Chapter Five: Daddy Issues

Ricardo was devasted when he got home to his parents' house to find her mother unconscious before he could react a couple of healthcare professionals came rushing in and she being put in the ambulance to be rushed to the hospital.

"Ricardo, I don't know…" his father started only for him to be cut off by Ricardo.

"You never cease to surprise me, but for you to really hurt her to this extent, you really have outdone yourself this time" Ricardo said with hate and pain evident in his voice.

"If you hate her so much, why don't you just leave instead of trying to kill her. She has already suffered enough in your hands."

"I didn't hit her. Ricardo look, I know that I haven't been the best father to you and your siblings and also not the best husband to your mother, but I am trying to make things right and make up for the mistakes that I have lost." His father tried to explain to him.

"Listen father, I really have no interest in your cock and bull sob story, just get in the car and I would drive us to the hospital to see Ma" Ricardo said with a flat tone which was very evident that he didn't have any interest in the conversation with his father anymore.

His father nodded his head and entered the car silently without another word as he didn't want to annoy his son further than he already has.

The drive to the hospital was long, silent and very discomforting for the both of them. One wished the other was far away from their lives while the other was trying to redeem himself for his past mistakes.

On reaching the hospital, they were told that the mother had sustained a lot of brain damage.

"She's paralyzed because she had a hemorrhagic stroke. And after the scans that we took, the blood spread on the right side of her brain. It is a good thing she was rushed here immediately. She won't be able to use the left side of her body" the doctor explained.

"But she's going to be okay right?" Ricardo asked in a worried voice.

The doctor gave him a brief smile and nodded.

"Well, I won't mince words for you. She survived this but that doesn't mean that everything would be back to normal.

We would check the level of damage and prepare her for surgery to remove the fluid in her brain to reduce further damage.

Right now, she would be on physiotherapy before and after the surgery to help in her recovery."

Ricardo nodded and smiled at the doctor

"Thank you, doctor." said Ricardo

"You are welcome.

Do you want us to continue the surgery? The earlier the better to prevent further damage." The doctor said.

"Yes, you can proceed with surgery. When can she go into the operating room?"

"She would be scheduled for the 10am surgery tomorrow if it is not too sudden for you and your family.

I would send in the physiotherapist. Thank you for your time Mr. Vicon." she said.

After the doctor checked his mother's vitals and made sure that everything was normal, she left the ward to attend to the other patients.

Being left alone with his father Ricardo felt a pinch of guilt and felt bad for accusing his father for hitting his mother to the point of being unconscious.

"Ummm..hey dad, I… I ummm. I am sorry for what I said earlier. I was really…I wasn't thinking clearly" Ricardo apologized then cleared his throat because it took everything in him to say that apology.

This little apology warmed his father's heart because he saw it.

"Ricardo. Thank you. I…? his father started off

"I think I'm going to go out for some fresh air. I will be back soon". Ricardo cut-off his father's attempt to start up a normal conversation with him and left the hospital room before his father could utter another word.

Ricardo always hated hospitals not because of the smell which is terrible, not even because of the smell of death and sick people here and there.

He hated it because of the horrible memories that was created in all the hospitals he has been to.

The medical personnel have nothing to do with it being terrible because it was not their fault that him or his mother and siblings were always visiting the hospital.

They were just doing their jobs, but it was the man in the room with his mother that was the cause of their constant visit to the hospital, his father.

***

"Papa!!! No!!" a younger Ricardo screamed, obviously terrified of his father and feared for his mother.

This time, he came back home drunk and started shouting, as always, he lost the gamble and he takes it out on them especially his mother who was always trying to protect them from the wrath of his father.

He has lost count of the number of times that they visited the hospital to stich up tears and cuts and bandages, even the purple eyes and black eyes. He was always laughed at in school. People has always advised them to leave their father but he always kept finding them and dragged them back home.

He once beat his mother to the extent of her being unconscious. He thought he lost her, that's when he knew that they needed to get away from his father, very far away from him. After his mother recovered, he told her of his plan so that they would leave Spain for the United States. They saved up and when everything was ready, they left without a trace.

That was how he met Shawn. Being long-sighted didn't help one bit but his mother took him to a doctor to get his glasses for him and the rest is history, until he showed up at their doorstep about a year ago, talking about being changed and asking for a second chance. His mother was more than happy to accept him back into her lives and his siblings were coming around but he couldn't forget easily the trauma that was caused by this same man.

***

Ricardo sighed and removed his glasses from his eyes to allow him to rub his face and he hit the pillar next to him in frustration and he hissed in pain because of the bruise on his handed that started to bleed a little due to the impact and force he used to hit the wall.

"Well that must have hurt a lot" said a little girl's voice behind him.

He turned around to see the little girl standing and watching him with curious eyes. Confused why he would hit the wall if that was only going to hurt him.

"Ummm..yes, that really hurt a lot." He replied

"Then why did you do it if it would only hurt you?" she asked

"You wouldn't understand little one. Someone made me really angry. By the way where are your parents?" he asked looking around.

"Oh. Well mommy got in a fight with daddy and I got cut but mommy says its okay and brought me here to get it bandaged, see?" she brought out her hand to show the cute yellow bandage that was on her little wrist.

"I still have some with me. Bring your hand mister." And he brought out his hand for her to bandage it on the bruised area.

"There all done. Do not hit your hands on the walls again mister it will only hurt more" she said with a smile.

"Thank you." Said Ricardo

"Mommy said to forgive daddy, that he doesn't mean to hurt me or her. The words of the little girl were like salt to wounds.

He heard footsteps and voices coming from inside the hospital.

"Where could she be?" Said a female voice

"I told you to keep an eye on her" said a male voice with irritation.

"Clara? Where are you?".

Ricardo looked at the little girl.

"Nice to meet you Clara but your parents are looking for you."

"Okay, bye bye mister" she said and went back inside the hospital to find her parents relieved to see her and they all left the hospital.

He stared at the family's retreating features and sighed. He silently prayed for the family especially the little girl that was kind enough to bandage his fist without even knowing who he was.

He looked at his bandaged fist again, he sighed then he went back into the hospital to join his father in the ward sleeping on the chair with his head on the hospital bed with his hands interlocked with his mother's hand.

In a weird way he was comforted by the scene in front of him.

Deep down he is just a child who wanted his parents to be happy.