Page 55 of Angel's Whisper

Massimo stepped into her room. He wanted to rush to her side, to show her how much he cared, but fright resided inside him. Rosa entered behind her boss and paused again when he faltered before fully entering her room. This time, Rosa wasn’t hesitant. She walked up and stood beside him, placing her hand on his shoulder with enough force to remind him that she was there, to ground him back to the present and hopefully convey in her touch that Isotta needed their strength.

Massimo felt Rosa’s touch, and it helped to bring him from his thoughts and ground him back to the present moment, the moment he needed to see about his wife. Massimo placed his hand over Rosa’s, thanking her for the silent reminder. He stood straight and relaxed his shoulders. Massimo rounded the corner and saw Isotta.

Rosa moved faster when Isotta came into view. She walked quickly to the side of her bed, looking at Isotta’s chest to make sure she was breathing. Rosa thought she was, but she had to be sure. Once she arrived by the side of her bed, Rosa focused on Isotta’s chest to ensure that it rose and fell rhythmically. She breathed a little easier when she confirmed.

Rosa watched as Massimo strolled across the room and approached the opposite side of Isotta’s bed. Rosa looked at his eyes and then looked away. She knew she was invading a private moment, and she wanted to give as much respect to that moment as possible. Massimo’s eyes widened and then relaxed. It was like he needed to see Isotta’s chest rise and fall, too. Then he reached out to her, gently tucking a tress of her long hair behind her ears. Isotta’s eyes were still closed as she was sleeping, but the fact that he didn’t have to see her gave Massimo the additional time he needed to pull himself together.

Chapter Twenty-Four

It was quiet, silently quiet.

It was dreamlike, the space between awake and asleep.

It was peaceful there, peaceful and silent.

Yet, she felt like she wasn’t alone, like someone, someone else was there with her. Isotta didn’t feel the pains she originally felt. She didn’t feel them at all. That was a relief. Isotta had craved such sweet relief for what seemed like forever. Then she remembered. Isotta remembered that she had been rushed to the hospital. Her eyes started to flutter, and Massimo noticed.

He sat up and paid closer attention. Isotta felt an increased presence. She wanted to acknowledge it, see it, but somehow, she struggled to open her eyes, to connect fully. Massimo stayed on alert. He stroked her hair again. That was the safest place for him to touch. Periodically, he pulled his eyes away from being fixed on Isotta’s and checked her, looking over her body to see if she’d been hurt somehow if the reason she was even at the hospital was a physical one. But there was nothing Massimo could see that indicated the reason she was there. It must be internal. He thought to himself, some internal injury that caused her to be there. That meant it was serious, not just a flesh wound. A flesh wound could heal. There were topical medications you could apply, and after a little while, there might be a scar, but the wound would heal. Massimo’s eyes traced her tawny skin, inch by inch.

If it wasn’t external, it was internal. No physical eyes could be laid on it. There was no immediate recognizable recognition because there was nothing to see. There was nothing to see except maybe a reflection of an outside bruise manifesting the internal problem. But there was pain, pain that the person felt, described, but still couldn’t be visibly acknowledged by an outside source. No one else would really know. If she had an internal pain, one he couldn’t recognize, how would Massimo make sure she was okay?

Isotta’s eyes moved horizontally, back and forth, and back again at a fairly rapid pace. It was like she wanted to wake up, but something was preventing her from accomplishing the very thing she wanted. Rosa paid attention, sitting on the edge of her seat and staring into Isotta’s eyes, although they were still closed, willing her to open them. Massimo inclined himself even more to her, even though the thoughts continued to pervade his mind. He, too, willed her to wake up. He just wanted to talk to her, to confirm that she was okay. Massimo had to know. The suspense was killing him, causing an unrecognizable ache inside that he’d just as soon be over. Once he knew for sure what the problem was, then he could help her address it. They could work on the problem together. But he needed Isotta to wake up.

They both wished her awake. Isotta wanted that, too, but the effects of the medication hadn’t released the hold it had on her.

She started to stir, a verbalization spilling from her lips. She knew it was her, but the sound she made seemed distant, like a dream more so than an utterance.

“Come on, Isotta. Wake up.” Massimo leaned in and whispered in her ear.

She felt the warmth of his breath and thought it was just a memory. Then he whispered again, meaning it from the bottom of his heart because that’s what he was supposed to do. It was difficult pulling himself away from the notion of the real reason they married, even when her life was at risk.

“Please, Isotta, please.”

His eyes bore into hers, willing her to open them. Rosa was much more subtle with her gaze, but she focused on Isotta, too.

And then, she opened them, just a little at first. Massimo wasn’t even sure she opened them, but he kept his gaze on his wife. But then she opened them a little wider, enough for the tiniest bit of light to come in.

“Isotta?” Rosa uttered.

Massimo thought his eyes were deceiving him, so he stayed firm in staring into hers.

Isotta winced a bit when the light penetrated her eyes. She blinked and momentarily reclosed them, but she immediately opened them again, this time wider than she had before. Her eyes were fixed on the ceiling even though she still felt the energy around her.

“Isotta? Ma’am?”

Isotta heard her name and slowly moved her eyes in that direction. When she saw Rosa smiling, then she smiled. Massimo watched, feeling his heart beat a little faster. Then he stroked her hair again, this time much more intentionally. Isotta turned in response to his touch. She smiled even before she turned her head.

Their eyes met, and Isotta’s smile intensified.

“Hi.”

“Hi,” Massimo replied. He still wasn’t able to smile. Massimo still wasn’t sure whether she was okay, but he was relieved, somewhat, to see her smile.

There was a knock at the door, and then two doctors entered. Neither Masimo, Rosa, nor Isotta knew what to make of their dual entrance as they watched them walk to her bed. Only one of them was familiar, though.

“I wanted to see how our patient was doing,” Dr. Accardi said. “Are you doing okay, Mrs. Ricci?” He asked, walking to the side of her bed, excusing himself, and checking Isotta’s vitals. “I also wanted to introduce Dr. Allegra Farina. She will be your attending physician,” he continued. “I am an emergency room physician and do the preliminary diagnosing, but Dr. Farina will see you the rest of the way.”

“It’s nice to meet you all,” Dr. Farina replied.

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