Love, Helena

Chapter 10

Wren started gaining back consciousness. She blinked through her unfocused eyes and heavy lids, her vision slowly clearing to glimpse the sickening lamp light and blank room. She saw the tube attached to her wrist and just then realized she was in a hospital.

For a dazed moment, all she was aware of were her insides boiling with heat, but she felt oddly Outwardly cold, her body shivering. The nurse offered her a little smile. "Mrs. Bradford, relax. Everything is okay. You're just a bit feverish. With a bit of rest you'll be good again."

Wren tried to return the small woman's smile and nodded.

"Your family is waiting for you outside, would you like to see them?" the nurse asked her, checking the levels of the drip.

As though her brain was jolted awake, the memories of what happened before she lost consciousness came back crashing inside her head. She blinked through the haziness of her sight, tightly digging her fingernails into her skin to stay focused. She remembered Zach's hands on her, his lips on her skin, his words... She felt repulsed and disgusted. He was the last person she wanted to see or deal with right then. 

A knock on the door had her relaxing in bed as Ales and Amber stepped into her room. She tried to give them a reassuring smile to ease the obvious worry in their features. Wren shut her eyes to compose her nerves. She opened them slowly to find Amber staring at her with tears-filled eyes and a worried expression. Ales taking a spot on her bed.

"How are you feeling, mom?" Alessandro spoke softly, taking her hand in his and kissing it gently.

"I'm well... Don't worry." She chucked weakly, "It's just a fever, alright?"

Her boy took a deep breath and nodded, "You gave us a fright. What happened?"

"I must have forgotten the windows open or something. I'm not sure." She smiled reassuringly.

Ales kissed her hand once more with relief, "Please don't scare us like that again."

She squeezed his hand, "I am sorry, baby. Where are Lennon and Ophelia?"

"Back home," He replied, "I did not think it was practical to bring them along, but I do need to call them and tell them you're awake and well."

"Yes, go do that." She nodded and watched him exit the room, leaving her alone with his sister.

Amber had never seen her mother so weak or tired or subdued. She was always so sweet, so patient, so composed. It was a shock to her system to see her this way. She fought her own tears as she thought how she must've added to her pain with her childish tantrums. In that very instant she despised her father a little, because she could chance a guess at what happened the night before. She only hoped whatever speculations she had were gravely erroneous, otherwise she wouldn't know how to ever forgive him.

"Come, Amber." Helena Wren said to her daughter tenderly as she recollected herself. She patted the empty space beside her on the bed, and Amber sat down hesitantly, biting her lip.

"I'm so sorry," Amber whispered looking down at her hands clasped in her lap. Her vision was blurred with tears that still refused to come out. "I was wrong, and I hurt you so much. I'm so sorry."

Wren tried to sit upright on the bed as she searched for her daughter's hand and took it in her own warm one. Amber continued, "I was so stupid and I blamed you all these years for driving my dad away, but now... Now I know that he never cared enough to stick around for us, with us, or you. I know I was wrong all along, and I was delusional to believe in him despite the disgusting things I knew he was doing... I didn't want to admit it. I wanted a father that I've known for a few years when I was a child. Someone I could look up to, and laugh with; who'd care for me and my family. I wanted it so bad."