The Untouchable

Chapter 4

Allen looked down as his father paced in front of him. "How could you do it? She is helpless, a child. You, are on the verge of being a man; but this is how you treat people?"

Allen's head snapped up, "You! You hurt people all the time! I've seen it!"

Marcus balled up his fist and charged at his son. He stopped himself before hitting him, "Yes, I hurt people. People that deserve it. Not the helpless, but the evil and the lazy I do." Allen kept his angry gaze as his father continued, "Its time that you learn the true meaning of being a man." Allen's anxiety grew, "We are sending you to Italy to stay with my brother Etsio. It's not going to be easy. In fact he is going to push you to your limits. You will realize how you had it made here by the time he is finished with you."Allen continued his cold silent glare as his father leaned against his desk while shoving his hands in his pockets. "Well do you have anything to say?"

Allen's face was calm and focused, "So be it."

After his fathers stern talk Allen quietly made his way to his room, as he passed Lilly's door he stopped as he heard his mother humming a tune to the sleeping girl. Allen peeked in the doorway as he watched his mother lift one of Lilly's small hand to her lips to kiss her bruised knuckles. He then heard her begin to cry. Allen was starting to realize he not only hurt Lilly, but his mother as well. Only this made him feel remorse.

The next day was sad for the family, Allen reluctantly accepted a hug from his father. His mother had tears streaming down her face as she squeezed him, "Come back to me my sweet boy."

Allen held back tears, knowing what she meant. He silently thought to himself, "Why am I a monster?"  Allen then rubbed his younger brothers hair as a form of goodbye. The young man entered the backseat of the Mercedes and took his leave.

Marcus wrapped his arm securely around his wife as they watched the car leave the drive away. Vivian turned to her husband, "Do you think we are doing the right thing?"

Marcus sighed as he continued to watch the car disappear, "Yes, if it had not been Lilly, it would have been someone else." Vivian held back her cries as she pressed her eyes shut.

*************************************
Later that night the Desserio's found themselves rushing to the emergency room with little Lilly. She had started to run a fever that day with labored breathing. Vivian tried her best to lower it but no medicine could do so. After long hours of test, the doctor finally gave the couple his dreaded diagnosis. "Apparently, Lilly has a rare form of heart disease. It's called
Noncompaction cardiomyopathy, it is present at birth. It results from abnormal development of the heart muscle in the womb. Did her mother have prenatal care?"

Vivian looked down as she shook her head, "I'm not sure, but my guess would be no." The doctor sighed. Vivian continued, "Why can't she fight this fever?"

"When you are fighting an infection that causes a fever, your heart rate speeds up to help the body fight the bacteria. With her heart being weak, and with her immune system being down from past neglect, her little body is just not able to fight it fast enough before her heart possibly giving out."

Marcus caught his wife as she slightly wobbled from the diagnosis, "Your telling us, she could die from this?"

The doctor sadly shook his head, "I can't say for sure, but she has a fifty percent chance of not surviving. If she makes it through the night, her odds will be better."

Vivian turned to her husband's shoulder as she wept. Marcus silently hugged her to him as he watched the doctor leave the room. That night Marcus sat in the uncomfortable hospital chair as he watched his wife sleep next to Lilly. Lilly seemed to be in a deep sleep as her mouth had fallen open. As she exhaled it sounded like the beginning of the death rattle. Marcus pushed his face into his hands and sobbed as he rocked. He slowly eased himself off of his chair and eased into the other side of the bed. He snuggled his nose next toLilly's hair and breathed in her scent. He silently cried his self to sleep dreading what the morning would bring.