Martin is at the office now; he doesn't want to go home yet because his wife, Sharlene, is there again. They don't sleep next to each other; he is always forced to sometimes eat at the table when their daughter, Ashley, is there.
No matter how much he forced and hurt Sharlene's feelings, she didn't care back then. He didn't know how long it would take for his wife to wake up to the truth.
He let out a sigh; he would stay late again so that everyone at home would be asleep. He will spend the night at the company where he works.
Suddenly, his phone vibrated; someone was calling his number, and he immediately checked who it was.
He smiled and immediately replied.
"Yeah?" he replied; it was Sheila who called him.
"Mart, haven't you heard the news yet?" Sheila inquired, her worry clearly visible in her tone.
He furrowed his brow. "What did you hear?" he asked Sheila.
"Did Ashley get into an accident?" Sheila asked in the other line.
He was surprised by the news he learned.
"Where are you now?" Martin asked Sheila.
"Aren't you worried about Ashley?" Sheila asked him.
He just sighed deeply at his companion. "Maybe the child just tripped and is at the clinic." That's all he said.
He just sighed at Sheila's behavior now.
"Listen to me, are you watching the news right now?" Sheila asked him.
"I'm here in the office. Why, Sheila?" He asked, and he couldn't help but get irritated with the person on the other end.
"Let's go to the hospital; your spouse is there."
"Fine, whatever, I'll pick you up now," he said.
"Don't; it will only get messier if we go together."
"It's better to create some chaos so that Sharlene has a hint about us."
"Don't be too insensitive right now, Martin. We want them out of your life, but not in a harmful way." Sheila replied to him, clearly getting irritated with him as well.
"I'm going now; let's just meet at the hospital. I've sent the address of which hospital."
Sheila immediately hung up the call, just shaking his head. He immediately checked Sheila's text to see where her wife had gone.
He hurriedly crossed the parking lot of their office, got into the car, and drove to the hospital, and upon his arrival, the nurses and doctors were very busy, some parents were worried, and others were crying. He immediately saw Sheila next to Sharlene.
He approached the two, and Sharlene's siblings followed.
"Sister, sister." Tashia called out to Sharlene.
Sharlene turned around, saw the blank expression on his wife's face, and gently pulled her closer.
"What happened?" he asked in a whisper.
"I told you earlier that Ashley had an accident. They said she was on her way back from the field trip when the school bus lost its brakes and fell off the embankment." Sheila said in a whispering voice.
"Many children died, and some were rushed to the hospital."
He was speechless upon hearing the news; he was taken aback when a parent emerged from the morgue, accompanied by a mother who was crying uncontrollably.
"Pull yourself together, sis." That's all she heard Tashia say to Sharlene, who still hasn't spoken up.
"What is Sharlene waiting for here?" Martin asked Vivianne. She just turned to him and raised an eyebrow.
"She is waiting for confirmation if there is --- " She didn't finish her sentence because Tashia just shook her head, indicating that they shouldn't talk about it here.
"One of the children is Ashley, who is on the brink of death." Sheila whispered to him.
"Francisco." Suddenly, a doctor called out their surname, so he turned around as well.
Sharlene quickly stood up from her seat, her face filled with anxiety. He also followed and entered a room, along with Sharlene's siblings.
He observed the child's condition, which included numerous bruises on its body, a wilted vegetable-like appearance, and numerous medical devices attached to the child's body. He observed that the child's entire body remained covered in bandages.
"Ashley, my dear child." Sharlene, barely able to look at little Ashley's face, spoke with concern.
"H—How is Ashley, doc?" That's all he heard from Sharlene, who was trying to be brave.
"Right now, the child's life is no longer crucial, but the sad thing is, Ashley still needs a deep recovery. The child was severely injured, especially in the brain, where blood is pooling, and we need to observe the child to see if the pooled blood in the brain will dissolve."
He heard the doctor's explanation to them. He was once again thinking about the finances that might be spent on his child's health service, so he just sighed.
"Isn't there an easier way to do that?" he asked.
Sharlene was staring at him.
"The child will stay in the hospital because of her injuries, and the other thing is that there is a blood clot in her brain due to the head trauma from the accident. So, she is still under observation now; we do not recommend immediate surgery because we do not know if this child can handle it, especially considering her body." The doctor explained it to them calmly.
He just nodded then.
Goddamn it! Another problem! Another expense! He complained in his mind back then.
"Ma'am, we will be moving the child to the ICU shortly; she's a very brave girl." She turned to Sharlene, who was quietly listening to the doctor's explanation. The doctor smiled at her child.
He could only nod back then.
"Thank you, Doc." That's all he heard from Sharlene. They also went out, and the nurse will talk to them later to make arrangements for the patient.
They were once again seated in the waiting area, hearing cries because the child couldn't handle what had happened. He didn't know what to say now, whether to throw a tantrum or blame Sharlene for letting this happen to their child.
"Why did this happen, Sharlene?" He could no longer bear the emotions enveloping him.
Sharlene's gaze drifted off, as his wife was unable to focus on him.
"You don't keep an eye on your child, even though you live close to their school."
Sharlene's brow furrowed. It remained silent as it processed what he had just said. He just sighed at what he was saying.
"I'm not neglectful of my child." That's all he heard from Sharlene.
"If you weren't so careless, we wouldn't have this problem, Sharlene. Are you even thinking?" He insulted the person in front of him.
"An accident happened— an unexpected event. What are you thinking now, Martin? Have you been a good father to our child?" Sharlene asked him, anger visible in her eyes.
"Enough, enough— this is not the time for you to argue." Martin heard Vivianne say as she stepped between them, "That's enough, that's enough; the present isn't the time for you two to argue."
"Damn this!" Martin angrily walked out of the hospital.
"Martin!" Sheila called out to him, but he didn't listen then and walked towards the exit.
He is upset right now; he is in the hospital parking lot. Sheila followed him and just got into his car.
"Calm down, Martín." Sheila asked him calmly and hugged Martin.
"How can I calm down now, Sheila?" he angrily asked her.
"I am not your enemy right now; I'm here for you, okay?" Sheila spoke softly, her gaze fixed intently on him.
He just nodded; Sheila hugged him to calm his anger.