Three Years Back (flashback)
The hospital room was a lonely place. It smelled like medicine and had very cold floors. The young woman sat up on the bed. She put her hands in her lap because she did not know where to put them. She stared at the wall with her eyes.
Gordon stood by the door. I watched her. He had found her on the road with no bag and no phone. No one was looking for her. She was like something the world had thrown away. Gordon pulled a chair closer. He sat down.
"Do you remember anything?" he asked her. She looked at him. She pressed her lips together. Then she slowly shook her head. "I only remember my name, " she said softly. Gordon leaned forward. looked at her face. He could see that she was telling the truth. Whatever she had lost was real.
"Okay " he said. He reached for the tray on the table beside her bed. There was a bowl of soup and a small piece of bread. He put it in front of her. "Eat, " he said. She looked at the food. Then at him. "Why are you helping me?" she asked. Gordon picked up the spoon. He put it in her hand. He closed her fingers around it. "Because nobody else is, " he said. She looked down at the spoon. Her hand trembled.
She lifted it. She brought it to her mouth. Gordon watched her eat. "From now on " he said quietly "I will take care of Laura." She did not say anything. She did not stop eating.
Present Day
The hospital ward was very quiet. Laura lay still on the bed. Her arm was connected to a drip after donating her blood to Allison. The machine beside her made a beeping sound. The morning light came through the window. It spread across the floor. The door opened.
Allison Green and Gordon walked in while shielding Allison from injuring herself. She was dressed in hospital clothes. Her hair was fluffy. Her lips were dry. She was having bandages on her head and on her hand. Her eyes moved around the room before stopping on Laura. "Laura, " she said softly. "I am so sorry. I feel terrible about what happened." "I am sorry for taking your blood "
Gordon looked at Allison surprisingly. His voice was flat and hard. "You are sorry?" he said. Allison stopped. Gordon turned to face her. "You are sorry?" he repeated. Allison opened her mouth then closed it. "That woman almost killed you Allison, " Gordon said. His voice stayed calm. There was anger underneath.
Allison lowered her eyes. Her eyes moved to Laura. They looked sad and happy at the time. "Gordon please, " she said. Gordon cut her off. "No, because of what happened that night Allison's legs are temporarily injured, " he said. He watched her face carefully. "She will not be able to walk for three months."
"Please, " she said gently. "Please stop fighting because of me." Her voice cracked. "I do not blame Laura, " she said. "I really do not." Laura had not moved. She lay on the bed watching Allison. Her face was still. Her eyes were moving.
Allison turned back to Laura. Her face looked softer. "I just keep thinking about it " she said. She paused, like she was choosing her words carefully. "What were you doing in that hotel room with another man?" Allison asked. Gordon froze. "At the hotel?" he said.
His eyes turned to Laura. Laura sat up straighter. Pain crossed her face. She did not stop. Her eyes locked on Allison. Something cold entered them. "How do you know about night?" Laura asked. Her voice was low and careful.
Allison blinked. "I just heard, " she said. "How?" Laura asked. This time her voice was sharper. She pushed the blanket aside. She put her feet on the floor. Gordon quickly moved toward her. He reached out his hand. Laura was already standing.
She gripped the bed rail for balance. "Laura " Gordon started. She did not hear him. Her eyes were still fixed on Allison. "No one knew about that room, " Laura said. She took one step forward. Her voice trembled, not from weakness. From something heavy inside her.
"No one except the person who sent me there." Allison took a step back. Her eyebrows pulled together. "Laura, I do not know what you are talking about, " she said. Laura's hand shot out. Grabbed Allison's wrist. "You used his phone, " Laura said.
"You used Gordon's phone to message me. You sent me to that room." Allison's mouth fell open. "That is not true, " she said. "I would never do that." Laura's grip tightened. Her voice cracked at the edges. Her eyes remained steady.
"I got the message from his number. You knew I would go. You knew…" Allison cried out sharply. Her hand flew to her face. "My eyes, " she said. "Something got into my eye." Her voice rose high full of panic.
Multiple POV
Everyone froze. Then Allison pulled away from Laura. She staggered backward. She pressed one hand over her eye. The other reached out blindly. "Gordon please " she gasped. Gordon, who had been standing near the door, crossed the room in three steps.
He gently took Allison's arm. He held her steady. "Okay okay " he said quickly. "I have got you." "It hurts, " Allison whimpered. Her whole body bent slightly leaning into Gordons. "Please get the doctor, " she said.
Gordon looked up at Laura. Laura was still standing beside the bed. Her arm hung by her side. The fight had not left her eyes. Her chest. Fell quickly. Frank guided Allison toward the door. "I will get the doctor, " he said. "Just stay calm."
The door swung open. Allison was gone. Laura stood alone in the center of the room. The broken glass lay on the floor between them like every word she had never been able to say...