180DAYS

VINCENZO P.O.V.

Walking into her room of Ginevra, I got to know her name when one of the nurses wrote it down on her file. Every day I would visit her and check if she was ok, even though she hasn’t woken up since the day she was brought. She looks so pretty to be in this situation, she looks younger than 25, staring at her is a habit I get addicted to. Her hair looks so beautiful, arranged in patterns on the pillow, it looked like the flowers that spring out in summer. Her eyes were closed but the first day I opened them to check the state of her health, her eyes were so pretty, The color hazel fit her glossy skin so well, even when the room is dark her skin shinned. Those beautiful eyes she got, I can get lost in them. I studied every feature of her body, even though we haven’t spoken before, I know that she is calm just as beautiful as her body says... Every time, I am around her I get this weird feeling I have never felt before, what is she doing to me? Even when she is in a coma, she makes me feel so different around her, I get so careful around her, I do all my best just for her and no one else.

I kept staring down at her lips, Pink lips, so soft, if only I could kiss them, I wonder how it would taste like, cherry? Strawberry? Velvet? I see myself walking closer to her, crouching down to take a real good look at her lips. I was so engrossed in her awe that I didn’t know when someone stepped in...

“Good day Doctor!” She clears her throat to gain my attention, I jumped up in fear, oh my God, when did she walk in. I hope she didn’t see me, I hope she doesn’t know what I am feeling towards Ginevra and how did she walk in without any nurse notifying me of her presence... Why am I paying these nurses or bodyguards, if they can’t do their job?

" Good day Ma, please can I help you?” I say with so much professionalism. This lady is old and she looks like she is in her late 50s.

“Sorry Doctor, my name is Ms.Mirabella Esposito, I am the aunt to Ginevra Esposito, I watched the news this evening and I saw that my brother and his wife were involved in an accident, I just want to know if they are ok?” She cries... I feel so bad for her, how will I tell her that her brother and his family are dead. One of the things I hate in my career is telling people or the loved ones of patients that we lost them... This is going to be so painful to tell her about her brother’s loss but it might be a relief to her to know that her niece is alive.

" Sorry Ma’am please I would like you to follow me to my office” I direct her out of the room, giving Ginevra the last look before I shut the door. Walking into my office in silence, it is a big room, my desk is in front of the large window showing off the beautiful cities and buildings in Italy, the view up here is so beautiful if you have a chance to look at it. The old lady sits on the seat opposite mine before I took my seat. Going through the files, I place four files before her.

“Sorry ma’am, do you know them?” I point at the photos on the files.

I didn’t miss the tear that dropped from her eyes, she looked so heartbroken and I couldn’t do anything but feel bad. “Yes Dr. I do know them, this is my Elder brother’s family, and this pretty girl is the daughter of my only sister” she cried, trying to remember something which I don’t know.

" Sorry ma, did you say she is the daughter of your only sister? I don’t understand, please can you explain to me?” I am so confused, the file said she is the only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Esposito, so how come she isn’t their daughter or is Mr. Esposito married to his sister?

" Ginevra is the daughter of my younger sister, who died 22 years ago after the birth of her child, Ginevra, she had lost a lot of blood, so she told me to take care of Ginevra for her because she wouldn’t be alive to watch her child grow” As she was saying these, she kept on weeping bitterly, taking a hanky and placing it right in her rough palms.

“Thank you so much, I blame myself, Doctor, She told me to care for Ginevra but I couldn’t because I was an alcoholic and a drug addict, I wasn’t in the right state to take care of a child, ever since I got out of the rehab home, I keep cursing myself for not stopping my addictions and taking care of the child, now my sister is not proud, her daughter is dead and I am alive, what is the use?” She kept crying and sniffing into the napkin. I will not lie I got furious when she said Ginevra is dead, she is not, My Ginevra will not die, Jeez, why do I sound like a lovestruck puppy. I don’t know what I feel for Ginny but at this moment I am confused. Ginny! So now it has gotten to a nickname state I sound so creepy, Vince put your mind back to the situation here, this old lady is crying and blaming herself because she didn’t do the right thing. I mean it’s all in the past.

" I am so sorry Ma! But Ginevra is not dead, she is alive but...” I didn’t finish my statement before the lady jumped up in joy ” Praise lord” Hmmm, I guess she didn’t even wait to hear the but...

" But... Ma’am, she is in a coma and I have to run some tests on her and do some surgery because she has blood clothing... I looked at the lady, her expression changed, more like she was not that sad and not happy too, I know, I hate telling people the bad news...

" But Doctor, will she be ok?” I could see she was trying to hold back the tears behind those glasses.

" Of course ma’am she will be, but I don’t know when she will wake up, but I know everything will be under control.” I talked with so much calmness, but I was freaking out because Ginevra’s case is different so different from what I have done in the past 8 years.

" Please Doctor, Please do whatever you can to bring her back to life”

" I will ma, I will try my best,” I said with utmost sincerity. The old lady stood up and took her bag, I stood up walking her out of my office as the gentleman I have always been, before she stepped out she gives me a card, with her name and number printed on it.

“If you need anything for Ginevra’s wellbeing, don’t forget to call me, I would come right away, she is also like a daughter to me?”