Chapter 4 Would They Abandon Her Again?

Stephen searched the hospital, trying to find out what was happening, but everyone he encountered claimed ignorance. The Hatchers were freezing in the icy corridor, and the Crawfords refused to see them. Waiting there became unbearable. Paula admitted defeat first. "I'm going to see Debbie…" Debbie was also in the hospital, but in the maternity wing. Stephen and Richard couldn't bear it any longer, but they didn't want to leave, so they had no choice but to continue waiting in the cold… Their minds were filled with incessant complaints. Little did they know, this was only the beginning of their troubles! … Lilly could hear the quiet beeping of machines around her, along with indistinct voices. However, one voice stood out. "Lilly…Lilly dear…hey, little Tulip! You have to wake up soon, okay? If you don't, I'll…" Lilly felt as if a swarm of bees was buzzing beside her ear, chattering away. It was a bit tiresome. Who was this person talking to her? Lilly's eyelids fluttered and she opened her eyes, only to see a snowy-white wall in front of her. A group of people surrounded her bed. She carefully scrutinized them. Gilbert reacted enthusiastically; he was also the first to speak. "Lilly! You're awake now! I'm your Uncle Gilbert…" The rest of the Crawfords held their breath, watching Lilly intently. Lilly was at a loss. "Uncle Gilbert?" Her expressionless face resembled a fragile porcelain doll. It sounded as if she were repeating a foreign phrase. Hugh's mouth tightened. Lilly was very thin, so tiny that the hospital bed seemed large. It hurt to see her like that, making it hard to breathe. Gilbert spoke more gently. "Lilly, I'm your mother's brother. My name is Gilbert. You called me earlier, do you remember?" Lilly furrowed her brow. After a moment, she softly said, "Ohh." She remembered now. She had called Uncle Gilbert's phone number. He had ignored her though. Didn't her uncles want her? "Did you…did you come to look for me?" Lilly asked in a weak voice. All the men around the bed nodded vigorously. Bryson added, "Lilly, I'm your Uncle Bryson. We're all here to take you back home with us." Hugh felt something constricting his throat. He took a deep breath and said, "That's right. We're here to take you home, Lilly. In the future, no one will dare to bully or harass you. If anyone tries, your Grandpa Hugh will have something to say about it." Lilly looked at each of the men in turn. They were going to take her home? She wasn't sure if they would abandon her again once they brought her home. Would they hurt and starve her? Seeing her silence, the Crawfords felt even more tense. None of them had much experience with children. They looked at Anthony and Liam. Anthony, the eldest Crawford boy at 40 years old with two children, wasn't good at interacting with kids. After hesitating, he asked bluntly, "Lilly, what are you worried about?" His siblings glared at him for his inflexible and harsh tone. Liam, the second son at 38 years old, was a taciturn person and found it difficult to say much. He coughed slightly in embarrassment. The tension in the air was palpable. Gilbert sighed deeply. He moved closer to Lilly's bed and gently caressed her hair. In the gentlest voice he could muster, he asked, "Lilly darling, why don't you tell us your proper name?" Lilly stared at the ceiling in silence before replying, "I don't have any other name except Lilly." Daddy had told her she didn't need a proper name; they would discuss it when her stepmother gave birth to her baby brother. Lilly had been named by Mommy. She didn't have any other name. Gilbert felt a dull ache in his heart. How had this child lived in the Hatcher household without even a name? Suppressing his anger, he asked, "Well then, Lilly, can you tell your Uncle Gilbert what you're thinking right now?" Lilly turned her gaze to him, making an effort. She looked at this person who called himself her Uncle Gilbert. That day, her world had been so dark, but this man had broken through that darkness like a ray of light and rescued her. Her mouth trembled slightly as she asked, "Uncle Gilbert…when we go home, am I…am I allowed to eat?" The Crawfords were dumbfounded. This child was asking if she could eat when she arrived home… Before they could respond, Lilly asked again in a tiny voice, "Will you hit me?" Those simple four words almost made Hugh weep. The little girl was afraid she would be starved and beaten. What kind of abuse had she endured in the Hatcher household?! She was half-starved and inadequately dressed for winter. When she had nightmares, no one would be there with her when she woke up scared, and in summer, no one would care when she was drenched in sweat from the heat. Hugh turned away, biting his lip to suppress the tears that threatened to spill down his cheeks. The Crawford brothers clenched their fists in anger, but they didn't dare express it for fear of scaring Lilly. Gilbert reached out and took Lilly's tiny hand, placing it against his cheek. Hoarsely, he murmured, "Lilly darling, when we go home, you can eat whatever you want, and no one will hit you. Look, that's your Uncle Anthony there. That one's your Uncle Liam, and that's your Uncle Bryson…All of them are tough, strong men. All of us will protect you, and no one will ever hurt you again." Lilly clutched the covers tightly with her other hand and remained silent for a long time. Just as the Crawfords believed that she had nothing more to say, she suddenly exclaimed, "Uncle Gilbert, I didn't push anyone. Daddy and Grandpa kept pressuring me to confess, but I refused…" She repeated this stubbornly, with a determined look on her little face and a downcast expression in her eyes. Did her uncles truly care for her? Now that she had confessed that she wouldn't admit to something she didn't do, would they still want a disobedient child like her? Gilbert felt a lump in his throat, as if a wad of cotton was constricting it. Tears welled up in his eyes, and even Hugh couldn't help but brush away his own tears. Anthony said firmly and calmly, "Your Uncle Anthony believes you are innocent. It was the right thing to do, not confessing to something that wasn't your fault." Gilbert nodded in agreement. "They are the ones who are wrong. You didn't do anything wrong, Lilly; you did the right thing." Upon hearing this, Lilly's mouth twisted briefly and tears began streaming down her cheeks. It was as if all those pent-up tears had finally found an outlet and refused to be suppressed any longer. Lilly's little face still maintained that stubborn expression, but her voice was interrupted by gulping sobs. "But…but Daddy doesn't believe me. Daddy said I killed my baby brother and that if I didn't confess, he wouldn't let me leave." Even as she sobbed these words, it seemed as if Lilly had finally found someone she could share her grievances with. Even a three-and-a-half-year-old child could feel mistreated, no matter how stubborn or determined they were. Gilbert's anger got the best of him. "He's not fit to be your father!" "Gilbert!" Anthony interjected sternly. Gilbert reluctantly fell silent, but his rage remained unabated. The thought of Stephen waiting outside made him want to tear the hospital bed apart, grab one of the metal tube supports, and give that man the beating of his life. Lilly sobbed a little longer, then fell asleep. Once they were outside the room, Gilbert asked indignantly, "Anthony, are we really going to let the Hatchers off so easily?" Bankruptcy alone was not sufficient punishment for people like them! Anthony slowly unbuttoned his shirt sleeves and rolled them up. Calmly, he replied, "Eight against one, Gilbert. Is that enough for you?" There would be eight Crawfords seeking revenge against the Hatcher family!