Motherly Love

Flower perpetually wiped her tears and catarrhs away. Creating space for another set and bundle of tears and catarrhs to establish themselves. Flower's eyes were as red as the sun. As much as Flower wanted to withdraw herself from weeping, the tears just kept coming uncontrollably. She kept crying as though there was no tomorrow.

The pain of her impaired neck were unspeakably excruciating. It was as though she had no neck, since they kept bending and fidgeting out of their own will. Although Flower's neck injuries were overly painful and heartwrenching, nonetheless, she was more infuriated about her lost voice than her injured neck. 

All that was going through her pretty head was the fact that she might never be able to utter any single word ever again all because of that scoundrel. Hating Anthony and Alaska was an understatement, she loathe them to the core.

Flower whimpered haggardly, her face was occupied with fatigue and paleness. She knew that crying non-stop would deteriorate her throat condition, however, if she didn't cry, then there would be no way of letting out her inner anguish, sorrows and lamentations.

…

Later on Horatio arrived with Regina. 

It seemed that Horatio had already acquaint Regina about everything that transpired not too long ago. Regina had a fret and disturbed look on her old face as she hastily trailed Horatio's every part.

She prompted Horatio to move aside and determinedly dashed towards Flower who hasn't acknowledged their arrival and was unfathomably lost in her world of thoughts. Her tears were still flowing though.

"Young Lady…!" Regina's valiant but mournful voice resounded in Flower's head, jolting her out of her world of imaginations. 

Agilely, Regina sat beside Flower. With the sleeve of her dress, she helped Flower with wiping her profound bundle of tears. Afterwards, she protected Flower with an affectionate embrace. She hugged Flower mildly, and delicately patted her back.

Flower too wasn't reluctant, she had to admit it wholeheartedly that this type of warm-hearted embrace was all that she needed at present. It didn't matter if the hug came from someone who was supposedly in cohorts with her enemy. All that matters was that she was receiving one and that the embrace was reducing her inner dread, sorrows, anguish and pain.

Now that she had a shoulder to cry on. Flower couldn't help but to want to cry more and more. To top that, the hug was even being given to her by someone who always reminded her of her sweet mother back in Florida, Tallahassee—through her magnificent and esculent cooking—through her loving and warm-hearted smile—and through her gently and goodhearted words.

"It's okay Young Lady," Regina consoled, "You will be fine soon. Please don't attempt taking your life ever again, that isn't the solution to your problem. I'm sorry about your neck injuries, but I'm sure that as time goes on you will heal up completely, and the scars and the injury marks would also disintegrate."

"Please make sure you stay alive and don't ever think of committing suicide ever again. Your life is still very important to a lot of people, so please don't scare us like that ever again."

Flower who couldn't talk, talkless of giving a reply to Regina's words only kept weeping quietly with no sounds coming out, and her body also kept trembling uncontrollably as her head were still perfectly layed on Regina's caring shoulder.

While Horatio on the contrary could do nothing but to stare at Flower with pity and empathy. Since he wasn't a woman like Regina, he had no idea of how and what to do to calm Flower's condition down. This was also the particular reason why he suggested calling the attention of Regina or Young Master to this.

"Young Lady, please don't cry anymore it will only worsen the condition of your throat and lower its healing rate," Regina advised, "I know that you're hurting, but still, please think about your health and wellbeing."

"All you need to do is to rest well and in no time your throat and neck injuries will heal up I promise. And I know exactly what will make you rest well and feel at ease," Regina said, still patting Flower's back delicately. She then turn to look at Horatio.

"Horatio, go to the kitchen. Boil some water and make an hot chocolate for Young Lady. It would help her sleep well, please be quick," Regina hasted the butler.

"Okay," Horatio complied. Unfolding his folded arms, he turned away from them and walked out of the room and into the kitchen. Not that Regina couldn't get up and make the hot chocolate for Flower, however, she knew that Flower was deeply saddened and she needed a shoulder to cry on, this was her reason for sending Horatio. And since they were in a cold area, Horatio often make hot chocolate to the extent that he was now very good at. Even more good at it than Regina who was the one responsible for teaching him how to make them.

"When you drink the hot chocolate then you'll be able to sleep soundly. And that would give your injuries better chances of healing," Regina continued consoling Flower.

It seems as though just like Horatio, Regina also had no clues about what transpired that made Flower's neck became so gravely wounded like so.

Moments later…

Horatio came back with a mug of steaming hot chocolate. He opened the door and came in clenching the handle of the mug. Then he moved further to the bed and pointed the mug of hot chocolate towards the duo whom he had left while they were hugging and now he was back and they were still hugging.

Seeing that none of them was paying him and the mug of hot chocolate in his hands any attention. Horatio then decided to speak, as much as he didn't want to disturb their emotional moment, his hand which was clenching the handle of the mug was already aching, this was part of the reasons he had to speak.

"I'm back with the hot chocolate," Horatio informed, "I'm afraid if you don't drink it now, it will end up getting cold since the weather at hand is a very chilly one."

Hearing this, Regina gently pulled away from Flower who was still weeping slowly. She turned towards Horatio and accepted the hot chocolate on behalf of Flower.

"Thank you," Regina said.

"It's my pleasure," Horatio replied, "I just hope that Young Lady will feel better after drinking this."

Regina smiled, then she shifted her gaze back towards Flower. "Young Lady, please clean your tears. They're getting in the way of your beauty," Regina teased, hopefully it would make Flower feel a little bit better.

Flower on the opposite side wasn't really having it. But still, she evacuated her tears and sniffled. Although it didn't look as though she was going to stop crying anytime soon.

Realizing that indeed Flower had wiped her tears, Regina smiled more. "That's more I like it," she praised. "Now have this," she aimed the mug of hot chocolate at Flower.

Flower rejected Regina's offer by wiggling her head, so far she couldn't utter any words due to her fractured throat. She was reluctant about accepting the hot chocolate due to not possessing any appetite at the moment. Her taste buds and tongues were all damned. It seems the neck gripping was also affecting her tongues and taste buds. That being said, it would be really burdensome to eat or swallow anything. Even the water which Horatio had gave her earlier was really difficult and painful for her to swallow, she had drank it back then because she was extremely thirsty, if not so, then she would have rejected that also.

"You don't want any?" Regina asked.

Flower nodded haggardly and groggily. She couldn't revolve her neck as she pleases, it was unfathomably tormenting and excruciating. 

"Oh," Regina sounded. Shortly after that, she spoke, "Young Lady. You haven't eating anything today and it's almost evening. Would you like me to prepare something special for you to eat? If so, then what would you like me to prepare for you?"

Again, Flower didn't say anything. She just wiggled her head, indicating to Regina that she wasn't in the mood to eat anything. At least this was what the wiggling of head appeared like to Regina. Since Flower was wiggling her head to her questions, therefore, Regina could only assume that as saying no to her questions.

"You don't want to eat anything?" Regina asked and as usual Flower rejected by shaking her head groggily. "Not even your favorite apple pie?" Regina asked once again to assure herself that, truly, Flower was determined to not eating anything. 

To this, Flower wiggled her head, indicating that she still wasn't bulging about not eating anything. Only Flower could understand her reasons for not being able to eat anything, it seems Horatio and Regina were still both hopeless about the fact that she had lost her voice and that she couldn't swallow any food because it was gravely painful. 

She couldn't even consume any liquid substance, talkless of chewing and eating an apple pie, it was simply impossible.

"Young Lady. Are you sure that you're not hungry? You passed out on an empty stomach yesterday and now it's evening and you haven't eating anything. I'm sure you must be feeling hungry."

"I know that your throat must be hurting severely, but I can still make something light for you to eat that you would be able to swallow with ease and that wouldn't affect your wounded throat."

Flower who knew that even swallowing some spit was unspeakably painful, quickly shooked her head indicating that she was still unyielding about her decision. Flower didn't want to put Regina through the stress of cooking and not end up eating anything. 

Regina sighed, she didn't know what to say anymore or how to convince Flower into eating. She had already given it all her best and now, she was presenly certain that Flower doesn't want to eat anything.

She turned towards Horatio and handed him the mug of hot chocolate. She then turned towards Flower again, holding the girl's hands. "Do you want me to go and call Young Master for you?" Regina asked, thinking that perhaps Flower was one of the ladies who wouldn't eat or sleep without seeing the face of their beloved when they're depressed.

What Flower did next was utterly shocking to Regina and both Horatio. After hearing Regina talk about Anthony. Flower frowned her face, then spontaneously and forcefully she snatched her hands away from Regina's clasp. She then folded them furiously.

"Don't bother about that Regina," Horatio stated from behind. "I have asked Young Lady about that earlier and she had refused."

Hearing this, Regina was utterly speechless. Then she reasoned that perhaps both Flower and Anthony might have had a fallout amongst themselves. So she kept quiet. There was nothing left for Regina to do. 

"If you don't desire to eat anything, then you should take a rest so that your wounds would have better chances of healing," Regina said.

Flower didn't react to this. Her hatred and resentment for Anthony were still overwhelming her to the core.

"Come on, lay down and rest then. You need it," Regina added. 

Then she made Flower lay on the bed and overshadowed her with the duvet. Both Regina and Horatio remained in Flower's room for the meantime—probably to make sure that Flower wouldn't attempt to take her life again without their knowledge.

Flower kept on weeping. Until she cried herself to sleep. When the housekeeper and the butler noticed that Flower was finally snoring. They were relaxed and after taking a proper look at her once again, they were eventually assured that Flower was asleep. Thus both of them decided to leave.