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POV: Elena:
The room falls into an uneasy silence after Eloisa runs in.
I'm clinging to Vicente who caresses my back trying to calm himself down more than me.
"Elena darling" Grandma approaches us both carefully "Are you okay?"
The question may seem a little silly, of course I'm not okay, but the way she asks me makes me want to smile in response. She cares.
I shake my head holding back the tears that want to fall.
"Let's sit down Sorella" Vicente warns before moving.
He places me on the couch and my cousins Giorgio and Giovanni sit next to me.
"Bambina, are you in pain now?" Giorgio asks me softly.
"Yes" I whisper hoarsely.
"Can you tell me where it hurts bambina?" Matteo asks approaching.
I look at him cautiously, even though he's a doctor, I still don't trust him. None of them do.
I may have told them what happened when I lived with my parents in a moment of anger and I have to admit it felt good to get it off my chest.
But that doesn't change my distrust of them.
If they want to send me away, I don't care. I already wanted to stay away from them anyway.
But what if they want to keep me? What if they really care?
I push those thoughts away so as not to create false hopes and give Matteo permission to assess me.
"My wrist, I sprained it earlier today and my knee might have a deep cut from falling on the street," I reply looking at my hands.
Matteo checks them both carefully, he mumbles a few things I don't understand before walking away.
"The knee will need stitches and the wrist will need a bandage because it looks like it's dislocated," he says in a professional tone and sighs "I also want you to go to the hospital for some tests."
I look up and shake my head no.
"I'm sorry, but I don't go to the hospital," I answer and move away from my cousins.
Lorenzo appears in front of me when I get up and walk toward the door.
"Elena, this is not under discussion" Lorenzo announces with authority.
I look at him with an eyebrow raised and cross his arms.
"Exactly, it's not because I won't," I say annoyed.
Angelo enters our conversation before we start fighting.
"Bambina What happened to you today" Ângelo starts talking and swallows dry before finishing the phrase "he may have transmitted some disease to you"
"We also have to think about the contraceptive issue," Aunt Isadora completes the bass.
I look at them with wide eyes. How did I not think about it?
I step back a little disoriented.
I feel disgusting, I feel that my body is dirty and smells of GAEL. I feel your hands on me again, as if he were present beside me now.
My breath is superficial, my body struggles to breathe, but my focus is on removing Gael's feeling about me.
"Elena" Lorenzo calls me to reality.
"I can't breathe," I say quickly scratching my throat in despair.
Lorenzo holds me as the floor begins to approach quickly.
"Damn", I hear him cursing and soon I am passed to someone else's arms.
"Elena looks at me" Matteo speaks softness, but I can hear the authority behind his words.
I look at him as I try to pull the air into my lungs. My head starts to get light and my vision darkens.
"Breathe slowly, listen to my breath and follow -a," he says and obeys.
I lose the notion of how long I have imitated your breath.
"Matteo I'm tired," I say gently after recovering "I don't want to hurt me anymore, I want to live in peace fratello."
I know everyone listens because the room is silent.
Matteo hugs me and kisses my forehead with love.
"I promise we will do everything to take care and protect you Sorella," he tells me and walks away to look into his eyes.
"Do you still want me?" I ask confused.
The grandfather approaches us and looks at me with his empty and cold eyes.
"You are a Valentini both in the name and in the blood," he says firmly, "We never leave the Elena family and you are a very precious member of ours"
I feel true in all words, I know that he spoke from heart all this, even if his eyes do not convey any emotion.
But the eyes of others do. I look at each one and I can see love, affection, concern and regret.
Leonardo looks at me with guilt and anger that is not directed at me. He is clearly fighting internally.
Well, he who solves his own dilemmas.
"Let's take it to the hospital now and promise that then we let you rest." Matteo speaks and helps me get up.
They decide that only Sandro, Angelo, Matteo and Grandma will accompany me.
In a few minutes, I'm in the car between Angelo and Sandro that holds my hand while Matteo drives to the hospital.
The car stops in front of a warehouse with the name Valentini written and I throw a questioning look at them.
"We have our own Hospital Elena," the grandmother speaks as I observe the place.
When I arrive, I feel that I am in a royal hospital, the place is all organized with screening rooms, surgery rooms, offices and state of art equipment.
Matteo takes us to a room as soon as we arrived and soon the nurses seem to harvest my blood.
An hour later, a doctor enters and asks to talk to me alone. She asks me what happened and how it happened.
I tell her what Gael did and she hears me without judgments or penalties. When she finished telling, she explains to me that she will take a gynecological exam to confirm that everything is fine.
I do the exam that does not take much time, the doctor tells me that I have some injuries in the intimate region, but nothing worrying and that makes me relieved.
She also tells me that disease and pregnancy tests would take one day to leave, but I would have to take some medications as prevention until you receive the results.
Grandma finds me as soon as I leave the room and hug me.
I am surprised by her gesture, but a part of me likes the comfort of being in her arms.
Finally will I have people who care about me? Can I trust them enough now to call the family?