Chapter 25: She needs us

Dante
Despair gnawed at me as I sped towards the hospital. The outside world faded into a blurry haze as my mind focused on one thing: Ana.
I couldn't let anything happen to her. I had failed before, but I couldn't fail now.
I parked the car abruptly and ran towards the hospital entrance. The corridors were filled with patients and medical staff, but for me, only one person existed at that moment.
"Where is Ana?" I asked frantically to the receptionist. "Ana Salvatore, the patient who was recently in surgery. Where is she?"
The receptionist, with a worried expression, quickly consulted her computer.
"Patient Ana has just come out of surgery," she said, looking up at me. "She's in recovery, but she'll need to be under observation. We cannot allow visitors at this time."
"I need to see her," I insisted. "I just want to know she's okay."
"I'm sorry, sir, but that's impossible. The doctor will be able to give you more information."
At that moment, I saw a doctor leaving a nearby room. I intercepted him immediately.
"Are you the doctor who attended to Ana?" I asked with an urgent tone.
"Yes, I'm Dr. Martínez. The surgery was complicated, but it went well. Now we need to observe her closely to see how her body reacts to the surgery."
"When will I be able to see her?" I asked, my desperation evident.
"We must wait for her to wake up," said Dr. Martínez. "It could be a few hours or even more. It all depends on how her body responds."
My heart pounded as I tried to assimilate the information. The thought of Ana unconscious, vulnerable, tore me apart.
Just then, Valeria appeared through the hospital door. Her face showed a mixture of fury and concern, but it's clear that I was the angriest.
"Valeria, what have you done?" I shouted as she approached me. "You said Ana would be safe!"
"Dante, I..." she tried to answer, but I didn't let her finish.
"You lied to me. Everyone said she wouldn't be there. How could you let this happen?"
"I didn't know she would be there," she replied, feeling the guilt crushing her. "Why didn't you think to make sure she was safe first, huh?"
"Marco assured me she wouldn't be at Paolo's house."
"And you believed him?" Valeria looked at me in disbelief. "Did you really blindly trust that information? Ana almost died because of your incompetence!"
"I didn't know!" I exclaimed, my voice full of anguish. "I did what I thought was right, besides the incompetent one is you, you were supposed to keep her away from this."
"I thought someone from Marco's team would take care of it, I just gave them her location information."
"Well, I'm afraid we're both responsible for what happened to her."
Valeria shook her head, her eyes filled with tears. Finally, she broke down in tears, unable to contain her pain and anger any longer.
"Ana..." she whispered between sobs. "I just hope she's okay."
I watched her collapse, her pain mirroring my own. I approached her, but she pulled away from me.
"Leave me alone, Dante. I don't want to know anything about you now."
Helplessness washed over me as I watched her walk away. I couldn't blame her. We had failed to protect Ana, and the consequences were devastating. I stood there, in the hospital corridor, feeling the weight of my decisions crash down on me. I couldn't let this be the end. Ana had to survive, and I had to find a way to fix this whole mess.
I wouldn't leave until I made sure Ana was out of danger. I had made mistakes, but I wouldn't let this be one of them.
Valeria returned after a few minutes. Her eyes were still swollen from crying, but she seemed more composed. She approached slowly and stood by my side, both of us watching Ana through the glass.
"I need to explain something to you, Dante. All of this... everything that's happened, it's not what it seems."
"What do you mean?" I asked her without taking my eyes off Ana. "What's going on, Valeria?"
She sighed, struggling to find the right words.
"I betrayed Ana," she admitted in a trembling voice. "But not because I wanted to, but because I've been forced to. There's someone... someone who knows things about me, things that could put me in danger if they came to light."
I looked at her, trying to understand.
"Who's forcing you?" I asked, feeling a mix of anger and compassion. "Who is this person?"
"I don't know. I've never seen their face, but they know everything about me, even things I shouldn't know. This person promised me to help find my father's killer. They told me that if I cooperated, I could get justice."
"And what did they ask you in return?" I inquired.
"They asked me to stay close to Ana and report on her movements," Valeria said, her voice breaking. "But I never imagined it would come to this, that it could cost Ana her life."
I felt a surge of anger and despair. I wanted to comfort Valeria, but at the same time, I wanted answers.
"I've heard some nurses say she might not make it," I said, my voice filled with concern. "What are we supposed to do now?"
Valeria shuddered at my words, her eyes filling with tears again.
"I don't know what to do," she confessed, looking at Ana with desperation. "I just hope she recovers. I can't live with the guilt of causing this."
As I listened to her confession, something began to click in my mind. The description of the person who was manipulating Valeria matched too closely with the mysterious woman I had been in contact with. However, I had no concrete evidence. I couldn't accuse her without more.
"We have to stay calm and wait," I said, trying to be pragmatic. "Ana is strong. She'll get through this."
We stood in silence, watching Ana through the glass. Each second seemed like an eternity. Guilt and despair were palpable in the air. We both knew that, no matter what had happened before, all that mattered now was one thing: that Ana recovered.
As time went on, the tension grew. I couldn't stop thinking about the mysterious woman and the role she might have played in all of this. But for now, I had to focus on Ana and how we could fix this whole mess.
Waiting was unbearable, but there was no other option. With every beat of my heart, I prayed that Ana would wake up soon, that we could have a chance to fix everything and, above all, that we could protect her from all the chaos that was coming.
We had been waiting for hours when I noticed Ana move slightly. My heart raced and Valeria stepped forward, her face filled with hope and fear. The nurses rushed into the room, and Valeria and I stayed outside, watching through the glass.
"She's waking up," I whispered, feeling a mix of relief and anxiety.
The doctor came in and started examining Ana. We could see her blinking slowly, trying to focus. When she opened her eyes fully, the doctor leaned in towards her.
"How do you feel?" he asked her in a gentle voice.
"Confused," Ana replied, her voice barely audible.
"That's normal," the doctor said. "You had a very serious accident. We need to monitor you closely."
Ana nodded weakly, and then the doctor gave her the news we were dreading.
"Unfortunately, Paolo is still under observation," he informed her. "He's in critical condition."
Ana frowned and looked at the doctor, bewildered.
"Who is Paolo?" she asked, her voice full of confusion.
Valeria and I looked at each other, stunned. Ana turned her head towards us, her eyes full of uncertainty.
"Who are they?" she asked, pointing at us.
I felt the ground crumble beneath my feet. The doctor turned to us and gestured for us to come in.
"It seems she has lost her memory," the doctor said, his tone grave. "We will do further tests, but for now, you should leave and let her rest."
Valeria nodded, though visibly shaken, and headed for the door. I, however, couldn't just walk away.
"I'm not leaving," I said firmly. "I need to talk to her."
The doctor hesitated, but eventually nodded and left the room, leaving the door ajar. I approached Ana slowly, my heart in my throat.
"Ana..." I began, trying to keep my voice steady. "I'm Dante."
She looked at me with a mixture of curiosity and confusion.
"I'm sorry, I don't know you."
"We've been through a lot together," I said, desperate for her to remember something. "You're a very important person to me. I love you, Ana."
Ana frowned, her gaze lost.
"I don't remember you," she replied honestly. "I don't feel anything."
Every word of hers was like a stab to the heart. I leaned closer, almost pleading.
"Please, Ana, try to remember. We've been through so much. I promise I'll be here to help you remember."
Ana stared at me intently, but her eyes were empty of any recognition. I sighed and stepped back a little, feeling all my hopes fading.
"I need to rest," she said finally, closing her eyes.
The doctor came back in, looking at me with a stern expression.
"It's best if you leave now. She needs peace and quiet."
I didn't have the strength to argue. I nodded, though my heart was shattered, and left the room. Valeria was waiting for me outside, her face full of concern and sadness.
"How is she?" she asked in a whisper.
"She doesn't remember me," I replied, feeling a wave of despair. "She doesn't remember any of us."
Valeria let out a sob and covered her mouth with her hand.
"This can't be the end. We have to be here for her, help her regain her memories. We can't give up."
Valeria nodded, though tears continued to stream down her cheeks. We stood there, trying to find the strength to face what was to come. Ana needed us more than ever, and we didn't plan to abandon her. With Paolo out of the picture, maybe things would be easier.