Book 1: Chapter 5 - Should I Contact Stefan?
995 Words
Annabelle sighed heavily. She picked up the phone and scrolled down her contact list and chose Nathaniel Henderson's number. He had kept his phone switched off, and the call didn't go through. She didn't have Audrey Henderson's number, so she selected Stefan's number. Even after four long lonely years, she had his number and checked his latest profile pictures regularly. It was creepy, but she couldn't help herself. Stefan only uploaded pictures of himself with his daughter. She hardly saw any pictures of his wife, which she found strange. There was a strange melancholy, a sadness in his eyes which Annabelle noticed in all the photographs that he uploaded.
Her hand shook as the phone kept ringing and went to voicemail. She tried two more times and at last got fed up, and recorded a simple message for him.
"Annabelle here. Gran had an accidental fall. I have brought her to Princeton Medical Centre."
Annabelle disconnected the phone and heaved a heavy sigh, collapsing on the nearest chair. She was thankful that she didn't have to speak to Stefan or she wouldn't have been able to utter a single sentence. She wondered how long it would be before one of Gran's family members arrived. The formalities and medical expenses had to be taken care of. She picked up her phone and called Martha.
"Martha, keep calling Uncle Nathaniel and Mrs. Henderson or Tristan until you're able to speak to them."
"Yes, Anna. I'll inform you when a call goes through."
Annabelle updated her about the latest happenings in the hospital and disconnected the call. Nurse Ellie came out of the emergency unit and sat down beside her. She picked up her hand and held it to give her support.
"Everything will be alright, Anna."
"It's my fault, actually," she said in a soft voice.
"Not at all. It's no one's fault. Don't blame yourself. Even I was busy with my work. It had to happen, and so it did. Let us pray Gran recovers soon," said Ellie, squeezing her hand.
"Don't worry, the reports are out and the doctors are doing their best. Let's hope everything's alright and we can take Gran home," said Ellie. She heard the doctors discussing the possibility of a fracture, but she didn't have the courage to tell Annabelle. She wanted her to hear everything from the doctors.
Martha called to inform Annabelle she had informed Stefan's dad, Nathaniel Henderson. Annabelle was relieved that at least someone from the Henderson family was informed. They sat and waited with bated breath for the doctors to summon them. They also waited for a family member to arrive and take over the situation. Annabelle didn't want to meet Stefan, but under the circumstances, she had to. So, she took a deep breath and waited for the family to arrive.
Annabelle approached the middle-aged, kind-looking Dr. Williams who was in charge of Gran, scared of what news he would give her.
"Hello doctor, I am Annabelle Carter, granddaughter of Mrs. Ophelia Henderson. I was the one who brought her here. How is Gran?"
"Ms. Carter, your grandmother has a hairline fracture in the femoral head of her right hip. It requires immediate surgery within the next 48 hours. Her blood pressure and thyroid and cardiac reports have arrived. We can proceed with the surgery as soon as you complete the formalities at the reception." Annabelle wished someone from the Henderson family would be here to support her.
"Gran was unconscious after her fall. Has she regained consciousness, doctor?"
"Yes, your grandmother has gained consciousness and has been given medications for her pain. Don't worry, this is quite common in old age and the surgery is safe. It will heal her well."
"How long is she required to stay here?"
"Post operation, she will be shifted to our in-house rehabilitation unit, but we can discuss that later. Please complete the formalities, Ms. Carter. See you then, " saying that Dr. Williams turned and left.
Annabelle rushed to the reception and enquired about Gran's surgery costs and formalities. She didn't know why Stefan had not contacted her. She had expected at least someone from the family to appear and stand by Gran at such a critical time. Martha had contacted Stefan's father, Nathaniel Henderson, and his stepmother.
Stefan's twin sister Claire was married, happily settled in California, and had just given birth to her first baby boy Alexander, two months back. So, she could not possibly come even if she knew about Gran's condition. Stefan's half-brothers, Tristan, four years younger, and the twins, Julian and Adrian, six years younger than him, were too busy with their lives. She didn't have their contact numbers. She had met them a few times and had a good, friendly relationship with them. Though they loved pulling her legs, she was comfortable in their presence.
She heaved a sigh and repeated her question to the busy receptionist.
"Excuse me," she said, checking her name tag. "What formalities do I need to complete for Mrs. Ophelia Henderson to get to the emergency room?"
She knew it was out of turn, but she had to hurry. The receptionist looked at the records on her computer, asked for some details, and gave a form for her to fill out.
"The surgery cost and other hospital charges, ambulance charges have been paid in full, ma'am. You only need to fill this form with the patient details and your contact details and sign." Annabelle looked at her with disbelief.
"Who paid for the expenses?'' she asked.
"Mr. Stefan Henderson cleared all the payments ma'am just fifteen minutes ago through bank transfer," she informed her. So, Stefan wasn't here. He heard the voicemail and paid for everything. Yet he did not call or visit Gran? She found it strange. However, as she filled out the form, she couldn't stop the feeling of disappointment spread all over her. Surely, it had nothing to do with meeting Stefan, right?
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