Only Once

Chapter Eighteen: Tears and Hospital Gowns

Chapter Eighteen: Tears and Hospital Gowns

"What?" Erika cried out in shock. "What do you mean she's in the hospital? Like...what happened to her?"

"She fell down the stairs." Mrs. Russo replied; her voice was grave and brimming with worry.

"Well do you know if she's okay?" Clark questioned, sounding genuinely concerned which only resulted in Erika to glare daggers at the back of his head some more.

She could not help but wonder who he thought he was. He had absolutely no relation to their family and this was the first time she'd ever seen him and yet here he was, acting as if he actually cared about her sister's wellness.

Mrs. Russo sighed and ran her fingers through her short, blonde hair. "I don't know," she admitted.

Erika turned over to find her brother silently looking out the window, not saying anything.

"So we're going to the hospital now?" Clark asked and Mrs. Russo's head quickly snapped over to him.

"Well obviously," she hissed in a quiet voice. "But first, I need to drop you off back at the office; you need to finish that project."

"Of course," he murmured and said nothing else.

Erika wondered how important that project must have been if her mother needed to return to the office before going to the hospital. But then again, it was for the better as Erika really didn't want her mother's co-worker to have to come along with them.

It wasn't long until they reached the sleek building that they worked at and Mrs. Russo stopped in front of it.

"Goodbye," Mrs. Russo said as Clark stepped out of the car.

"Bye," he replied and poked his head back into the car before shutting the door. "I guess I'll see you later then...and send my best wishes to your daughter. I offer you all my condolences."

Erika's eyes narrowed at how he was making it seem as if Diana had died as oppose to having simply fallen down the stairs. She looked over to see if her brother was catching any of this but, as always, he seemed to be in another world.

"Sure," Mrs. Russo tightly replied before Clark shut the door and she sped off past him.

"So what exactly did Bruce say, Mom?" Luka asked.

"Just that she'd fallen down the stairs and that they're in the hospital." She replied, tiredly.

"Oh."

After a few more minutes of silence, they finally reached the hospital and Mrs. Russo pulled into a park. There, they quickly piled out of the car and made their way to the large, brick building. Erika noted all the ambulances parked in front of the entrance they were to go through and thought about how it was a palpable indication that they were in the ER section.

With Mrs. Russo swiftly walking ahead, Erika and Luka briskly trailed behind her as she navigated her way to the emergency centre.

"Hello," Mrs. Russo said when she reached a desk with a nurse sitting behind it. "I need to see my daughter, Diana Russo."

The nurse’s eyes flickered up and she looked at the three of them.

"All right and when was she admitted? Oh and you’re sure that she’s in this section, right?”

“Yes, I’m sure.” Mrs. Russo sighed exasperatedly and reached up to rub her forehead with her fingers. “And I don’t soon, not too long ago, I’d presume. Definitely today.”