Oblivion

5| Surprises come and go

JOSEPHINE

Waking up in a hospital was just as bad as my short stay with the Marinis. While I could trust that they wouldn't inform anyone from the authorities, the hospital was obliged to notify CPS. I was most annoyed with myself. Over the past few weeks, I had expended so much energy hiding that I finally ran out of it. I couldn't pinpoint why, but I always felt like I was being followed. In case the Marinis changed their minds, I avoided anything that screamed homelessness. All of that effort just to collapse on the sidewalk and land in this bed. I had been here for two hours, awake for one of them, and they had tried several times to find out who I was. So far, I hadn't said a word, and the doctors had blamed it on my condition.

My plan was simple: buy as much time as possible and leave as soon as my body would let me. If I assessed the situation correctly, it would take a while before CPS dealt with my case, and perhaps that time would be enough for me. Perhaps, a dark part of me thought, it would be better if they found me. But that would mean going back to him, and I couldn't endure that again, even though I was becoming certain that this winter would be my last.

Was dying really that bad? What else could I expect from my life besides hunger, cold, and constant fear? I would never finish school and therefore wouldn't be able to find a job. I didn't have a family and certainly wouldn't have one. So what was left for me? My parents would probably be disappointed with how my life had turned out, but they weren't here to tell me that. "You have no one on the street," Crazy Carl had said, and in that moment, I understood exactly what he meant for the first time. I was alone, and it hurt to be alone.

The nurse came back to check my temperature. She smiled kindly, but I could still see pity in her eyes. She said something I didn't hear as she adjusted the heating blanket above and below me. It was comfortable, I had to admit. I wasn't shaking as much anymore and could feel my feet again. At some point, when I was unconscious, they must have put an IV in me. I didn't know exactly what it was, but the nurse told me it was nutrients to stabilize my circulation. She was really nice, and I felt a little ashamed of my previous behavior. After all, she was doing her best to help me while I did my best to resist.

My clothes were neatly folded on a chair to my left. They weren't actually mine but Vito Marini's. I still couldn't comprehend that I had survived my encounter with his brother. What was more, they had given me food and a place to sleep. They had discarded my old clothes and replaced them with new ones that were much better than what I had before. I was truly grateful for it all. It also helped me hide better because I no longer looked like a hobo at first glance. They were likely the reason someone had stopped to see if I was still alive. Clothes make the man. Again, I felt a twinge of shame at that thought. Whether it was the clothing or not, the person had seen someone in need and helped. That had to mean something.

Tired, I leaned my head back into the pillow and looked out the window as the snow began to fall again. I would have preferred to sleep, but everything felt so tiring. I could barely keep my eyes open, yet something kept me awake.

There was noise outside in the hallway, and footsteps approached my room. It was probably just a coincidence, but my heart started to race with fear. Had they been faster than I anticipated? Were they here to take me away? That couldn't be! Everything inside me tensed involuntarily. The footsteps grew louder until they suddenly stopped. The door opened, revealing the nice nurse and two doctors who entered the room with their backs to me. They were talking to someone, and then I saw who it was: Vito and Domenico Marini.

The two ignored the doctor, who said something about my condition, and looked at me. I could only stare back. Vito looked elegant, like last time. His dark hair was styled, and he radiated a natural authority that had made me feel small before. His expression was serious, but his eyes softened as he looked at me, as if he wanted me to know that everything would be okay. If only he knew! Domenico looked uninterested, checking the room and the devices around me before looking back at me. I couldn't read his expression. Why were they here? How did they know where I was?