Culinaria L'amore

Culinaria L'amore Chapter Twenty-Seven

"Hi! Kirsten Bellini right? I need to take your pressure and check you up before we can release you. It'll be quick, don't worry."

I grimaced at her over cheery disposition, wishing that her bright ray of sunshine would go away and let me wallow in my gloom.

Letting her prod and poke me, I continued to stare at the white sheets, emotionally and physically drained to the extent that I could care less about Adam or Garrett. Especially Garrett. All I wanted to do was grab a box of chocolates and watch all the chick flicks I could find.

Wincing, I realized that that was what girls did when they were moping over a boy.

"Oh honey I'm sorry, did that hurt?" The nurse asked, an IV in her latex gloved hand and a concerned yet happy look on her face.

"No, no, it's fine." I replied scratchily, wishing that my voice was as hollow sounding as the feeling on my inside.

"Alright. Well everything seems fine. Let me just go grab the doctor to check out your ribs."

After she left, I drooped back into my bed, just wishing that everything would hurry up and I could go.

"Are you okay sweetie? Do you need something to eat?" My mother asked, her voice laced with motherly concern.

I nodded my head no. "Just tired."

"Well if it makes you feel any better, what you did deserves a wild round of applause. I could never of done what you did in a million years. You were so brave, so strong, I'm just so proud that you did the right thing." Her sniffles made me look up just in time to see her wipe away a tear.

Suddenly, I felt horrible. I had gone out and done an irrational action that could of cost me my life or body while knowing that I was all that was left to my grieving mother other than a cat. How had I become so selfish?

"Oh my God mom, I'm so sorry." I whispered, reaching out a hand to pat my mother's shoulder.

She looked up, patting her hair back in place, and gave me a wobbly smile. "For what? For saving your friend from a criminal, learning how to be brave? Those are all proper actions to take."

"No, for making you worry about..." I paused, thinking about me leaving her for the school. "Everthing."

"Don't worry about it honey. You're safe now and that's all that matters. Really."

She came over to me and gave me a hug, the familiar smell of lavendar making me want to sob into her shirt, however, just as she released me, another knock on the door revealed the doctor that helped out with Amelia the night before.

"Ah Ms. Kirsten Bellini. It is good to see you up and running, figuratively."

I smiled weakly at his joke as he continued talking.

"Just one fractured rib. Not even broken. I must say you were very lucky."

"Thanks." I replied softly.

"He has a hard right hooker. Nearly got me in the stomach when I went to check up on him."

Guiltily, I looked at the doctor. "Did you get hurt?"

He laughed. "No, but I was close."

Thank God. That was one less person I had to feel guilty about.

"We stuck you in the hospital overnight because you had a low sugar and blood pressure probably from all the stress, adrenaline, and shock. I hear that Mr. Ramsey is actually a criminal?"

I gulped, nodding slightly. "Yeah, he um, killed my father. Drunk driving. You know."

The doctor's eyes were friendly, softening a bit. "Yes, I know."