“Watch out, ma’am!”
Blanche felt someone shove her forward. Lauren, quick as ever, caught her just in time and pulled her safely to her side.
Healy, however, wasn’t so lucky. He couldn’t get his balance and fell hard onto the floor, letting out a piercing scream.
“Master Healy!” The butler rushed over and scooped the boy into his arms.
Blanche froze, then stared in horror. Healy’s forehead had struck the ground directly, splitting open his skin–blood poured down his face, the sight enough to make her heart stop.
Her voice trembled as she barked out orders, “Quick, get him to the hospital!”
She forced herself to remain calm, turning to Lauren. “Go tell Mrs. Loraine and Eddy what happened.” Without waiting for a reply, she took Healy from the butler’s arms, cradling him tightly as Vesta steadied her. The four of them hurried out to the waiting family van.
The butler jumped into the driver’s seat and sped off, tires squealing.
Blanche’s whole body shook with terror. She clung to Healy, who looked so pale and fragile in her arms, barely conscious. Tears streamed down her cheeks.
“It hurts, Mom…” Healy whimpered, his little body shivering.
Blanche’s heart ached at the sound. “Don’t be scared, sweetheart. I’m right here. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
She grabbed a tissue from Vesta, pressing it firmly against the wound to stem the bleeding. “Call Eddy now! Tell him to get the best doctors ready at the hospital. Nothing can happen to Healy, do you hear me?”
Vesta didn’t hesitate–she called Eddy right away, explaining the emergency as calmly as she could.
“Mom, I’m sorry, I-” Healy looked up at Blanche, guilt welling in his eyes. He remembered how, just a moment ago, he’d tried to push his mother. If she’d fallen, would she have been hurt just like him?
The shame crept deep inside, making his eyes sting even more.
“Save your strength, darling. Don’t talk.”
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Blanche pressed her cheek to his cold, clammy face. “I know it’s not your fault. Someone’s been filling your head with bad ideas. That’s why you lashed out at Tia, why you sided with that strange boy. When you’re older, you’ll understand what’s right and wrong. I know my Healy is the best there is.”
Her tears slid down Healy’s face, bitter and cold, leaving a salty trail to his lips.
He listened to his mother’s gentle words, feeling a pain in his heart that was far worse than the one in his body. Before he knew it, his eyes fluttered shut and everything went dark.
“Doctor, please save my child!”
The moment they reached the hospital, Blanche rushed into the ER clutching Healy. The medical team was already waiting; they whisked him onto a gurney and
straight into surgery.
Eddy and Loraine arrived soon after, breathless and panicked.
“How could this happen?” Loraine demanded, rounding on the butler, Vesta, and Lauren.
All three shrank back, silent and terrified.
Blanche, leaning against the wall, was shaking uncontrollably, her eyes red and swollen. Tears streamed down her face as she choked out, “It’s my fault…I wasn’t careful enough…I should have buckled his seatbelt before I started talking to Lauren.”
At that, Loraine fell silent, the anger draining from her face.
Eddy hurried over and steadied Blanche, who looked about ready to collapse. “It’s not your fault, honey.”
“No, I was right by the car. He was just behind me. If I’d made sure he was buckled in, he wouldn’t have been able to move around…he wouldn’t have fallen…” Her voice broke. “How could I forget how restless our son can be? What if something happens to him, Eddy? What will I do?”
Eddy’s heart broke at the sight of her so lost and devastated. He knew how much Blanche loved Healy–more than her own life. How could she not blame herself?
He wrapped his arms around her and murmured softly, “Honey, it was an accident. Healy’s a tough little guy, he’ll pull through. This isn’t your fault.”
Blanche sobbed into his shoulder, grief and regret overwhelming her.
Healy was only five. No matter what he’d done, he was still just a child, still her
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precious little boy. She’d promised to always protect him–and yet, she’d failed.
Eddy helped her over to a bench, gently whispering words of comfort in her ear.
But Blanche heard nothing. Her mind was blank, her eyes fixed on the red light above the operating room door, praying with all her heart that fate wouldn’t steal away her only child.
Seeing Blanche so lost in guilt, Loraine couldn’t bring herself to say another word. She sat in silence on the far end of the bench.
No one knew how much time had passed before the light above the surgery door finally flickered off.
The doctors and nurses stepped out.
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