Cassandra Reid
I look at the clock one more time as my patient's mother chatters non–stop, as if we were lifelong friends. This is my daily routine. Women of Florence want to know me and like me for the simple fact of being married to Adriano Di Lauro. It's annoying and although on many occasions it's not hard for me to smile or keep thread of the conversation going, today I just pray her talk ends and she lets me go to the cafeteria. As usual, it's past lunchtime and I'm starving.
"Well, my husband is waiting for me outside". The long–awaited words finally arrive. "I guess we'll see each other at the next consultation... or maybe", she doesn't give me time to answer, "we could meet one of these days for a drink".
"I sure do", I dismiss her a bit quickly without losing my smile. "I'll find some free space in my calendar and call you. Goodbye, beautiful". I place one last kiss on my laughing patient. Seeing that little face is worth resisting her mother.
"Perfect". Although her tone sounds impersonal, she can't hide her gleeful expression as if she's just received the best Christmas present. "See you soon, dear. I'll wait for that call," she adds before leaving.
'Dream about it'
I let out a long breath leaning against the door frame as mother and daughter disappear from my field of vision.
"Busy day?" my secretary asks from her desk.
"You have no idea", I answer in the middle of another snort. "I'll go to the cafeteria".
"Okay, I'll keep next appointment until your return".
"Thank you, Gia". I blow two kisses into the air. "You are so sweet".
I go straight to the cafeteria and order my Super Burger with fries, then I grab a Coke from the vending machine before sitting down at the table in the corner. Luckily, the place is not very crowded. Now my colleagues look at me as if I have two heads and it makes me uncomfortable to eat under such attention.
"How is the most sought–after doctor at Palermo Hospital?", My best friend asks as she sits down across from me.
"Hungry", I reply with my mouth half full.
"I can see. You can't keep skipping meals, Cassie", she chides me. "You will end up getting sick".
"It's not my fault!", I exclaim excitedly before going back to the drink. "I love my job, but I'm seriously thinking about leaving parents out of the office. God, what a bummer!"
"You have to get used to it and set your own limits", she says. "Schedules exist for something. Your problem is that you are too good and it is impossible for you to say 'no'".
'You're too good, cara', my husband's words under the shower suddenly come to mind.
'Am I?'
My cell phone's sound interrupts our conversation. Seeing the mansion's number on the caller ID, I put fries down and pick up.
"Mrs. Di Lauro", Vivi doesn't give me time to answer. Her voice sounds quite agitated and that sets off my internal alarms, "I can't communicate with Mr. Di Lauro, you must come home as quickly as possible".
"What's wrong Vivi?", I ask, feeling my stomach churn. Something tells me situation is serious.
"It's Ella..."
She doesn't need to tell me anything else to rush out for my stuff. I don't even give explanations, I feel like I move in automatic mode and I can only think about my girl. It is Leah who gives due reasons and helps me get to the car, where the bo are waiting for me. At last I find an advantage of having them.
When I get home, the butler restlessly waits for me on the front steps and leads me quickly up the stairs to the little girl's room and I find Vivi standing next to Francesca.
The screams are immediate, making my hair stand on end.
"It's a good thing you're here, ma'am", the housekeeper attends to me while the old witch gives me a dirty face. " She has been locked up there for almost more than fifteen minutes".
"Ella". I knock on the door loudly so she can hear me through her screams. " Ella, open the door!"
"Nooo!", she lets out a pain–laden howl as I feel like hundreds of needles are piercing my skin. "I don't want to! I do not like it! Daddy".
"Ella please, darling". I try a different tack as crying is added to the equation. She's having a panic attack and that's not good, "open the door for mommy".
"Mommy!", she sobs. I can imagine her with her beautiful little eyes reddened from crying so much, the skin of a similar tone and her breathing accelerated to the point of suffocation. "I didn't want to, I didn't want to! She ignored me and she took me!"
The kid doesn't need to mention her name to knowI don't know who she's talking about, because my sixth sense tells me this is all the witch's fault.
I turn to damn grandma with a fierce expression. If looks could kill, she'd already be ten feet underground.
"What did you do to her?"
"I just took her to the park", she replies as cheerfully as if she hadn't broken a plate.
"You are crazy!". Rage takes over my body.
A primal instinct drives me to her neck for twist it until every bit of air is squeezed out of her lungs. However, the only thing I manage to do is cross her face with a slap, as my actions are interrupted by the girl's audible cough.
"Ella!", I call her desperate when I realize that she is having a hard time breathing. "Ella, let me in!"
"No no no!". Her words are cut off by another wave of coughing as my body trembles with helplessness. I need to get to her before it's too late.
"I need to open that door now!" I snap in a hysterical tone.
"The keys are inside", Vivi points out with tears streaming down her face.
"Then we push!", I say on the verge of losing my sanity. " Ella please!". I try to pick the lock, but the fucking thing won't budge. "Fuck!"
From one moment to another, I'm thrown to a side only to see my husband kick open the damn door before speeding into the room in a gale.
It doesn't take me long to follow him and then, I find myself with the horrendous scene. The little girl kicks in her father's arms, drowning in her own screams with her vocal cords destroyed. She is out of control and about to have a seizure.
I snap out of my momentary stupor and force myself to react by running to my husband.
"I need my briefcase!", I yell as I try to roll her onto her side with Adriano's help.
"I don't want to!", girl protests as her tiny little body shakes in pain. "I don't want to!"
The briefcase is in my hands quickly and I move at the speed of light in search of a painkiller and then, I prepare the syringe. I have witnessed situations like these many times throughout my profession, but I never thought I would experience it firsthand. With every second that passes it's like a piece is ripped out of me until my soul is completely torn apart.
It's too painful... It hurts for her, for Adriano, for me...
"Hold her hands", I order my husband before applying dose with difficulty.
"Don't! No, no", her voice trails off little by little while her father carries her to bed with great delicacy.
Seconds later, I find myself lying next to her, covering her with my body.
"That's it, honey". I don't know if I speak to comfort her or me. " It's okay".
From afar I hear deep roars of my husband, but I can't make them out, because I focus only and exclusively on my girl... my daughter. So I stick her to my skin until there is not a millimeter of distance between us while my tears mix with hers.
Adriano Di Lauro
Seeing my daughter in that state brings back old demons. Metal automatically disappears to devote all my attention to her.
Anger bubbles up along with frustration and...pain. Something deep inside me cracks to smithereens.
Years ago they destroyed little good in me, but my children... What ever is left is theirs, only theirs and if anyone hurt either of them, will hurt me too.
This is not first time this has happened, but I refuse to give up. My daughter will be cured or I will stop calling myself Adriano Di Lauro.
The decrepit old woman pokes her impeccable face into the room and metal reappears as quickly as it disappeared minutes before.
"Get out of here!", My roar is so powerful it makes walls rumble.
"Dear..."
She can't say anything more, because I take her by the arm and drag her towards her room.
The viper screeches when I push her against the soft mattress and that makes me a little satisfied, but it doesn't calm the beast.
"You will leave my house at this precise moment", I order, "and you will never come back".
"You can't throw me out", she laughs cheekily and I clench my fists as hard as I can to keep from throwing myself on top of her.
"I already have", I point out. "Your good life is over, Francesca Salvo. I'll cut off all your supplies".
"Do it and your secret will come out", she dares to challenge me. "You'll end up losing more than me, darling. The Man of Steel will become the mockery of Italy.
"We'll see who loses more, old bitch"