ELEANOR
I held my breath as the phone rang, gripping it tighter with each second.
When the nurse finally answered, my heart skipped a beat.
“Hello?” she said, her tone professional but slightly tired.
“Hello,” I replied, my voice shaky. “Am I speaking with Miss Annabelle?”
“Yes,” she answered. “Who am I speaking with?”
I felt a rush of excitement and relief, almost stumbling over my words. “I’m… I’m a sister to one of the patients under your care.”
There was a brief pause on the other end. “I have a lot of patients, dear,” she said. “You’ll need to be more specific. Can you tell me a bit more about which patient you’re referring to?”
My heart sank. How could she not remember? I hadn’t thought about how to describe myself or my sister in any other way.
I searched my mind, desperate to find something to help her recall. My mind spun with images of that night-running into the hospital, my sister barely able to breathe, the frantic doctors, the nurses rushing around. Then it hit me.
I remembered the doctor was in such a hurry to get to an emergency surgery but Annabelle had convinced him to secure a ward for us before he left.
“Um… the night I brought her in,” I started, my voice a little firmer. “The doctor had to rush to the operating room, but you convinced him to get us a ward first. She’s in Ward 15. My sister, the little girl who came in late that night.”
There was a pause on the other end, and for a moment, I worried that she still wouldn’t remember. But then, her voice softened in recognition.
“Oh! Yes, I remember now. Your sister, the one in Ward 15. Of course.”
Relief washed over me, and without thinking, the questions started pouring out of me. “How is she? Has she improved at all? Did you get the money for her medication? Is she responding to the treatment? Do you think she’ll be discharged soon?”
I barely gave her a chance to answer one question before I hit her with the next. My heart raced, my hands still trembling as I clutched the phone to my ear.
The silence from her side felt like an eternity, and I could feel Enzo’s eyes on me from across the room, watching quietly but saying nothing.
“Please, calm down,” the nurse said, her voice calm but firm. “I can’t answer all your questions at once.”
I blinked, realizing how frantic I must’ve sounded. “I’m sorry,” I said softly, trying to catch my breath. “Please, can you just tell me… how is she? Is there any hope of her being discharged soon?”
There was a pause, and I could almost hear her thinking. “Well,” she started, “I can’t say for sure that your sister will be discharged anytime soon. We’re not seeing any signs that point toward it yet, but…” She hesitated, as if trying to figure out how to word what came next. “But your sister has been doing better-significantly so, since you assigned the private oncologist to oversee her treatment.”
“What?” I frowned, confused. “Private oncologist?”
The nurse continued, her voice filled with admiration. “Yes. Since you brought in a specialist for her, her condition’s improved-not just physically but emotionally too. I don’t know what you’re doing, but your sister is lucky to have someone like you who’s willing to go to such lengths for her care.”
I was taken aback. I didn’t know what she was talking about. “Wait,” I said, cutting her off. “Can you repeat that? You said something about a private doctor?”
“Yes, the oncologist,” she replied patiently. “Since you assigned the specialist, things have been better.”
“But… I didn’t assign anyone. I didn’t hire a private doctor for her,” I said, my voice sounding strange even to my own ears. “I don’t even know what you’re talking about.”
There was a brief silence on the other end, as if the nurse was trying to process what I’d just said. “You didn’t?” she asked, her tone shifting to surprise. “It must have been a relative then.”
I shook my head, even though she couldn’t see me. “We don’t have anyone else,” I said firmly. “It’s just me. No one else could’ve done this.”
The nurse seemed puzzled now. “That’s odd,” she murmured. “Well, someone paid for a private oncologist, and they’ve been checking on your sister regularly. Whoever it is, they’ve made sure she’s getting top-tier care.”
I felt a knot forming in my stomach.
“Are you sure there’s no one else who might’ve arranged it?” the nurse asked again, sounding just as confused as I was.
“I’m positive,” I said, my mind spinning. “I don’t know anyone who would do that. There’s no one.”
Nurse Annabelle sounded hesitant, her voice dropping a bit. “Look, I know this might be confusing, but the doctor started about a week ago and your sister’s showing good progress. I’d advise you let things be for now. Focus on her recovery and then when she’s better, you can look into who’s behind it.”
I didn’t know how to respond to that. It made sense, but it didn’t sit well with me. “Yeah… maybe,” I muttered, but my mind was elsewhere. I needed to talk to her, hear her voice.
“Is there any way I can speak to her? Even if it’s just for a minute?” I asked, hope lacing my words.
There was a pause. “I’m not sure about that,” the nurse said, her voice apologetic. “She just took her medication, and she needs to rest for the treatment to work properly.”
I didn’t give up. “Please, it’s really important. I just need to hear her voice. I won’t take long. Just a few minutes. It would mean everything to me.” My voice cracked a little, but I tried to keep it together.
“I understand,” she replied, sounding a bit worn out from the back-and-forth. “But she really needs to rest-”
“I know, I get that,” I interrupted, my desperation slipping through. “It’s just that I haven’t talked to her in so long. Please, it’s all I’m asking for.”
The silence on the other end felt heavy. I could hear the nurse breathing, probably weighing her options. Finally, she sighed. “Alright,” she said, her tone softening. “I’ll go check on her. But you’ll only have five minutes, okay? She needs her rest.”
Relief washed over me. “Thank you, thank you so much. I really appreciate it,” I said, my words tumbling out quickly.
“You’re welcome,” the nurse replied, though her voice still carried caution. “I’ll call you back as soon as I get to her ward.”
The call ended, and I was left standing there, gripping the phone a little too tightly. I glanced over at Enzo, who was still lounging on the couch, watching me with mild curiosity. But I wasn’t thinking about him anymore. I was just waiting, my heart racing in anticipation for the nurse’s call.
Just hearing my sister’s voice-even for five minutes-would make me feel a little less heavy.
A few minutes passed, and my heart was pounding. Then, the phone rang.
I almost jumped as I answered it, the nurse’s voice came through, calm but firm. “I’m handing the phone to your sister now. Remember, just five minutes.”
I nodded even though she couldn’t see me. “I understand. Thank you.”
There was a brief shuffle, and then I heard it. “Hi? Eleanor?”
My heart melted at the sound of her voice. It was soft, a little unsure, but it was her.
“It’s me,” I said, my voice trembling.
“Eleanor!” she called out again, this time more excited, more alive.
The sound of her voice made me lose control for a second, and a tear slid down my cheek. I quickly wiped it away, glancing at Enzo, who was still watching me quietly.
“How are you, sweetheart?” I asked, trying to steady my voice. “How are they treating you in the hospital?”
“I’m okay,” she said, and I could hear the smile in her voice. “The new doctor is really nice. She tells me jokes when she comes to check on me. She says laughing helps with healing.” She giggled, and it was such a pure, sweet sound. I couldn’t help but smile, even as tears threatened to spill again.
I was amazed at how full of life she sounded. I had been so worried, imagining the worst, but there she was, cheerful and hopeful. At that moment, it felt like a weight had been lifted off my chest.
“Eleanor, thank you,” she said suddenly, catching me off guard. “Thank you for helping me. I really want to see you soon.”
My heart clenched at her words. “I’ll come soon, I promise,” I replied, fighting to keep my voice steady. “I’ll come check on you as soon as I can.”
We said our goodbyes, and just like that, the nurse was back on the line. “That’s all the time I can give, I’m afraid,” she said gently. “There are other patients to attend to.”
“I understand,” I said, grateful for even that short moment. “Thank you again.”
“Don’t worry,” she added before hanging up, “your sister’s strong. She’s going to make it.”
The call ended, and I stood there for a moment, the phone still in my hand. A strange sense of calm washed over me.
Hearing my sister’s voice, knowing she was okay-it gave me something I hadn’t felt in a long time-and that was genuine hope.
Whatever I was going through, this mess I was tangled in, was worth it for her.
I turned to catch Enzo still staring at me. He hadn’t said a word the whole time, just silently observing.
One thing kept nagging at me, and that was the new doctor.
We didn’t have any family who could’ve helped. So who exactly was paying for that?