𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗩𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗮 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲.
𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐞
I am the judge, the jury, and the executioner.
Francesca "Frank" Monroe. One of the most successful criminal defense attorneys in the history of Chicago. The woman everyone...
"Why should I give up revenge? On behalf of what? Moral principles? And what of the higher order of things, in which evil deeds are punished?"
- Andrzej Sapkowski
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Three agonizing days had passed since Uncle Ben's stabbing in prison and despite the doctors' best efforts, he still hadn't regained consciousness. The grim warning had been issued, urging us to brace ourselves for the worst possible outcome, but I wasn't ready. The thought of him leaving this world without so much as a goodbye was too much for me to bear.
Positioned beside him, my hands gently clutching his on the hospital bed, I studied him. The figure lying there bore a stark contrast to the Uncle Ben I had known; one so strong and full of life. Witnessing him in such a fragile state triggered a surge of tears I could no longer restrain.
His hand in mine felt cold, his usual strength.. gone. I clung to it desperately, a lifeline that kept my own hope alive, silently willing him to wake up.. to come back. Life without him was unimaginable.. unbearable.
Then I felt a faint pressure on my hand. It was so slight at first and my heart was brimming with hope that it wasn't a figment of my desperate imagination. Then, I heard a soft murmur, "Frankie..."
Lifting my gaze, I saw Uncle Ben's eyes slowly flutter open. It was as if I had been keeping my breath in all this while, and only now was I able to let it go, and with it a torrent of relief that couldn't be put into words.
He's alive!
I couldn't control the tide of emotions that overtook me; hot, searing tears cascaded down my face as I tightly grasped his hand. My countless prayers had been answered for once.
With great effort, he managed to cast me a weak smile, and I found a soft, heartening comfort in it.
"Hey there, kiddo," he greeted in a voice just above a whisper, slightly scratchy from disuse. "I'm not checking out just yet."
A laughter escaped me, bubbling up from my chest and slipping out between my tears. I broke free from his weak grip to call for Jay. "Jay! He's awake!"
Without missing a beat, Jay bolted into the room.
"Thank God," his exclamation reverberated with pure, raw relief. I saw tears glimmering at the corners of his eyes as he took Uncle Ben's other hand. "You had us really scared. How are you feeling?"
"Like I was hit by a bus," Uncle Ben quipped. "Sorry I worried you kids."
"Don't say that!" I protested. "You're okay now, Uncle Ben. That's the only thing that matters."
Jay and I settled on opposite sides of Uncle Ben, holding his hands, hanging onto every word he said.
Uncle Ben's gaze moved over the two of us. A pleased smile lightened his pale features, "I'm glad to see you both here, together, it's been so long."
