Chapter 26
She bent down slowly, her fingers brushing against the delicate begonia flowers.
The flowers she held could never compare to the vibrant blooms on the tree, the ones that
once dazzled in the garden.
And yet, her heart had withered long ago, buried along with those few begonia trees, left to fade in a forgotten corner of the yard.
Benedict‘ s eyes sparked with hope, a grin spreading across his face. “Really? You‘ 11 forgive me?”
Odette nodded, her expression quiet but firm.
“But there’s no chance for us anymore.”
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His smile froze like the sudden chill of winter,
his heart sinking as her words struck him.
How long had Odette been gone? He
couldn’t say. He remained kneeling, lost in a fog of confusion and sorrow.
A young African child wandered toward him, their tiny hands waving in the air. “Did you make your mom angry?”
In the refugee camp, so many of the children had lost their mothers, and they clung to
Odette as their own.
For years, Odette had been the only female doctor in the medical teams, pouring herself into the children‘ s care.
And despite the tragedy of losing her ability to have children, she gave all her love to them,
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tending to them as though they were her own.
The children, in turn, had learned some
English, calling her “Mom.”
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Benedict heard the child’s innocent words,
“Mom,” and their weight shattered something deep inside him.
He remembered the car accident and how Odette had sacrificed everything to protect
him.
He had escaped with only a few bruises, but Odette’s world had been forever altered. She would never be able to bear children again.
Overcome with grief, Benedict pulled the child into a tight embrace, his tears spilling freely. “What should I do? What can I do?”
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The child patted his back awkwardly, mumbling in a language Benedict couldn’t understand, trying to offer what little comfort they could.
Benedict, his senses dulled by the alcohol, had fallen into a deep, uneasy sleep.
But at three in the morning, the earth seemed to crack open beneath him. A sudden
aftershock rattled the camp, shaking him
from his slumber.
Dizzy and disoriented, he stumbled to his feet, the chaos of the night unfolding around
him.
People were rushing in all directions, their frantic footsteps mingling with the sound of the trembling earth.
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His heart pounded as he ran with the crowd,
his eyes frantically searching for Odette.
“Have you seen Odette?”
“Where’s Odette?”
He grabbed every doctor he passed, desperation edging his voice.
“She should be ahead,” one doctor answered, pointing toward the front.
Benedict‘ s pace quickened, only to be halted when the ground gave way beneath them.
A massive boulder began to fall, heading
straight for an elderly man.
In the chaos, he spotted Odette running toward the danger, her voice calling out to the old man.
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Without thinking, Benedict surged forward,
pushing the man out of harm’s way and throwing himself in front of Odette, shielding her from the deadly boulder.
The impact was inevitable. As the rock crashed down, Odette heard the sickening crack of bones snapping behind her.
Warm blood splattered onto her face as she turned, her eyes wide with horror.
Though Benedict had managed to block most of the boulder, a shard of stone still broke free, striking Odette‘ s right hand. The pain shot through her like wildfire, causing her body to tremble.
“Help! Somebody, help!” Amadeo called, rushing to move the heavy boulder.
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“Benedict! Benedict, are you alright?” Odette cried, her voice breaking as she struggled to turn back toward him.
But when she did, Benedict was already unconscious, his body crumpled from the agony, his injuries too severe to fight off. When the boulder was finally moved, the group‘ s collective effort seemed to still the chaos. Odette’s heart raced as she rushed to Benedict‘ s side, but the moment she reached out, a sharp, searing pain shot through her hand. She froze, realizing with dread that she had likely fractured it badly.
“Your hand’s in bad shape. Don’t move; let me take a look,” Amadeo said, his voice firm yet filled with urgency.
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Odette could do nothing but stand by,
helpless, as Amadeo worked quickly to
stabilize Benedict.
Tears blurred her vision as they fell freely, dripping onto the dirt below. At that moment, with Benedict‘ s life hanging by a thread, all the anger and resentment seemed
meaningless.
Benedict had broken his ribs so badly it had taken hours of surgery to try to save him. To make matters worse, the impact had caused bleeding in his brain.
But the most troubling injury, the one that gnawed at her, was the damage to his eyes. When he had fallen, shards of stone had flown into them, leaving him with severe
external injuries.
