บททั้งหมดของ Stranded, Bleeding, and Easily Forgotten: บทที่ 1 - บทที่ 8

Mom returned shortly after Dad left with Renee. She sat down beside my bed and spoke softly. "Rhea, I asked the doctor. Your condition isn't serious. You just need some anti-inflammatory medication. We have enough medicine at home. "Staying in the hospital for a day costs a fortune. It's not easy for us to earn money, and we still have to look after Renee. You've always been sensible. You'll understand, right?"After saying all that, she handed me the discharge papers and a liability waiver."Mom." I lifted my right hand, which was hooked up to the IV. "Help me sign it. I can't use my hand."Mom gave me a sheepish smile. "You're an adult now. How can I sign for you? It only counts if you sign it yourself."She slid the agreement toward me and uncapped the pen for me.I scanned the liability waiver. My eyes lingered for a few seconds on the line stating, "If the patient chooses to leave against medical advice, they assume full responsibility for any resulting consequences."Mo

I closed the door and immediately logged into my email."Rhea Olsen, congratulations on passing the assessment and officially becoming a member of the field expedition program. Please report at the designated time and attend the residential training program. Once the training is complete, we'll depart for Faldor."The anxiety that had been gnawing at me finally went away.I read through dozens of pages of instructions from beginning to end. After booking my flight, I added a few essentials to my shopping cart. I'd been working part-time since I started college, quietly saving up a fair amount of money.I had just finished checking out when I heard my aunt, Janet Olsen, say, "Weren't you taking the highway? How did the rocks hit you? That was so dangerous."Mom sighed. "That was the initial plan, but Rhea insisted on taking the shortcut. You know what she's like. If you don't go along with her, there's no peace."Silence enveloped the living room for a moment before my relatives e

Three days later, in Yovon, Mom posted more than a dozen photos to her social media and the family group chat, but there was no response from me.Mom scoffed and handed the phone to Dad. "It's been three days since we've heard from Rhea. She's definitely still holding a grudge over that slap."Dad glanced at the phone screen and furrowed his brows. "She's so unreasonable."Renee looked at the screen too. After a brief moment of pondering, she typed, "Rhea, there are a lot of lovely dresses here. I'll pick one for you."They waited a full week, all the way until they returned home, but never got a reply from me."What the hell?" Mom knocked on the door for quite a while, but no one answered. In the end, she had to use her keys to unlock it. Once inside, she walked straight to my room and pushed the door open. "Rhea, what are you doing? I've been knocking forever. Are you deaf?"But I wasn't in the room.The bed was neatly made, the desk was spotless, and the plant on the wind

"Mom." Renee's tearful voice drifted over from the living room. "It was Rhea who pushed me out of harm's way that day during the car accident. She got hurt because she protected me."Mom turned around and looked at her.Sobbing hard, Renee continued to say, "And when our relatives came over that day, she didn't scold or blame me when I went to her room. In fact, I was the one who told her not to blame you guys or me…"Renee covered her mouth, her shoulders trembling. "It's all my fault."This time, our parents didn't comfort her. They just stood frozen in their spots.…Half a year later, I returned from Faldor with my team. Due to my outstanding performance, I was given the opportunity to pursue a combined master's and PhD program while conducting biodiversity research under my supervisor's guidance.Renee and my parents arrived at the college on the third day. Mom looked nothing like her usual polished self, and Dad's hair had started to turn white at the temples.Mom pulled