Their Little Princess | ✔️

Chapter Eight

EMILIO

I get her ribs and arm wrapped up. Both of which are mostly healed, but could use assistance to make sure there's no problem with it. It should help it heal faster and with less pain, considering she takes it easy.

As I'm finishing up the ace bandage on her arm, Sandro walks inside. I secure the bandage and walk over to him.

"Talk to me. What's going on?" He says.

"Right, um...Her ribs seemed to have healed majorly on their own, besides some minor bruising here and there, but nothing the brace won't be able to help. There was a minor break in her arm, it seems like there was a lot of pressure on it in a bad position and it was nearly broken in half, but like the ribs, it's mainly healed on its own. Her most recent injury seems to be a Sternal Fracture, but that should heal up on its own, given time. There was also..." But I stop short, suddenly unsure of how I should bring this up.

Sandro seems impatient with my hesitation, "Finish your sentence, Emilio."

"She has marks and bruising on her hips and waist. I just...Take that information how you see fit. Other than that, I don't see any reason for long-term worry and concern. She's a strong girl."

I speed past the bruising as fast as possible. The thought of something like that happening to my little sister triggering an ache in me that I've never felt. An ache I didn't feel even when my father died, knowing how helpless she was in the situation. Instead, I leave that for Sandro, unfair maybe, but if anything else, I trust that he'll know how to handle it. He hardly lets his anger out, but when he does...You can see how our father was concerned about his anger when we were young.

His jaw tenses, and for a moment, his emotionless front cracks revealing a deep anger, but he simply nods, his stoic expression returning to his face. "When will she wake up? It's important that I get the details on the extent of what she went through."

"It should be another 15 minutes, I'm not exactly sure how her system took the anesthetic, it varies, I do think we should wait for Elijah, she's expecting him to be there when she wakes up, I think she's really taken to him."

"He's not in the right mindset to be here right now. He's watching upstairs from the camera, he'll hear what he needs to hear."

When Sandro walks forward, I realize Maddie has woken up, "Hey, Maddie, how're you feeling?" I ask.

She brings her hands to her eyes and rubs the sleep away, checking to make sure the needle is gone before giving me a nod of assurance.

"Madison, we need to ask you a few questions, and you have to answer honestly, do you understand?"

Sandro pulls his chair over and sits beside the bed. Maddie visibly gulps and glances up, seemingly surveying who's in the room before turning back to Sandro. It's hard to miss the fear in her eyes and I want to wrap in the hospital blanket and lock her away where no one can hurt her.

"Do you understand?" Sandro repeats, slightly gentler than before. 

"Yes," She says quietly.

"Were you hurt?"

MADDIE

I have to admit, waking up to an interrogation wasn't at the top of my bucket list.

Alessandro seems to be laying the floor with his first question. But why is he asking? I'm certain he already knows the answer. He wants me to admit it myself. I hate myself for slipping up so badly and I haven't even been here a month. If I'd just waited to take the medicine, I wouldn't be here right now.