Breathless

32. Gone for Good

The next few days I spent just lying on my bed in the hospital. I didn't want to speak to anyone. A catheter was inserted into me as I couldn't walk. I felt disgusting and helpless. Nat and Cam came to visit me on alternate days.

A few days later My mother got the news and rushed to the hospital. She saw me lying down on my bed with the bandages all over me. She stared at me for a while after which I started speaking. "Hi mom, how are you?", I said as loudly as I could to attract her attention.

"Riley, sweetie, I'm so sorry, I can't believe Vincent would do this to you! I'm cursing myself for not being there for you" she said, her voice cracking as the tears flowed down her cheeks.

I tried my best to sit up on the bed and after a few attempts of pulling myself upwards I grabbed my mother's hand and said, "Mom its not your fault, you didn't know alright? Don't blame yourself. I..I'm just glad you left him."

She bent down, hugged me tight and cried. "Let's go home sweetie" she said as her voice cracked up. "I can't mom." In the excitement of seeing my mother I had forgotten about the fact that I couldn't walk.

"Why Riley? You've been here for almost a week right?" Mom said staring at me. "Yes mom but I..I..my legs..they... I can't walk anymore mom." I said as I had an outburst of tears.

Mom stared at me for a minute, so startled that she didn't move her gaze. She touched my cheek with her palm turned her head sideways and a tear slid down her cheeks. She ran out of the room and cried with her back against the wall. I could hear her clearly even though she was trying to be silent.

The next few days, she couldn't even look me in the eye. She would hardly speak to me. This was affecting her more than it affected me. An officer had come to inquire about the incident. I narrated the whole story to him.

"So your father..." I cut the officer off. "Vincent. That's his name. He isn't my father... Not anymore" I said. "Alright. Vincent it is! So Vincent has been caught. We found him at your house going through your clothes. He's in our custody now. He won't hurt you anymore." The officer said and smiled. I smiled back and said an honest, meaningful "Thank You".