5

Sidney

Two days later, Nurse Susana was changing my dressing. She said with a smile that I was on the mend and that in a few weeks I would be able to have another surgery to remove the bullet that was left in my chest. Normal would be to be happy with the news, but, no, I couldn't recover so soon as to be discharged. Anyone would say I was crazy, but I knew exactly what I was planning. I had to be strategic and sometimes selfish, but I had no choice. What I went through forced me to act this way.

When she changed the compress on the wound in my abdomen, I groaned in pain. The wound was big and still wet.

“I'm sorry, this side is still very sensitive. I'm not going to move too much, so I don't run the risk of getting infected..."

I nodded.

" I'm hungry! " I complained, because besides it being my lunch break I had just had a great idea. I had to think of a way to act and I couldn't fail.

"Calm down, we'll bring your lunch." she smiled.

I nodded. I wasn't exactly hungry, but lunch would suit me. I couldn't act alone, I needed help, directly or indirectly, so that I could get out. For a moment, I thought about my mom, how upset she would be that I was in this situation, and would probably be lecturing me about how much I'd let her down. I'm an only child, my father was a boxer and died due to so many hits. Even knowing that he was no longer able to fight, he insisted on participating in fights, knowing that his end would be death. He wasn't an exemplary father, he attacked my mother several times and when he couldn't, he attacked me as a child. I always had a turbulent relationship with my parents, perhaps because they were both impulsive with each other. Mine was an impulsive man, but through it all, he told me a line that I have never forgotten and in a way worth following.

“When you do something, finish it; otherwise, don’t even think about it.”

I never forgot that sentence and despite having heard it from a repulsive man, I wouldn't deny that it made some sense.

Adeline

"Adeline, my life doll!" Mistress Celeste smiled at me, as usual.

"How it feels?" I asked, expecting the same answer as always.

"Not good, my whole body hurts… My eyes and fingers hurt! I can't be discharged! he complained. " you blatantly lied to me."

"I see, I brought your lunch." I'm going to measure your pressure, change the serum and then the doctor will come and examine you... I hope you're even better! "I wished so."

"I do not think so! I highly doubt it will get better! he growled."

I showed a smile as I took her wrist to measure the pressure.

" Today you're smiling more than the other days... " He got excited, moving his arms and raising his voice.

" Try to be quiet and not speak, it will affect your blood pressure result. " I asked, sympathetically.

She rolled her eyes and sighed. As soon as I finished, she spoke again, telling about her late husband and how much her children had grown. I listened to what he had to say; he had patience with her, not only because she was old, but also because he knew that her case was more about abandonment than illness. Her husband had recently died and her children never came to visit her. It moved her, made her sad, even if she tried to hide it. She was so psychologically affected that she felt sick.

"And you, my daughter, do you already have a boyfriend? " She looked at me excitedly.

"No…" I replied, looking away.

-"Why? Such a pretty girl! " She regretted not believing in my answer.

"I don't have time for these things..."

" Ah, but today you are more cheerful! Have you met anyone?"

I was silent, and I don't know why I thought of Sidney and his cheeky kiss that man gave me.

“No, I haven't met anyone. "I acted as if nothing had happened."

" One day you'll meet someone who will give you butterflies in your stomach, who will turn you inside out and do imaginable things to you! " she smiled.

I continued recording the pressure and controlling the IV, acting as if I had never thought about that insolent patient.