Bianca felt her body go weak upon hearing the Doctor’s words, and Dave quickly pulled her into his arms to offer comfort.
“Bianc…”
Tears flowed down Bianca’s pale face, but her voice was surprisingly calm. Through her sobs, she managed to ask, “Doctor, can I see her now, please?”
Seeing her strength, the Doctor decided not to stop her and nodded gently.
With Dave’s support, Bianca got out of bed and followed the Doctor to the ICU. In a quiet room, she saw Madison.
Madison lay still, connected to several tubes; her eyes closed as if she were in a deep sleep.
If it weren’t for the steady beeping of the heart rate monitor nearby, Madison would look like someone no longer alive.
Bianca’s legs felt weak, and she almost collapsed.
“Bianc!” Dave quickly wrapped his arms around her, providing support. At that moment, she seemed so fragile, like she could be knocked over by a light breeze.
Finding strength in Dave’s embrace, Bianca slowly moved closer to Madison’s bedside.
When she reached the bed, she knelt down softly. Gently holding Madison’s hand, which was connected to an IV, she whispered, “Mom…”
But Bianca’s tears fell uncontrollably as soon as the words left her lips.
“Mom, please wake up! It’s me, Bianc. I’m right here! Please, wake up!” She gently brushed the stray hair from her mother’s forehead. Just hours ago, they had been talking on the phone. How could she become unresponsive now?
“Bianc…” Dave, kneeling beside her, held her cold hand. “Your mom needs to rest, and you do too. Let’s go back for now, okay?”
Bianca, her head bowed and fists clenched, murmured, “Her apartment didn’t catch fire by accident. Someone did this on purpose. I have to find out who did this to her.”
“Okay, I’ll help you figure this out. But first, you need to take care of yourself. You have to be strong for anything else,” Dave said softly, calming Bianca’s tired nerves.
Just then, the Doctor spoke up, “You’re lucky things turned out this way. It’s great that she was saved just in time. If it had been any later, it might have been too late. Miss Scott, I heard you went into the fire to save your mom. You’re a brave daughter; her life is safe because of you.”
Dave felt a heaviness in his chest at those words.
What if he had told Bianca to wait for the firefighters? Would he have been responsible for her mother’s death?
Did he make a mistake?
Did his father rush to his mother with hope in his heart back then?
Bianca was lucky to survive, but what if she hadn’t, like his father?
The thought sent another sharp pain through Dave’s head.
Hearing the Doctor, Bianca felt a wave of guilt. Without Blake’s quick help, she and her mom might not have escaped the fire.
As she remembered Blake’s words, she felt a knot in her stomach. “As your friend, I didn’t think twice about saving you. But your boyfriend just stood there, doing nothing while you were in danger. Bianca, do you really think he cares about you?”
This made Bianca’s heart feel heavy and restless. She glanced at Dave, who looked just as hurt as she was.
“Dave…” she began, wanting to ask what he was thinking, but she hesitated. She worried that asking might show distrust and make things awkward.
“Let’s go back.” Dave helped her up, and they walked in silence. They were close together, but it felt like there was a gap between their hearts.
When they entered Bianca’s room, they saw Blake there. As soon as he heard them, he rushed over and pulled Bianca away from Dave.
In the past, Dave would have quickly pulled her back, not letting Blake get near her.
But now, he just stood there, his hand hanging in the air, doing nothing.
“Bianc, where have you been?” Blake helped Bianca sit on the bed, glaring at Dave with irritation. “She just woke up and isn’t fully recovered yet. How could you think of taking her out?”
Bianca reached for Blake’s arm and said, “Blake, don’t blame him. I wanted to see my mom.”
“You… you saw your mom?” Blake was surprised. He had known about this sad news for a while but hadn’t told Bianca, worried it would upset her.
He planned to wait until Bianca got better before he shared it, but this was unexpected…
Blake shot Dave a sharp look. “Did you tell her?”
Dave stayed silent, so Bianca spoke up. “No, it wasn’t him. I asked the Doctor to keep me informed. Blake, did you know about my mom’s situation from the start and keep it from me?”
Blake nodded, ready to explain himself, but Bianca interrupted.
“I understand you were trying to protect me. You thought I couldn’t handle the news, but I’m stronger than you think. The Doctor just checked me out and said I’m fine. I’m planning to leave tomorrow.”
“No way!” Blake replied firmly.
“Blake, listen. I’m leaving this place to find out what really happened with that fire. If you try to stop me, that’ll be the end of our friendship.” Bianca’s gaze was firm, showing she wouldn’t back down.
Blake stared at her, speechless, then finally sighed. “Okay.”
Bianca’s smile was small but genuine. She turned to Dave and said, “It’s late. You both should go home. I need some space tonight.”
“But you shouldn’t be alone. I’ll stay and keep you company,” Blake insisted.
Bianca looked at Dave again, a slight smile on her lips. “Blake, my boyfriend’s still here. He should be the one to stay, if necessary.”
Blake stood there, stunned, his hands slowly clenching.
“I need some time alone, so you don’t have to stay. Please, just go,” Bianca said as she took off her shoes, climbed into bed, and wrapped herself in the covers.
Dave glanced at her, and she met his eyes.
Their eyes locked, and they both felt an unusual distance growing between them.
“Sleep well,” Dave murmured, then turned to leave.
Blake, watching him go, called out in surprise, “You’re just going to walk away like that?”
“Blake, could you step out too, please?” Bianca asked.
Sighing, Blake agreed, “Okay, I’ll check on you tomorrow.”
As Dave left the hospital, Blake ran after him and grabbed his arm.
“Wait!”
Dave stopped suddenly and turned to face Blake, his eyes icy. He looked down at Blake’s hand gripping his arm.
Dave’s presence was commanding, causing Blake to instinctively release his grip.
“What’s going on?” Dave asked.
Blake had been holding something back. He took a deep breath and asked, “Do you really love Bianca?”