My head was spinning with a thousand thought per second. I froze for a couple of seconds after the nurse hanged up and Seif looked at me expectedly. I didn't really comprehend what just happened.
Did a nurse just called me because Ella was in an accident?
"Maggie?" Seif's soft voice broke my thoughts. His worried look made me realize just how horrid my face must have seemed. "Is everything alright?" He asked slowly giving me time to recover from my initial shock.
"I need to go to the hospital." I blurted out collecting my things as I spoke the words. My mind seemed to function at the same time Seif had spoken to me and I realized I needed to go be there for Ella.
"Hospital?" Seif asked worriedly mimicking my action as he collected his stuff and ran after me. "Maggie, wait."
He followed me outside the café place but I gave him no attention, my mind was set on one thing only. Getting to Ella.
Stopping a taxi, I jumped in and before I closed the door I noticed Seif's head at the seat in front of me and my mouth twitched involuntary into a weak smile. Even though I practically ignored him which was really rude of me, he brushed it off and decided to come with me just because he didn't want to leave me to go alone.
The ride was only 15 minutes long but it felt like eternity. My mind raced with what could have happened to Ella for her to be rushed to the hospital alone. Was she in a car crashed and was unconscious? No, it can't be. She doesn't even have a car.
Maybe she was at the other end of the crash. Someone hit her with the car and she ended up in the hospital alone?
Why was she alone? Knowing Ella, I was almost sure she never goes anywhere alone. She had this theory that if she goes anywhere by herself, she might die alone and no one would recognize her body. That was her biggest fear, so it made no sense that she was alone.
And why was I her emergency contact? She only had my number for a month or a bit longer and our relationship was still on wires. Was she really honest when she said she had no one left but for me? Where was her boyfriend? Why wasn't he her emergency contact?
"That would be 20." The driver said and before I could pay, Seif did. I didn't have time to insist on paying so I just got out of the cap and ran inside to the reception.
"Ella Larson? She came here in an accident." I asked hurriedly.
The lady gave me a glance then without even saying a word started to type on her computer. She gave me disgusted look making me confused, "Third floor, room 315."
"Thank you." I said as I ran up to the elevator followed by Seif who was so confused on everything that was happening but didn't bother me with a single question.
Entering the elevator, it was only Seif and I. It was awkward for the few seconds we were in there but Seif didn't say anything. He just watched me as I counted each floor the elevator passed.
Once that ding noise came to my ears, I ran along the rooms counting their numbers in my head, 305, 307. I ran a little faster 311, 313, 315. That was it.
Catching my breath, I slowly opened the door and entered. There was two beds in the white room. The first one was empty so I assumed Ella was in the second one covered by the blue curtains. So, I steadily walked to the other side of the room. I froze when I saw Ella there looked pale and washed away. In my almost 18 years of knowing her, I never seen her like this before.
"Hey." She said in a weak voice.
Standing next to her, I noticed just how horrible she looked. She had bags under her eyes and her faced looked drained of colors. Her hair was wet, messy and messy. It took her too much power and effort to lift up her body using her hands to sit up straight.
"What happened?" I asked not realizing how rude I sounded. I was too caught up in my own worries and thoughts.
She looked up at me with half a smile as her eyes watered. I embraced myself for what she was about to tell me. I knew whatever it was, it wasn't going to be good.
Her tears rolled down her face making her look even weaker than she already do. She took a deep breath, trying to stop the tears so she could speak. The door of the roomed and not a second later Eric came walking in Ella's side of the room looking scarier than he usually does.
He walked in next to her bed at the other side of where I was standing. He came too close to her, grabbing her forearm. His fist almost squashing her fragile frame. "So you are whoring around now?" Ella looked terrified and confused instead of insulted. "Who is the block standing outside your room?" He asked in a sharp tone that made me shiver as he threw her arm into the bed. I was scared being in the same convened place as he was, especially when he was in that state.
"I don-"
"Don't fucking lie to me." He snapped making me jump. Sh*t he was even scarier when he was actually angry. "First you almost rat me out and now this? F*cking perfect."
"Babe.." Her voice came out weak and desperate, almost begging. She extended her hand slowly trying to touch his jaw but he just turned his head the other side with a disgusted look on his face. That's when he seemed to realize my presence in this room.
His face immediately went blank from all emotions as he looked at me. I wanted to disappear in that moment, I felt so small and so weak under his glance.
"What are you doing here?" He asked in the same old cold voice that used to send shivers down my spine but now it made me want to crawl away from him.
When I failed to answer, Ella quickly spoke for me in a sweet voice, "Maggie is really nice. She came to check on me, babe."
"Really?" He raised one eyebrow at me expectedly as if I was supposed to say something now or do something but I just looked at Ella trying to ignore Eric as much as possible.
"Thank you, Maggs." Ella smiled sweetly at me as if she wasn't too tired to move an inch or even too scared of Eric to speak up.
The tension in the room was suffocating and I didn't know how to get out of this situation. I desperately wanted to leave, just being in the same place as Eric made my stress level increase. But at the same time, I didn't feel it was safe for me to leave Ella alone with him after what I just witnessed between them.
Hearing the door open and close once again, all of our eyes were looking at the end of that blue curtain expectedly. My heart beat fast in my chest, but seeing a middle aged man in a white coat made me sigh in relief.
For a second there I thought it might had been Seif and I was worried of what would Eric do to him thinking he was Ella's secret lover or whatever his sick mind thought.
"Mrs. Larson, I see you are finally awake. Splendid. I would have to ask you to wait outside so I can run some tests." The doctor said with a polite smile on his face to me and Eric. I nodded immediately but Eric stood still.
"Tests?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.
"To make sure Mrs. Larson doesn't have any internal bleeding from the accident." The doctor clarified straighten up his poster when Eric spoke. He must've got that same scary vibe anyone gets when they first meet Eric.
As I was about to walk, Ella spoke again with a small tired smile on her drained face, "Maggie. Thank you for coming."
I nodded then walked outside where Seif was waiting for me. Eric was right behind me and from Seif's face, I knew he gave him one of his death glares that made you want to hide away from him.
"Let's go Seif." I said grabbing his hand and walking fast away from Eric. I didn't want to leave any chances for a conversation of any sort to be sparked when Seif was with us. God only knows what Eric would say and how he would treat Seif.
I was almost dragging Seif until we entered the elevator to go down. Once the doors were closed again Seif spoke and I was dreading his next question, "Was your friend okay?" His question took me off guard.
He didn't ask about Eric or the shouting he must've heard from inside the room or the fact that I left so soon. He just asked about the well-being of my friend. That's when I realized I hadn't even made sure Ella was okay. I just wanted to be out of there as soon as possible that I didn't make sure my friend, the one I came all this distance for was okay. I felt horrible.
"I think so." I made my reply short. I didn't want to think about it. I knew for sure I had to come back tomorrow to check on her for real that when Eric was not around.
I don't understand how she was with him. The way he treated her in front of me. I knew he must've hurt her when he grabbed her arm like that. Even if she wasn't so fragile it would have hurt. God, my blood was boiling by just the thought of him touching her like that.
What strikes me most was the fact the she knew just how to react, like she knew how to contain him. She hid her hurt and fear and took him in like he didn't just assault her in a way. Did he do that often? Did he do worse?
"It's only an hour till Iftar." Seif said interrupting my thoughts. I hadn't even realized we were out of the hospital and walking in the direction of the café were we sat before I got the phone call. "I know you don't have any Iftar plans so how about we order something at Nandos before you go home?"
***
A/N
Shorter than usual but I'm getting there. I'm just in my second week of school and already I feel like I don't get anything. Why is school so hard man :(
Anyways, who else read Eleanor and Park? OMG I cried and smiled and laughed and fell in love and omg I wish I could write even 10% like Rainbow Rowell ..*Sighs*
I love you guys so so so much and I'll try my best to update faster. I have the plans ready and all just a matter of time which I don't have -.-
BTW happy new Islamic year guys xx
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