Red

Chapter 15

Mike

I just sat and watched my sister sleep, stroking her hair. I couldn't help but think of her reaction when she discovered her new leg. Her face...she was just horrified. She couldn't even look at it when she showed Dorado.

I didn't look up when the doctor came back in. Dorado stood up, though. He had been sitting next to me.

"Mr. Bittani?"

"Yes?" I said, still not looking up. All that mattered was my sister, nothing else.

"I see she's asleep?"

"Clearly."

I looked up finally. Her eyes were still piercing, but they seemed a little softer this time.

"How long has she been asleep?"

"About twenty minutes now. However long you were gone."

Alright, she should stay asleep for a few more hours. She needs to recover. Also, in about a week, she needs to start physical therapy, to get used to the prosthetic."

She wrote something down on her clipboard. I couldn't help it.

"Did...did anything I did help her?"

She looked up, a little surprise in her eyes, but it soon turned to empathy. I didn't know she could show that.

"The stitches certainly helped. She would've died from blood loss a lot sooner without them. But, sadly, there was nothing you could've done about the infection. It was set deep. She would've lost her leg no matter what."

I must've looked devastated. Dorado put a hand on my shoulder.

"Don't look so upset, Mike," he said. "She's still alive because of your work. She may have a prosthetic, but she's still breathing because of you."

I took a deep breath. "All right, is that all," I asked, directed toward the doctor.

"That's it."

I stood up. "I have to go do something. She asked me to do it before she fell asleep."

I stared pointedly at my professor. I had told him earlier about Nate's situation. He nodded, and sat back down again. A little tension unknotted from my stomach. He'd watch her for me.

I brushed past the doctor and into the hall. I made to the parking lot before my cell phone rang. I fished it out of my pocket and stared at the screen. It was Marley. I'd forgotten about him. I answered the call and put the phone up to my ear.

"Hello?"

"What the heck is going on? Why did Dorado want to talk to you? Are you in trouble?"

"No, I'm fine, I'm not in trouble. I'm kinda busy right now, what do you want?"

"What did Dorado want? Why'd you talk to him last night?"

"Jeez, you're full of questions. It's personal, Marley. It's not something I can talk about over the phone."

"Why didn't you come to me?"

"You couldn't help me."

"But–"

"Look, I really gotta go. See you later."

I hung up before he could say anything else. I got in my car and drove home. Time to find Nate.