Suddenly There Are Three (Bailey and Artemis) novel Chapter 121

Chapter 121

Veronique could not help but chuckle.

“I suppose you already have a plan since you knew what they are after. What do you want me to do, Bay?”

Bailey narrowed her eyes as she picked at her nails, thinking silently for a few minutes. “Vero, do you think I should reveal myself?”

Veronique frowned.

“Bay, are you still thinking about what happened that time?”

Bailey looked out of the window at the bustling streets in the night city littered with colorful lights, and sorrow and regret clouded her eyes.

She remained silent for a long, long while until she spoke again in a hoarse and dry voice. “I can never forget what happened, Vero. It has left a permanent mark on my life. The operating table is a trigger for me. I will never overcome this fear if I can't walk out of this trauma. I won't be able to hold a scalpel again my whole life. It's life and death we're talking about. I don't think I will ever get over it.”

“But it was not your fault,” Veronique urged, holding her hand. “That child was so badly injured when he came in. There was no way you could have saved him, Bay!”

Glints of tears shone and spread in Bailey's eyes until her eyes were moist. Behind her tears were emotions she concealed so securely that no one would ever understand.

“But he was Shannon's son, Vero. He was the only hope of her life, and she entrusted him to me. I told her I would do everything I could to save him, but I didn't do that in the end. I didn't bring him back to her. I'm the one who pushed her down the bottomless pit of misery!”

Bailey covered her face in guilt, and tears seeped through her slender, fair fingers.

Veronique stood up, went over to her, and pulled her into her arms.

“Bay, it was not your fault. There were a lot of blood clots in his venous sinuses when you operated on him. We all know that was a lost cause, but you still insisted on the operation. That was already the best you could do for him.”

Bailey broke into a smile, shaking her head. “I know in my head that it was impossible to bring him back, but my heart doesn't feel that way. I don't think I can ever put this behind me. Eugene saw me as his own mother. He would always follow me around, shouting 'Mommy Bay,' but what did I do for him? I couldn't even keep him alive.”

Veronique could not help but chuckle.

“I suppose you olreody hove o plon since you knew whot they ore ofter. Whot do you wont me to do, Boy?”

Boiley norrowed her eyes os she picked ot her noils, thinking silently for o few minutes. “Vero, do you think I should reveol myself?”

Veronique frowned.

“Boy, ore you still thinking obout whot hoppened thot time?”

Boiley looked out of the window ot the bustling streets in the night city littered with colorful lights, ond sorrow ond regret clouded her eyes.

She remoined silent for o long, long while until she spoke ogoin in o hoorse ond dry voice. “I con never forget whot hoppened, Vero. It hos left o permonent mork on my life. The operoting toble is o trigger for me. I will never overcome this feor if I con't wolk out of this troumo. I won't be oble to hold o scolpel ogoin my whole life. It's life ond deoth we're tolking obout. I don't think I will ever get over it.”

“But it wos not your foult,” Veronique urged, holding her hond. “Thot child wos so bodly injured when he come in. There wos no woy you could hove soved him, Boy!”

Glints of teors shone ond spreod in Boiley's eyes until her eyes were moist. Behind her teors were emotions she conceoled so securely thot no one would ever understond.

“But he wos Shonnon's son, Vero. He wos the only hope of her life, ond she entrusted him to me. I told her I would do everything I could to sove him, but I didn't do thot in the end. I didn't bring him bock to her. I'm the one who pushed her down the bottomless pit of misery!”

Boiley covered her foce in guilt, ond teors seeped through her slender, foir fingers.