Chapter 6 I'm Scared

• Theodore found his way to the hospital room Nadia was being kept in. After a stern warning from Officer Smith, he turned the doorknob and walked into the room. He stopped short. After such a long day, he wasn’t sure of how loud his voice would come out.
• “What the hell are you doing here?”
• Teddy, who stood by Nadia’s hospital bed looked at his son from over his shoulder. “Your sister called me.”
• “Of course, she did.”
• In two strides, he was next to Nadia’s bed, nudging his father aside. Her eyes were closed but her head shifted restlessly. She was covered in a blanket, her splayed over the pillow, dry tears streaking her pale cheeks. She had one wrist handcuffed to the bed’s collapsible side.
• “What’s wrong with her?”
• “She was too worked up so they had to deliver a stronger dose of sedative intravenously.”
• Theo glared.
• “It is for her own good. She kept yelling about a stranger and the only way to calm her was medication. The police are aware and documenting it.”
• Theo’s nostrils flared, making his head throb with pain. He dropped his head and stood still for a few minutes.
• “Theodore. Your sister told me what happened. You really should have that—”
• Theo looked at his father. “She is handcuffed to the bed like a criminal. What do you expect? She caught her husband cheating on her with your damned daughter!”
• Teddy shushed him harshly. “I have got the story. Now calm down before you wake her up. You are not even supposed to be here.”
• “And you are, Mr. Surgeon? What are you doing here?”
• “I wanted to ensure she was calm. She is enough trouble as it is.”
• “Trouble. Why do you think that is? Whose fault is it?”
• “I could point the finger at a lot of people, Theodore.”
• He shook his head in disgust. “I don’t think so. She is not getting off the hook easily this time. There is only one person at fault here… two, because YOU fathered her. Make that three because the bastard husband who took the vow to protect his wife fucked her friend instead.”
• “Jesus, Theo,” his father said, scrubbing his face.
• “I warned you for years that Sandra was a narcissistic—”
• “Stop. That is your sister!”
• Theo clenched his jaws together. His shoulder was heavy as he fisted his hands. Through heaving chest, he tried to calm down. Yes, his father was right… Nadia was in enough trouble. The last thing he wanted was to get her into more problem because he couldn’t control himself.
• “You let her run wild since she was a child and never said no to her. See what that does to a child?”
• “Do you think I knew something like this would happen?” Teddy retorted defensively. “That she would do something like this?”
• “Why not? Her mother did,” Theodore bit back.
• “Theo—”
• “What?” he snapped, crossing his arms across his chest. “Did you think that with the example she grew up with, Sandra would stop herself from taking someone else’s husband? Did you think she got her self-control from her mother of all people?”
• His father was ashamed but it wasn’t enough for him to reprimand Sandra. “The issue right now, Theodore, is that your sister is pregnant and this woman assaulted her.” He looked at his son and pointed to his bloody nose. “And she assaulted you too.”
• “Is that what that pain in the ass told you?” Theo spat. “That is bullshit. Just like every other story she ever told you. If I hear her spreading such vile words around, I will discipline her like you have years ago.”
• “Don’t make threats while the cops are right outside the door!”
• “I had her calm. I was holding her and she calmed down.”
• “She attacked her husband, right?” Teddy said in a detached tone that rose his hackles. “Sandra said he couldn’t even pull her off—”
• “I pulled her off the bastard easily even though he deserved to be beaten to death. I had her calm down because the police were called.”
• “Then how did you end up with that?”
• “Because your heartless daughter kept taunting her! Instead of shutting her fat mouth and feeling ashamed of being caught naked with another woman’s husband…”
• “Theo… I know this brings back bad memories.”
• Theodore chuckled humorlessly. “Your mistakes are yours to be ashamed of. But when they affect an innocent woman, the only person who is innocent in all of this… That is not something you can brush off.”
• Teddy’s face went pale.
• “Her elbow hit me because your daughter kept taunting her. I am hurt because of Sandra.”
• Teddy sighed. “Look, Sandra was wrong in sleeping with a married man.”
• “And getting pregnant with him.”
• “But she is my daughter and she is pregnant with my grandchild. With your niece of nephew.”
• “I am done with her,” Theodore said with finality. “I will not be involved with anything to do with her.”
• “You can’t mean that!” he said behind Theodore.
• “I mean it. I have tried, Dad, to be a good brother to her even though her mother was the reason you broke my mother’s heart and will to live.”
• “You can’t blame your sister for that!”
• “I don’t blame her. Not for what you have done. And I tried to be close to her since we were children. I felt guilty for the things our parents did. I wanted to be close to her… Why else would I go to meet her at her apartment? I wanted to say goodbye before I went back to Chicago. But after what I witnessed today?” He scoffed. “She is devoid of any sense of decency. She has no human sympathy.” His lips curled up in disgust. “I am done with her.”
• “You’re just angry.”
• “I am furious. And you should be, too! But I guess you get her motivations a lot better than I do,” Theodore taunted.
• “Theo, that is not fair. Look, I am angry with your sister. I see how horrible the situation she has created is. But she is confirmed to be pregnant and the law is on her side. She was attacked. My daughter was attacked and I can’t cut her off because of a small mistake she made. Someday, when you have children of your own.”
• “Do not gaslight me with the talk of my future children,” he seethed. “Because if I do have children, it will be with a woman who will help me raise our children to know how to respect your partner. You respect what belongs to others and covet it. I won’t teach my children that.”
• He heard his father swallow. “I am glad you thing that way. Nevertheless, regardless of what she has done, she is still my daughter. And if you do ever have kids, you will understand. What’s more, she is your sister too.”
• Theodore shook his head and chuckled.
• “And she is going to have a child who is related by blood to you.”
• “I feel sorry for that kid already.”
• “Theo, we need to have a family meeting. Sandra is in my office and your mother is coming.”
• “I am glad you told her. Because she practically raised Sandra, yet you never include Mom in the decisions in her matters.” Theo sighed. “Regardless, I can’t even look at Sandra.”
• “You can turn your back on her and the baby, but neither your mom or I can. If you want this woman to have a chance at a free life, you will attend the meeting and beg Sandra to drop the charges.”
• For a while after Teddy left, Theodore stared at the door, willing his legs to move. He was done with the mess. He was no longer caught in the noise and fighting. There was nothing more he could do other than take the flight back to Boston and run his business like he was supposed to.
• Behind him, the woman shifted. She whimpered softly.
• “Don’t turn around. This is not any of your business,” he told himself.
• Another soft whimper escaped Nadia’s lips. Somehow, his heart hurt more than his broken nose. Slowly, he turned and walked back to the bed where Nadia shifted. Her eyes her still closed.
• “Where am I?” she murmured groggily. “Where…”
• He hushed her soothingly, reaching out to touch her damp and tangled hair. He blinked himself out of the action and pulled back before he touched her.
• “You’re in the hospital. It’s okay. Everything will be okay. I promise you.” He saw her terribly pale face. “When was the last time you slept?” he murmured under his breath.
• She turned her head, opening her glassy eyes slowly. “Who…”
• Before he could reply, she shut her eyes again.
• “I am Theodore from the lobby. Remember me?”
• She didn’t reply. Not right away. Until she breathed his name. “Theodore.”
• Something deep inside of him expanded. It filled every crevice between his ribcage and his lungs. He flinched in confusion and her eyes opened again. She stared through him, her eyes rendering him immobile until she shut them again.
• “Can’t focus…”
• Theodore swallowed back the bile of outrage at the sight of her hooked up to an IV and a line for the sedative. Her eyes opened for a fraction of a second. “Quinn…?”
• “No,” he shook his head. If the bastard was there, Theodore would have hurt him. “No. It’s Theodore. From the lobby.”
• “What… what happened to your nose?”
• Despite the noise in his head, he chuckled at her question. “It doesn’t matter, Nadia.”
• “It is broken?”
• “I think it is. But won’t worry. It doesn’t matter.”
• Again, she was quiet. “I’m scared.” The word were punctuated by a series of broken sighs. “You helped… I’m scared.” She began crying.