutes, isn't that too long" Andrea asks facing Francesco. 

"I asked them to give her a mind sedative, trust me she needs the rest," All of us are beyond worried, first there's an attack, then Sylvie was on knifepoint, and she claims that man to be her dad, and she's definitely in shock right now. 

"The effect of the sedative will wear off in an hour" Francesco walks over to the chair next to her bed and sits there holding onto Sylvie's hand. 

"Hey," Andrea turns towards me, "It was not your fault Matteo" He says, there's no way anyone could ever hide what they're feeling around Andrea, he'll know. "You did everything you could to save her, you kept her safe ok" He reassures me again, this time pulling me into a hug. 

I always have loved his hugs, they make me feel like I'm hugging dad. He gives the exact same level of comfort, "Why don't you go get yourself cleaned up?" He points towards my scraped knee and elbow and also a tiny cut on my forehead from when I was fighting. 

Before I can object and stay, he gives me a look which no one would dare argue with. I seal my mouth shut and walk over to the first aid zone. 

Andrea