Page 124 of Heart of The Night

Dr Patel scanned our group, her gaze lingering on each face. ‘Are all of you William’s family?’

‘No, some of us are friends,’ John replied, rising to stand. He wrapped an arm around Daphné’s shoulders in a protective embrace.

‘I see.’ Dr Patel’s face clouded over with apology, the space between her brows creasing. ‘Given the sensitive nature of this case and the security concerns involved, I will only share details with immediate family members and a woman named Cara Jane Darby.’

Daphné’s eyes swept over us, signalling with a subtle gesture. ‘Well, as you’re already aware, I’m William’s mother. John here is his father, Jason is his brother, and this is Cara Darby.’

Dr Patel’s expression tightened slightly. ‘I’m sorry to ask, but can you show me your IDs? With the suspected criminal element in William’s situation, we must adhere to strict protocols regarding who we allow near him.’

I quickly dug through my purse, my hands trembling as I pulled out my wallet. Jason, Daphné, and John also presented their IDs.

‘Thank you,’ Dr Patel said, handing them back. ‘Please, come with me.’

She led us into another room that ensured privacy. Turning to Daphné, she said, ‘I understand you’re a doctor.’

‘Yes, an oncologist,’ Daphné confirmed.

‘I see. Please let me know if anything I say is unclear.’

We all nodded, the tension palpable as we braced ourselves to hear more about William’s condition.

‘As I said, William has regained consciousness and is responding well, all things considered. However, he’s sustained a significant blunt trauma to the left side of his frontal bone, resulting in a closed, linear skull fracture. We have conducted a CT scan to evaluate the extent of the damage and, fortunately, the results indicate that no surgical intervention is required; the fracture should heal naturally. Nevertheless, he does have a concussion and currently has no memory of the incident. Additionally, he has broken three ribs and two false ribs – one rib and one false rib on the left side, and the others on his right.’

My stomach churned as she listed each injury, the room seeming to spin slightly with each word. Daphné brought her hands to her mouth in shock, while John and Jason turned pale, their lips parting slightly in distress.

Dr Patel continued, ‘He’s also fractured the ulna in his right forearm and will need to be in a cast for the next four to six weeks. He’s got a black eye as well, although we’ve found no issues with his vision.’

She paused, scanning our faces, her expression sombre. ‘Furthermore, he was stabbed in the left bicep, just below the shoulder. The wound was approximately two inches deep and severed his cephalic vein. Due to the blood loss, we had to perform a blood transfusion, but he’s been stitched up now.’

The room felt oppressively silent as we grappled with the severity of William’s injuries. I tried to breathe, to find steadiness, but it felt as if the ground beneath me shifted. Each detail added layers to a nightmare that seemed to tighten around my chest, making it hard to draw air.

‘Is that everything?’ Daphné asked, and she sounded ill. Faint.

Dr Patel hesitated. ‘Based on his injuries, it appears William was defending himself when he was stabbed. His head injury likely occurred afterwards. The paramedics suspect that his head was forcefully slammed into the basin, possibly several times. But, despite these severe injuries, I can say that his overall health is excellent.’

John stared at her, contemplative. ‘Do you think it’s possible that his assailant meant to kill him?’

Dr Patel looked uncertain, her eyebrows curving down. ‘It’s possible, but difficult to determine. We usually see injuries like these when there’s a lot of rage involved. Sometimes, that rage stems from a desire to kill. Other times, it’s merely a desire to cause harm. Typically, if someone intends to kill, especially when there’s a chance of being interrupted, they wouldn’t waste time inflicting such extensive injuries first. So, it’s tricky to determine whether his assailant was aiming to kill him and got stalled by William defending himself, or if the intent was merely to cause harm.’

‘Have you reported this to the police?’ John asked.

‘Not yet. But I’ll tell them exactly what I just told you so they can take it into account during their proceedings.’

‘Good.’

Dr Patel adjusted her posture slightly, her expression thoughtful. ‘If William regains any memories of the attack, he might be able to provide some clarity as to how the situation unfolded. That would help the detectives and the prosecutors to establish whether there was intent to kill.’

John shook his head, looking regretful. ‘As you’re likely aware, proving intent to kill in court, based solely on Will’s account and his injuries, will be nearly impossible.’ He crossed his arms, his demeanour indicating scepticism. ‘Given the evidence at hand, charging his assailant with attempted murder might be overreaching. It’s more probable he’ll face a charge of grievous bodily harm under section 18.’

‘Section 18?’ Jason echoed.

‘Wounding with intent,’ John explained. ‘You can get life imprisonment for that.’

‘I bloody hope so!’ Jason exclaimed.

John shook his head again. ‘In this case it’s unlikely he’ll get that sentence.’

Jason scowled, his frustration palpable. ‘Why?’

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