Innocence Auction (Book 1)

Chapter 13

Amabella

Dashing out of the car when it pulled up outside the hospital, I ran straight to the hospital reception, having no real idea as to which department I needed to be at. There was a queue at the reception and I begrudgingly went to join it. After a few moments had passed and the line had not moved, I began to tap my foot impatiently on the floor. 'What is taking so long' I thought wildly. Deciding to take this opportunity to ring Emilia back, I pulled out my phone and dialled her number.

"Amabella, where are you?" She said, her voice sounding more panicked then I had ever heard it before. "I am at Chicago General Hospital in the reception queue. I am trying to find where my mother is" I desperately say. "ICU. Come quick" Emilia says before she hangs up the phone. Confusion lines my features as I leave the queue and make a dash for the nearest elevator. I did not understand why my mother was here. But ICU did not sound good. That was where you went when you were really poorly. Worry landed like a dead weight in my stomach as the doors to the elevator opened. I pressed the button for the ICU floor and prayed I had made it in time. While travelling up in the elevator, I could not help but wonder why Emilia was here and why she knew where my mother was before I did. I sighed and shook my head, deciding that I would find the answers out at a later time. Stepping out the elevator I was about to head towards the reception, when Emilia appeared almost out of thin air and dragged me down the corridor.

Walking into a room on its own, I gasped at the sight of my mother. Her thin body looked lifeless upon the huge bed. Her skin was nearly the same colour as the white sheets she laid upon and her features were sunken into her frail looking face. Machines beeped in various rhythms around her and I could not help the tears that escaped my eyes at the sight. "Mum" I whisper softly as I go to her bedside. I watch as her eyes flicker open and look at me. "Amabella" she croaks out and I lean down and hug her tightly. Out hug is interrupted a moment later when Emilia reappears in the room with a doctor. "What is going on here?" I ask the doctor, trying to remain calm but struggling. Before the doctor has chance to utter a word, my mother begins coughing and spluttering and I turn back to her in panic. I gasp in shock as I spot the blood on her hands and I quickly get her a tissue to clean it up. The doctor comes to her side and places an oxygen mask on her face. More tears fall from my eyes and I curse silently to myself for not interfering more in my mother's medical issues. I knew there was something more to her cough, I just had not wanted to push her. Now, seeing her laying here on this hospital bed, I wished I had pushed more.

"Amabella, how much of your mother's illness has she told you about" The doctor says a moment later as my mothers eyes fall closed. Before I have chance to answer, Emilia speaks up. "She doesn't know anything. Her mum did not want her to know" Emilia says and I turn to look at her. "Are you telling me, my mother did not want me to know she was sick, but she told you?" I snap and I know I am being a little harsh. But I cannot help it. My emotions are all over the place, and hearing how my mother has told me nothing, but Emilia clearly knows something, makes my heart ache, and causes anger to flare up at Emilia. "Your mother did not want to worry you Amabella. She was doing what she thought best. She only told me the last time we visited because she needed me to promise to take care of you when she is gone. And to tell me her wishes for her funeral" Emilia says sadly. And I cannot quite believe my ears. Funeral? Gone? My mother was not dying, was she? But looking to her lifeless body, I was not so sure. Realisation dawned through the anger and pain. "That is why you have been avoiding me?" I ask Emilia and she nods softly. "I hated lying to you Amabella. You are my best friend. But I had to respect your mother's wishes. She had trusted me and I needed to honour that. Though it tore me up inside. So I kept away from you and drank enough that I could forget the hurt and the pain I was feeling" Emilia admits sadly and just like that the anger I felt towards her dissipates a little and is replaced with sadness. I walk up to Emilia and wrap my arms around her. "I'm sorry you were put in that position" I say softly and Emilia nods in understanding as she hugs me back. I sigh and step back. While Emilia and I still had a long way to go to fix our friendship, due to the hurt her betrayal has caused me, at least now I knew what was going on, we could begin to move past it. Even if it were going to take a long time until I could trust her again.