𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐒: 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐊 | 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐬

[ 012 ]

'You survived the abuse, you're going to survive the recovery.'
- Mariska Hargitay

When suddenly his sister slumped in his arms, he didn't know what to do. He was overwhelmed with the situation. His sister had often been in a bad shape, but he had never experienced it to such an extent. Neither had Arthur, who had just come into the hallway and understood it even less than his older brother.

Quickly they had acted, laid her on the couch and then called 911. She had been breathing on her own, but still had not regained consciousness.

The other party guests had also fallen silent and had only asked what had happened, but no one really had an answer except Luise. His friend Norman had then arranged that his friends started their way home. He had seen how much it had affected Charles and Arthur and knew that neither of them could do anything. Thus they had said their goodbyes and left. His friends insisted that they should contact them when they knew more and when she had regained consciousness. Or if they needed help.

Just as he was about to take Luise himself and drive to the hospital, the doorbell rang and two paramedics had entered the apartment. These two had connected Luise, in only a few minutes, to any equipment that showed them how she was doing. When the two assured to the brothers that so far no abnormalities were present, they were nevertheless worried. Why had Luise fainted, then, if nothing was wrong?

Charles had briefly explained what had happened, whereupon Arthur had just sat down on a chair in shock. The two paramedics had then explained to them that it could be possible that she had fainted due to mental overload, but that this would first have to be clarified at the hospital. So his still unconscious sister was taken by ambulance to the Centre Hospitalier Princesse Grace.

Charles had then taken his brother and had driven behind in his Ferrari. On the drive, the two brothers had pondered back and forth for a long time what the whole reason could have been. Why had she been so emotionally upset? Why had she cried so much? And above all, what had she been guilty of?

He had parked his car in the underground garage of the hospital and had then gone to the emergency room, where they had told them that Luise still had to be examined. So they had entered the waiting room and sat down on two chairs, where they were still sitting.

"We have to let mom know," Charles suddenly said. The two of them had forgotten to call their mom and oldest brother in the stress and overwhelm.

"Shoot, you're right," Arthur now said as well, immediately pulling out his cell phone.

"I'll tell Lorenzo first. I'll have him pick up Mom. If she finds out about all this, she shouldn't be driving."

"You're right. I'll tell her he's picking her up."

The two each dialed a number. Both actually answered the phone rather quickly. The brothers explained to the two what had happened and that she was now in the hospital. That they didn't have to come to the hospital, they didn't say, because they knew Lorenzo and their mom would come no matter what. Arthur only had to explain to their mom that she was supposed to wait a short time because Lorenzo would pick her up.

When that was done, the two had to wait again. They had to wait until someone finally came and informed them. Charles had to keep thinking about how upset Luise was. How she had blamed herself for something and couldn't explain what her fault was. How the tears had just rolled down her face and she could hardly calm down. It broke his heart anew every time he let this image pass before his mind's eye. What had she gone through to break down mentally like that?

"And she didn't say what her fault was?" Arthur asked for the third time now, not understanding it any more than Charles did.

"No, it almost seemed to me that I didn't get through to her at all," he sighed, "She had been far too distressed."