One Glance

Chapter 7

"It's a father's duty to give his sons a fine chance." George Eliot, Middlemarch

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Chapter Seven

"I forgot, I forgot I was blind. I am so sorry. I am so sorry. Please forgive me. I am so sorry." Luke repeated those sentences over and over, but Isabella could not pay attention. Her attention was solely on her wailing toddler as blood was pouring down his face.

Isabella was in a momentary state of shock. As an infant, Isabella had come to understand each and every one of her son's cries. The cry of pain was the cry that broke her heart. His pain cry had never been so loud or true. Her poor son was in terrible pain.

Isabella rushed over to Jamie and picked him up off of the marble. The white marble was now stained with Jamie's blood. His poor, distressed face was covered with a combination of blood and tears. His cries kept his mouth open which meant that Jamie could taste the blood.

"Shh, shh," Isabella hushed.

No matter their disagreements, Isabella was thankful that Mary knew how to act quickly.

Mary immediately brought the basin of water over to the dining table and motioned for Isabella to bring Jamie over. Mary began to rip the bed sheet into strips, creating makeshift bandages.

Isabella obeyed immediately. She carried Jamie quickly over to the table and sat down on one of the chair, sitting Jamie on her lap facing Mary. Isabella wrapped her arms around her son and repeatedly kissed his hair, feeling very helpless.

Mary had a very serious expression on her face as she began to wash Jamie's face. In ten seconds or so, she found the source of the bleeding. There was a gash along Jamie's hairline. It was not nearly as big as Isabella had been anticipating. Mary held a bandage against the gash.

"Would you hold this against the cut, Mrs Cassidy?" she asked quietly.

Isabella nodded. She held the bandage against Jamie's cut which only made him cry more. Isabella's instinct was to pull it away but Mary shook her head firmly. Mary continued to clean Jamie's face until he was free of blood.

"Good, the blood has clotted," Mary said upon inspection of the wound a few minutes later. "We often find that head wounds bleed more severely, no matter how big or little the injury. You have been very brave, Jamie."

Jamie had settled down by then. He was still whimpering, and he was still frightened, but he was not sobbing as violently as he had been. Isabella was very proud of him. Such an amount of blood would have been terrifying for him. It had been very terrifying for her.

"I will need to put in a few stitches," said Mary, more to herself.

Mary left the room momentarily to collect her medical bag, leaving Isabella alone with Luke and Jamie. Jamie was still audibly whimpering. Isabella looked over at her husband and sighed sadly.

The shock of what had happened had passed now that she knew Jamie was not more seriously hurt.

Luke's head was in his hands and he appeared to be muttering something over and over. Isabella felt great sympathy for him, regardless of their argument. Isabella had felt that way the first time that she had accidentally dropped Jamie. Of course, she had not dropped him on marble, nor had he been hurt, but she had still felt jut as guilty.

Luke was only experiencing it a few years later.

Isabella balanced Jamie on her hip and walked over to Luke. He only noticed her presence when she sat down next to him on the settee and he had felt the weight change.