Secrets
by;michimichiro
Chapter 16
The hospital room felt cold and empty, even with Eli sobbing next to Zia's still form. Eli's cries were like a knife twisting in my gut, each sob a reminder of how much I'd hurt Zia. I hadn't been a good sister. I hadn't been kind. I'd been jealous, envious, and downright mean. And now, looking at Zia, pale and lifeless, I felt a terror I'd never known before.
Margot walked in, her face drawn with worry. "Sarah, how is Zia? What happened?" she asked, her voice tight with concern.
"I don't know," I whispered, my voice trembling. "I just got here. I haven't spoken to Eli or Dad yet."
Margot rushed to Eli, wrapping her in a comforting hug. "Calm down, Eli," she said, her voice soothing. "Everything will be fine."
"Please, Margot, do everything you can to save her," Eli begged, her voice choked with sobs. "She can't die."
The weight of Zia's condition hit me now. I couldn't stand to watch Eli's pain any longer. I moved closer, and as our eyes met, I saw the raw anger burning in Eli's gaze.
"What are you doing here?" she spat, her voice laced with venom. "Did you come to make sure Zia leaves me forever?"
The words pierced me like shards of glass. Margot gasped, her eyes widening in shock.
"Eli, calm down," Margot pleaded. "Forget your grudges. Think about Zia now."
"Let that girl out now, Margot," Eli demanded, her eyes fixed on me with a hatred that chilled me to the bone.
Margot turned to me, her expression a mix of concern and frustration. "Sarah, wait for me outside. Just understand Eli."
I quietly left the room, my heart pounding in my chest. I found myself in the hospital lobby, my mind racing. Then, I saw a doctor entering Zia's room.
"Doctor," I called out, my voice barely a whisper. "Can I ask you something?"
"What is it, Miss Brielle?" he asked, his gaze weary.
"How is our patient?" I asked, my voice trembling.
The doctor sighed, his face a mask of sadness. "To be honest, Miss Brielle, Miss Loire has only a 40% chance of survival. And if she does survive, she will never be the same."
My heart plummeted. "What do you mean, Doctor?" I asked, my voice cracking.
"She will be bedridden, unable to walk again. It's possible she won't remember anything about herself," he explained, his voice heavy with regret.
"What? Is Zia's condition that serious?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.
The doctor nodded, then patted my shoulder gently. "We've done everything we could, Miss Brielle. It's up to her body now."
"Please, Doctor, do everything you can to save her," I pleaded, my voice choked with emotion. "I'm begging you. I'll pay anything; just save her."
"Miss Brielle, in this case, money is useless," the doctor said softly. "The impact of the accident on her body is too severe."
"What can I do to save her, Doctor?" I asked desperately.
"There's nothing you can do, Miss Brielle," he replied. "If her body decides to give up, you have to accept it. We all die eventually."
He turned and entered Zia's room, leaving me alone with my guilt and regrets. If only I had known this could happen, I wouldn't have treated her so poorly. I would have accepted her, just as Margot had accepted Eli. I didn't know if I could forgive myself if Zia left us.
My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door opening. Eli emerged, her face streaked with tears.
"What happened? Why are you crying, Eli?" I asked, my voice filled with concern.
At that moment, I saw a flurry of doctors rushing into Zia's room. I followed them, my heart pounding in my chest. The doctors were frantically trying to revive Zia.
"Margot? What happened?" I asked, my voice trembling.
"We're going to lose her, Sarah," Margot said, her voice filled with sorrow. She squeezed my hand tightly.
"No! Zia can't die," I cried. "We haven't settled things yet. Yes, I hated her, but I didn't want her to die like this." Tears streamed down my face.
"Zia! Please don't give up," I begged, my voice filled with desperation. "You have to live!"
"Time of death, 10:55 a.m.," I heard a doctor say.
"I'm so sorry, Miss Brielle, but the patient has passed," the doctor said, his voice filled with sympathy. "Our condolences to the entire family of Miss Loire."
"No! She can't die!" I screamed, shaking Zia's body. "Zia! You have to live!"
"That's enough, Sarah," Margot said, gently pulling me away from Zia's body. "She's gone. No matter what you do, she's dead."
"How can I forgive myself now, Margot?" I whispered, leaning against her shoulder, my body wracked with sobs.
Margot took a deep breath, her voice filled with sadness. "Didn't I tell you to open your heart to her? Didn't I tell you to accept her? It's not her fault that she's your sister, but you never listened to me, Sarah."
"Sometimes, we have to accept the things that happen in our lives, no matter how painful they are," she continued. "No one knows when our time will come. Forgive your enemies, even if they don't ask for it. Do it for yourself to save yourself from guilt."
"Margot, what should I do now?" I asked, my voice a mere whisper.
"Suffer the consequences of your decisions and actions, Sarah," she replied, her voice firm. "I told you that regrets always come at the end. I know you're feeling guilty now because you know to yourself that you never treated your sister fairly."
I was speechless. Margot was right. I had never treated Zia fairly. I had judged her. I had been envious of her. And now, with Zia gone, I knew I would carry the weight of this guilt for the rest of my life. I knew that there were people who hated me for what had happened to my sister, including Eli. The pain of my guilt was a heavy burden I would have to bear, a constant reminder of the sister I had lost and the sister I had failed.
But as I stood there, numb with grief, something else started to creep into my mind. A whisper, a doubt. Something that felt wrong, off-kilter. The doctor had said Zia had only a 40% chance of survival. But he had also said that if she survived, she would never be the same.
That was a strange thing to say. Why would he emphasise that? Was there something else he wasn't saying? Something about Zia's condition, something about the accident, that he was keeping hidden?
My mind raced with questions. What had happened to Zia? What was the truth behind her accident? And was there a chance, however small, that I could find out what the doctor was hiding?
