51
1 week later..
We all knew that it was thanks to God alone that we got out of this hell alive.
I was sitting at the dining table in our vila, watching Chiara and Mandy prepare breakfast for us while Odran sat on the couch with Nero and had his bandaged foot rested on the table in front of him. Luckily he had nothing serious and everything would be fine.
I was doing relatively well myself, although a week ago I still felt like a Swiss cheese.
Perforated.... But fortunately for me no organs were hit. The many bullets missed the lungs and heart and I apparently had a guardian angel at my side, so I only got a bandage around my shoulder and should rest for a while.
My thoughtful gaze wandered back from Odran to Mandy, who threw a desperate smile at me at that moment.
She wasn't doing well at all, I felt that every night when she woke up in a sweat and jumped at the slightest touch on my part...
I had no idea how to help her and suffered with her every day, but she firmly believed that she just needed some rest and time...
Maybe an end to it all...
With Cathan's funeral due tomorrow, perhaps the event would be something she would at least partially wrap up with, but then there was Rian...
Just as my thoughts were about to turn to my brother, Keeva came down the stairs with Esme in her arms and just looked down at the floor in desperation.
"Could you please take her?" she turned to Odran in her broken voice, who was only too happy to take Esme with a huge grin on his lips, while Keeva looked like she was going to collapse at any moment...
Not only that the doctor who examined us after the tragic events found out that she was pregnant. In addition, Rian has been in a coma since that day...
His condition... Critical... Unchanged...
That's all the doctors told us and Keeva, she didn't let anyone near her anymore. A shadow of herself. There was nothing left of her otherwise cheeky, fun-loving nature. Rian had taken it all with him and I wished with all my heart that he would just wake up again.
I thought that without Esme and the baby in her womb, she would have given up, but she was struggling and we all tried to support her as best we could, although all we could do was just be there for her and to give her courage.
"Dinner is ready," Chiara, who now also lived here and who was like the second half of Odran, drew my attention. Of course she was snacking on one of the muffins and yes, we actually found someone who was even greedier than Odran...
Hard to believe!
"I'm not hungry. I'm going to the hospital," Keeva said quietly, barely audible, and was just putting on a thin, black jacket at the front door, but I immediately got up and ran towards her, putting my arm around her shoulders while glancing at the others, all of whom seemed as worried as I was.
"Kev, please do me and yourself a favor. Eat something and I'll drive you to the hospital personally," I tried to persuade her to stay and when Mandy and Chiara joined us and looked at them beggingly, they twisted Gypsy frustrated her eyes, but let the two girls escort her to the table without further objection. She would have been too weak for that anyway...
"Will you give me a hand?"
I looked at Odran who was holding Esme out to me and after I had picked up the radiant little princess in my arms, Odran grabbed his crutch and we both walked to the dining table together to have breakfast with the others in silence.
Everyone seemed busy with their own plate and lost in their own thoughts. Only Esme, who kept putting bits of food in my mouth, seemed happy. She probably didn't understand what was going on here. Better for her...
"Are we all going together tomorrow?" Odran broke the silence and we all looked at him, but nobody gave him an answer.
I knew from Mandy that she didn't want to go to the funeral, which I could understand. At least Cathan didn't seem to like her. He didn't like me either, but he was my father after all and that's exactly why I planned to accompany Odran to the funeral.
With Keeva, I wasn't even sure if she was even capable of comprehending what tomorrow was. She seemed isolated and spent every day until late at night in the hospital anyway. I hardly believed that she would leave Rian alone for a day.
"I would say we both go together and Chiara and Mandy can take care of Esme", I gave Odran an answer to his question and looked at him, but he just poked around in his food lost in thought and suffered the most from it all of us.
After all, Cathan was a real father to him and he was the only one who really seemed to miss him. I would have liked to take away his worries, but I couldn't take care of everyone at the same time.
It was way too much for me anyway, because normally in situations like this I would just pop pills, drink alcohol and party with Jake until I fell over, but for Mandy I pulled myself together and tried to bear it all soberly.
"Can we go please?" Keeva asked impatiently and when I looked down at her plate I immediately noticed that she had just taken a bite.
What am I supposed to do with her?
"I'm going with you. Valentina and Padraig are back today. It's time to tell them everything," Mandy spoke to me from my side and I nodded to her to turn to Odran again.
"Can you?" I wanted to know and held out Esme to him, but before he could take her across the table, Chiara suddenly stood up and slapped the table lightly.
"No!" she got louder and I looked at her with wide eyes, as did Odran and Mandy. "I've had enough! Keeva, please finish your plate! Your baby needs vitamins and Rian will wake up soon and need you too!"
Keeva glanced up at her and although I thought this situation was about to escalate, tears formed in Keeva's eyes and she grabbed Chiara's hand to squeeze it tightly.
"You mean he'll wake up?" she asked sobbing and Chiara immediately nodded to hug her tightly.
"Of course he will. He's the scariest person I know. God will think twice about taking him."
After Chiara's words, Odran put his hand protectively on Keeva's back and Mandy also got up to take Keeva's free hand in hers.
Only I remained seated and looked at this sight very carefully.
"Family," I whispered to Esme, who grabbed my nose a little too hard and giggled. "That's the most important thing, isn't it?"
