Before leaving, Daniel turned to Elise. “What are visiting hours again?” he asked. His tone was casual, but the follow-up questions weren’t. “Are visitors allowed to bring food for patients? Who’s usually on duty at night?” Elise’s stomach tightened. None of this seemed to be just about visiting hours.
“The hospital has everything covered and our canteen offers wholesome food,” she replied evenly, hiding her discomfort. Daniel nodded, smiling as if that had been the right answer. Then he leaned down, whispered something to Olivia, and left the room, leaving the lilies behind.
Silence fell as soon as the door clicked shut. Olivia sat very still, her eyes fixed on the empty doorway. When Elise finally spoke, it was almost a whisper. “You okay?” Olivia nodded, but the gesture was automatic, empty.
“He means well,” she said finally, adjusting the baby’s blanket. “He just… worries…a lot.” Elise forced a reassuring smile, but inside, she wasn’t convinced. Worry shouldn’t usually look like control, or sound like a locked door closing behind you.
During the morning rounds, Elise adjusted the blood pressure cuff on Olivia’s arm and noticed faint purple marks just above the elbow. “Those from the IV tape?” she asked lightly. Olivia nodded too quickly, eyes fixed on the floor. “Yeah. I think so. My skin bruises easily.”
Elise made a note but didn’t comment. She’d heard the same explanation from dozens of women before, and sometimes it was true. Sometimes it wasn’t. She tightened the cuff, silently counting the seconds while Olivia stared straight ahead, breathing as if under interrogation.
Top Articles
