# 2 — Chapter 34
Arabella
My entire body hurts when I come back into consciousness. Actually, I’m not sure if I’m actually alive. Everything is dark. There’s just nothingness and pain.
Shit. Did I go to Hell because I so selfishly put Carmelo and I in danger? Did I… get him killed?
I hear a rhythmic beeping noise and I listen closer trying to follow the noise in this empty void. I start to hear murmuring and then more beeping. Am I in a hospital? Come on Arabella, open your eyes.
The pain is burning and my insides feel like they were sliced and mutilated. I can hardly breathe as if my lungs won’t fill up with enough oxygen. I feel a warm hand touch my skin and I know then that I am not dead just inside my own mind. Come on, Arabella, wake up!
“Is she going to be okay?” A warped voice speaks but I can’t make it out who it is.
Then, light starts to fill my vision. “Look she’s waking up!” Someone says.
The room is too bright but I keep forcing my eyes to open becoming too scared of going back into the darkness. Everything is blurry and it takes a while to make out my surroundings. I gasp when the man standing over me isn’t Carmelo. It’s Gaetano.
“I’m right here, sweetheart,” he kisses my forehead and brushes back my hair. “You’re okay. Carmelo told me everything that happened. I know it’s not your fault.”
What did Carmelo tell him? And if he talked to Carmelo then he’s got to be alive!Têxt belongs to NôvelDrama.Org.
“Two bullets had hit her uterus and there was severe damage done. We tried our best to stopping the bleeding, but we couldn’t. The only way to save her life was to do a hysterectomy.”
“W-what does that mean?” Lazzaro says standing near the doorway.
“It means we had to remove her uterus,” the doctor says solemnly.
“So,” Gaetano says in a dark voice, “You’re telling me she can’t have children?”
“That is correct. I’m so sorry. Arabella should make a full recovery and will be able to go home within the next week or two depending.”
“Thank you,” Gaetano snaps quickly dismissing the doctor.
When the doctor and nurses leave Gaetano kicks the chair in the room and curses. “We could’ve had such a beautiful life together,” he shakes his head.
Oh God, he’s going to kill me.
“Gaetano-” Lazzaro starts but Gaetano raises his hand to stop him.
“You found me this one and it is now in your best interest to find me another with a uterus. This one is defective,” and with that Gaetano leaves.
Lazzaro follows and when they leave through the threshold I notice Carmelo is standing there holding his IV pole and wearing a hospital gown himself. He limps into the room and stands by my bedside.
“You’re not defective,” are the first words out of his mouth.
I start to tear up. I open my mouth to speak but nothing comes out but a croak. He leans down slowly and plants a kiss between my eyes.
“When the doctors say you can leave the hospital, I’m taking you home,” he wipes away my tears.
I raise my eyebrow in a questioning look. Where exactly is home?
“Home is anywhere we are together,” he holds my hand. “I’m never letting you go.”