Aurora’s POV
My heart yearned to see my daughter who I hadn’t been with since the operation because of my health. But now I was ready to meet her and talk to her even if it was for a short while.
My eyes glanced at Giselle who sat on a chair a few meters away from me and was scrolling through her phone with sadness on her face like a cloak. She was still on bad terms with Angelo all because of me and I didn’t appreciate that.
“Giselle?” I called softly, and she whisked her gaze away from her phone.
“Yes, do you need anything?” She with a concerned tone.
“I need two things from you.” Her brows arched in surprise then she nodded for me to go ahead. “You and Angelo need to make up.” I requested.
She inclined her head while massaging her thighs at the same time, and I imagined how hard it would be for her.
“It’s so hard, Aurora.” She admitted, “I can understand Matteo’s harsh treatment towards you but Angelo didn’t have any solid motive for trying to kill you.”
I sighed, knowing that having both of them get back together would be harder than I thought. Giselle had been through a lot with her late husband and she thought she could get all the love she wanted from a younger man.
She could get it but they needed to have a long conversation about their lives, then a truce.
“Still, I forgave him and I think you should do the same. Death can come knocking at any time and trust me, you don’t want to leave this earth with so much bitterness and regrets piled up in your heart.” My words struck her as she glanced at me sharply.
“Angelo isn’t around, he went out with Matteo.” She said with less enthusiasm but I could see through her eyes that she was ready to have a chat with him.
“Alright.. For my second request, I need to see my daughter.” I said and she nodded.
“I’ll ring the nurse to come over and take you out.”
I leaned back on the pillow, while waiting for the nurse that was in charge of watching me to come. She came promptly with a cute smile on her face.
“Are you sure that you are ready for this?”
I nodded then laughed briefly. “Who isn’t ready to see their child?” I asked rhetorically. She helped me onto the wheelchair together with Giselle who offered to take it over from her and wheel me out of my ward while the nurse came along with us.
My heart thudded faster against my chest with my mind filled with imaginations of how she would be. If she wasn’t premature, she would have been snuggled in my arms this very minute because I would never let her go.
As we passed through the hallway of the hospital, my eyes darted to my sides and took in every door of the ward. Mine was private because of Matteo’s wealth and influence.
“It’s here.” The nurse pointed at the door by the left and Giselle stopped pushing the chair immediately.
She opened the door then wheeled me into the room which was filled with different babies. Most of them in the machines that had see through glasses with different wires connected to each in a complex manner.
I didn’t bother myself with the details because I just wanted to see her–my daughter.
“Will I be allowed to carry her?” My voice was cracked because of clogged emotions in my throat.
“Not yet, but you’ll be able to see her.” She replied kindly and Giselle wheeled me towards the incubator with the nurse’s direction that had an inscription on the walls identifying her as ‘baby Moretti’.
I leaned on the arm-rest of the wheelchair and got up with Giselle holding my waist firmly so that I wouldn’t lose my footing and fall since I was still weak. I fixed my gaze on the little human whose eyes were shut in a peaceful slumber and watched the rise and fall of her chest.
My eyes turned misty and darted to her clenched fist. She was tiny with little traces of hair which was too soon to tell what color it was. She had her father’s nose and my heart-shaped lips.
“Oh my baby,” I cried softly, holding my gasps so that she wouldn’t wake up.
I felt a touch on my shoulder and willed myself not to cry. Then I asked the nurse out of curiosity, “When will she be out of here?”
“She’ll leave once we are sure that she can live without the incubator and her organs are fully developed.” She assured me, then held my hand. “Don’t worry, she’s in a safe place and I’ll make sure that nothing happens to her.”
“Thank you very much, nurse.” I said gratefully.
She flashed me her genuine beautiful smile and left me with Giselle. Other nurses walked around with their hands immersed in gloves while they cleaned the babies.
“Do you want to return to your ward now?” Giselle asked.
I flashed a final glance at my daughter then touched her forehead with my thumb. “Yes, even though that place feels like a cage. But my stomach still hurts and I think I need to lie down a bit.”
“Alright.” She replied and together we left the room, but my heart remained with my daughter.
An awry feeling began to spread in my heart which gave me the chills about Matteo. “Has Matteo called yet?”
“Not yet, but don’t worry he’ll be back soon to see you.” She said and pushed the door open to my ward.
Her phone vibrated from her pocket which she picked and waved at me. “You can go, I can take care of myself.” I said with a wave and she quickly left herself out of the room while I shut my eyes to rest for a moment.
I tried to toss to the side but it did more harm than good as I felt a stabbing pain from the bullet wound. I felt relieved when I heard the sound of the door opening.
“Thank goodness that you are back, Giselle, my stomach hurts badly.” I complained with a sigh.
The room remained silent so I opened my eyes and saw a nurse taking a syringe from a tray she dropped on the drawer. Her face was covered with a mask except for her eyes and she wore green nylon gloves.
I got startled and raised my head because the only nurses that I’d seen wearing nose masks were the ones at the newborn’s room.
“Ummm, who are you?” I held onto my stomach and hoisted myself into a sitting position.
She didn’t still respond as she drew the syringe and flicked it into the air causing some drops of liquid to fall to the ground, then she advanced towards me with slow steps that emitted a very scary aura.
“I ask again, who the hell are you?” I moved backwards slowly and a sinister chuckle escaped her lips.
“I don’t think you are in the position to ask such a question, my dear. Just be patient and you’ll get to know who I am.” She drawled while I slowly got out of the bed, searching for any object I could use to hit her.
My heart raced as I wondered who she was and what her motive could be for trying to hurt me. As we circled the room, my toe got cut between a wire and I fell to the floor, my head colliding with the wall. A wince escaped my lips as the fake nurse crouched as well and held my hands.
I tried to fight her but my strength was relinquishing, giving her a better advantage over me. I grappled at the collar of her blouse with a weak grip as she hit me with her elbow.
Then I looked into her eyes which were dark and scary, feeling a tiny needle piercing my neck slowly. Her hysterical laughter reverberated in the ward, while my eyelids became heavy as lead and my eyes drowsy.
I couldn’t tell what she might have injected into me because I couldn’t see her clearly, as her face was no longer one but two. The last thing I saw was her taking off her mask, and then I gave up to unconsciousness.