Vows of Misfortune

23.

I nearly screamed as I ran out to see what the noise was. Jose uncle was on the floor, eyes closed. The wheelchair was upside down on top of him, the wheels still spinning.

"Jose uncle!" I slid on the tiled floors to be beside him. I pushed the wheelchair off of him and placed his head on my lap. I could taste the salty tears seeping into my mouth; the restrained tears from before coming out at full force.

"Romir!" I screamed, my voice bouncing off the empty walls of the apartment. "Romir, Jose uncle—" My words cracked in my throat. No time. He was gone. There was only us two in here.

My whole being trembled, punching in the number for an ambulance.

I needed to get him to safety.

Oh my god. Oh my god. What if he was dead? No, no, no.

I didn't know what I said to the operator on the other end but I was screaming and all I could see was red, my body feeling light like I was about to faint.

Somehow we'd ended up in the hospital via their ambulance. Now an hour and a half later, here I was, sitting outside Jose uncle's hospital room in my front button-up pink rib-knit jumper and still shivering, arms wrapped around myself.

I stared at a point on the clear, white hospital floor. Blinking scared me. I knew only tears would come out and I was done being a cry baby.

How could I call Romir? was the only thought in my head. I didn't even have his number so how was I supposed to reach him? Jose uncle's phone wasn't even with me. My head was pounding so I lulled it back, resting it against the white wall behind me.

"Are you a relative of Jose Kurian?"

My eyes snapped open and I shot up from my seat to face the doctor. She had a gentle smile on her face. "Don't worry, he's doing fine," she advised. "He's got a couple of bruises on his arms and his back from the wheelchair possibly hitting him and a cut on his head."

"So he'll be okay?"

"He had a concussion, but yes, he'll be fine. I found no major injuries." She checked the clipboard before handing it back to the nurse standing next to her. "I do want him to stay for at least two nights for some tests and check ups."

I let my shoulders slump and headed inside the room after the doctor left with his nurse. Jose uncle was laying on the single bed, the back propped up a little with pillows cushioning his head.

Wires poked out of each arm, the left attached to a moveable IV fluid bag pole beside the bed. The beeping radiating from the monitor on his heart indicated to me that he was alive and well.

Now all I had to do was wait until he woke up. Making sure to be as quiet as possible, I grabbed the chair resting against the wall and brought it right beside him. I held his hand, careful not to get my top caught in the wires.

It reminded me of mum. Dad didn't let me inside because he didn't want me to see her looking so weak, but the smell of bleach and the beeping reminded me of a place where horrors could easily take place.

Seeing Jose uncle's chest rise and fall I nearly let my chin trembling take over rational thought. Is it my fault that he's in this condition? If I'd just let Romir say whatever he wanted and sat by Jose uncle instead of storming off like a little girl then maybe he would be the same Jose uncle, sitting in his chair and watching movies on his iPad.

I let my head hang a little. "I'm sorry," I garbled out. Apologising didn't ease the tightening in my chest.

It only made it worse.