Chapter 725 It's Not Your Place to Discipline Me
Abella poked around a few spots, and each one made him wince. "Yeah, there's some serious swelling here. Looks like muscle damage. But to be sure there's no fracture or ligament tear, you should hit up the hospital for an X-ray."
Even though she doubted it was that bad, better safe than sorry, right?
Bonnie, who Abella didn't even realize was there, piped up, "So, if it's just muscle damage, how long are we talking for recovery?"
Abella shot straight, "Usually, it's about three to four weeks of bed rest. Plus, some meds to help with the pain and swelling. But since Grandpa's older, it might stretch to four or five weeks. And we gotta be careful with his heart meds, so some adjustments will be needed."
Lola, sitting by the bed, muttered, "That long, huh?"
"If it's a fracture, it depends. A minor one needs about eight weeks of bed rest. If it's bad, surgery might be on the table. Now, you guys step out and get a servant. I need to help Grandpa change his clothes."
Lying there like that was a pain.
"I got this," Bonnie said, stepping up.
Lola turned away but kept an ear on the convo.
"Just work with me," Abella said, already in the zone. She'd done this a million times for Madam, so she was a pro.
Bonnie watched her and felt a pang of sadness. How many times had Abella done this to get so good at it?
Changing clothes for someone who couldn't move, especially a guy, took some serious skill and strength.
Catching Bonnie's look, Abella explained, "I used to do this a lot for the Wilson family's Grandma Madam. Got plenty of practice."
Bonnie asked, "Is she a senior in your adoptive family? Why were you doing it? Where were the other seniors?"
"They just couldn't do it as well as I could," Abella said, making Bonnie's heart ache even more.
Luckily, it was winter, and David only had his outer clothes wet, so no need to change the inner ones. After they got him changed, Abella and Bonnie helped him get more comfortable.
Just then, Caleb showed up. Seeing Bonnie and Abella handling David while Lola just stood there, he rushed over to help. After a bit, he asked, "Abella, how's Grandpa doing?"
Abella gave him the lowdown and then asked for a basin of hot water. "Grandpa can't use this medicine; it'll mess with his other meds and cause a reaction. We need to wipe it off and use something else."
"I got it," Caleb said, grabbing the towel, soaking it in hot water, wringing it out, and gently wiping off the ointment from David's waist.
Abella glanced at the servant nearby. "Who put this stuff on my grandpa? Why didn't you check with me first?"
The servant, looking guilty, mumbled, "Ms. Lola Medici told me to put it on and not to bother anyone else."
Lola was freaking out inside. 'Didn't I tell you to keep quiet? And you still blabbed, you coward!'
Abella's eyes locked onto Lola.
"I heard Grandpa kept saying it hurt, so I thought I'd slap some ointment on him," Lola tried to cover her tracks. "Uncle Caleb was chatting with you, and I didn't wanna interrupt, so I just went ahead."
David, worried Abella and Lola might start bickering over him, quickly said, "I'm fine, really. Just a little bump, no biggie."
"I'll grab some proper meds from my room," Abella said, not wanting to argue with Lola. She came back with the medicine and told Caleb, "This stuff goes on three times a day, just a thin layer. It'll help with the swelling, bruises, and pain."
"Pain relief sounds perfect," David said, clearly in a lot of pain and needing the meds.
"You, come with me," Abella said, giving Lola a look.
Lola followed her, not too happy about it.
"You put the ointment on Dad; I won't watch. I'll wait outside," Bonnie said, finding an excuse to follow them.
In the next room, Abella turned to Lola with a cold stare. "Was it your bright idea to take Grandpa for a stroll in the garden?"
Lola, feeling a bit intimidated, mumbled, "What's it to you?"
Abella's eyes narrowed. "Didn't you learn from last time?"
"I told you, it wasn't on purpose. I just wanted to take Grandma out to see the snow. How was I supposed to know the path was icy and the wheelchair would slip? If I knew she'd fall, I wouldn't have done it!"
Abella's voice was icy. "Last time, Grandma wasn't fully recovered, and you dragged her outside to catch a cold. The servants warned you, but you didn't listen. Now, it's nineteen degrees out, and you think it's a good idea to take Grandpa for a walk? In non-slip slippers? What were you thinking?"
"I, I didn't think it through. I just wanted to walk with Grandpa like we used to when I was a kid, to relive those memories."
"Did the elders take you for walks in the ice and snow when you were a kid?"
Lola was at a loss for words.
"You're lucky Grandpa didn't fall as badly as Grandma did. Last time, she fell out of her wheelchair, rolled twice, and hit a rock. She was covered in bruises. She's old; how many days did she have to stay in bed because of that fall? If the slope had been longer, who knows what could've happened!"
"I said it wasn't on purpose! Why are you talking to me like I did it on purpose? Like I wanted to hurt them!"
"Because you never think before you act. You're so scared that if I come back, all the love will shift to me, and you'll be left out. You could've had coffee and chatted with them inside, and they would've been just as happy. But no, you had to drag them out into the freezing cold."
Lola snapped, "I said it wasn't on purpose! It started snowing suddenly, and I just wanted to get Grandpa back inside quickly."
"In the snow, you rushed an elderly person? You really don't think things through."
"Abella!" Lola was fuming. "Just because you're older doesn't mean you can boss me around. This isn't your family to control!"
"Don't forget who let you stay in this family! The people I work so hard to take care of, and you hurt them not once, but twice."
"I said it wasn't on purpose!" Lola was livid.
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