Chapter 101 Chapter 101: Residual Shadows

Chapter 101 Chapter 101: Residual Shadows

MARTHA’S POV

I watched Garrison set the phone down after the call with Elias ended. His jaw stayed tight and his fingers tapped once against the side table before he forced them still. The air in the hospital room carried the leftover tension from my uncle and cousins being escorted out. Their fake concern still hung around like a bad smell that refused to leave even after the door closed.

I shifted against the pillows and kept my eyes on him. “What did Elias say about the charges?”

Garrison pulled the chair closer and sat so our knees nearly touched. He poured fresh water into the plastic cup and held it for me while I took a sip. “Henry is being processed for court. The evidence is solid on the poisoning, the kidnapping, and the assault. But there is noise already about whether he needs to appear in person or if some delay can keep him from a public hearing. Connections are moving in the background.”

I set the cup down and let out a slow breath. The news about Henry’s arrest had played earlier and the images of him in cuffs still sat behind my eyes. Knowing someone was already trying to soften the process made my stomach twist again. “Violet?”

He nodded once. “She still has people who listen to her. Elias is pushing hard on our side so nothing slips.”

I reached for the leftover container of rice from Antonio’s and stirred it with the plastic spoon just to give my hands something to do. The taste earlier had grounded me after days of almost nothing, yet the interruption from my uncle’s group had stolen the small comfort.

“They showed up acting like they cared about the baby and about me,” I whispered. “Three days of silence while I was missing and then they barged in with flowers that already looked dead. I keep seeing their faces no matter how I try not to.”

Garrison took the spoon from my hand and set the container aside. He adjusted the blanket so it covered my legs properly and checked the IV line without hovering. “Security has the room on a restricted list now. No one gets past the desk without clearance from me or Elias. Your uncle and the rest of them can stand outside and talk all they want. They will not walk back in.”

I leaned forward a little so he could fluff the pillow behind my shoulders. The movement pulled at the bruises on my arms but I ignored the sting. “They talked about blood and family like those words meant something. I told them about Nicholas and the two losses before this pregnancy and they still stood there pretending they had always been waiting to help. It makes me want to throw the wilted flowers they left straight into the trash.”

He stood and carried the cheap bouquet to the small sink in the corner. He dumped the water and dropped the stems into the bin without ceremony. When he returned he sat on the edge of the bed instead of the chair and faced me fully.

“They came for the access,” he answered, his voice firm. “The moment the news linked your name to mine they calculated what the child and the marriage could bring them. That is why they begged at the end. Not because they suddenly remembered how to act like relatives.”

I nodded and picked at the edge of the blanket. The nurse had left the remote nearby and I turned the volume lower on the travel documentary that still played with soft music and slow camera pans over mountains. The quiet helped.

“I meant what I said about the restraining order,” I blurted. “If they keep testing the boundary I will sign whatever papers Elias puts in front of me. I will not let them near the nursery or near any appointments once we leave this place.”

Garrison reached for the bag of leftover chicken and opened it again. He tore a piece of the soft bread and offered it to me. “Eat a little more while it is still warm. The doctors want your strength up before they talk about discharge. We stay here as you asked. I already spoke to the head of security on the floor. Extra patrols pass the door every twenty minutes.”

I took the bread and chewed slowly. The flavor settled better than the hospital tray ever could. “Thank you for bringing food that does not taste like paper.”

He waited until I finished the piece and then handed me a napkin. “I will bring another order tomorrow if we are still here. Antonio’s stays open late enough.”

A soft knock sounded and Carla the nurse stepped in with a fresh bag of saline. She smiled at both of us and checked the numbers on the monitor before swapping the empty bag for the new one. “Vitals look steady. How is the appetite after the real meal?”

“Better,” I said. “The rice and chicken stayed down without trouble.”

She made a note on her tablet. “Good. Keep the fluids going and page me if the headache returns. The doctor will stop by in a while to review the latest blood work.”

Carla left and the door clicked shut. Garrison stood and walked to the window. He adjusted the blinds so the afternoon light came in softer and then returned to the bed. He sat again and took my hand, turning it carefully so he could see the fading marks on my wrist.

“Tell me if anything hurts more than it should,” he said. “I don’t want you to push any hurt or sign away just because the monitors look fine.”

I flexed my fingers and watched the movement. “My wrists are sore but the swelling is down. The worst part is still the empty feeling when I think about how close he got. I keep hearing his voice saying he could take whatever he wanted.”

Garrison’s grip tightened for a second and then eased. He reached for the water cup again and made sure I drank more. “He is in custody. The system has him. Elias is watching every motion they make in the background so nothing quiet gets approved.”

I set the cup down and looked at the closed door. The residual of the visit still sat heavy. My uncle’s voice calling me “dear niece” and the cousins nodding along played again in my head. “I know. But my worry is about my uncle and his family. They will try something else, I know them. People like that do not walk away after one rejection. They will wait until the restraining order is filed and then test it somehow. Or they will show up at the house once we leave here.”

He nodded. “Then we will prepare for that too. Elias can have the papers ready by tomorrow morning. Security at the house gets updated the same day. No one from that side of the family gets past the gate.”

A sudden sharp knock hit the door harder than Carla’s earlier. Garrison stood at once and moved between the bed and the entrance. The door opened without waiting for an answer and a hospital administrator stepped in with a tablet in hand and an apologetic expression that did not match the urgency in his steps.

“Mr. Donovan, Ms. Martha, I am sorry to interrupt. There has been a development at the front desk regarding a visitor who claims legal authority to see the patient. They are insisting on access right now.”