The Bruised HeartBy Storybird
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The Bruised Heart
By Storybird
Created on 04 Sep, 2023
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Cesar laid in the sterile hospital bed, his arm in a cast. The faint hum of machinery formed the backdrop for his tears.
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He winced as the nurse cleaned his cuts, her expressions soft with sympathy. She silently promised to help him, her eyes meeting his.
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"Can I get you anything?" she asked Cesar but he just shook his head. His deep brown eyes hardly left the window.
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The sun was setting beyond the hospital window. Cesar wondered if he would ever feel its warm touch again without pain.
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"Tell me about yourself, Cesar," the nurse suggested gently. She hoped to distract him from his gloomy thoughts.
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He turned towards her, his face a mask of despair. "There's nothing to tell," he whispered, lost in his world of pain.
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"There's always something to tell, Cesar. You're a fighter. You're here, after all." Her words were full of genuine encouragement.
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Cesar picked at the edge of his cast. He sighed, hesitating. "I'm here because my stepdad broke my arm, remember?"
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The nurse frowned, her heart heavy. "I mean you're a survivor, Cesar. You've endured far more than any child should have."
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"Survivor?" Cesar looked at her, his brown eyes wide. It was as if the idea was entirely alien to him.
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"Yes. You've survived all the hardship and you're still standing. That's being brave." She tried to instill some hope in him.
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Cesar considered her words, his gaze drifting back to the window. Was he really a survivor? Could he be brave?
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Days turned to weeks. While his physical wounds healed gradually, Cesar's emotional pain was a tougher adversary.
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The nurse read him stories, brought him toys, and even arranged for a therapy dog to visit him. Cesar began to smile again.
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Cesar learnt to laugh. The sound was hesitant at first, but it soon echoed in the hospital room. There was hope yet.
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His stepdad was charged for child abuse and his mother was undergoing therapy. Cesar wouldn't be going back to them. He was safe.
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The nurse became Cesar's constant companion, her presence soothing and comforting. She was his pillar of support in the hospital.
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Cesar's arm healed completely. His physical scars were fading but his emotional scars still haunted him. Healing was a slow process.
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He learnt to trust again. The nurse's guidance and support helped him regain his faith in the world. He started to hope.
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A lovely couple, both therapists, were found to foster Cesar. They promised to provide a loving and supportive home for him.
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On his final day at the hospital, Cesar looked out of the window again. This time, the sun shone brighter, the sky seemed bluer.
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"You're a survivor, Cesar," the nurse reminded him, her eyes moist. "Remember that always. You're brave."
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Cesar nodded, his small face determined. "I'll remember," he promised. He was ready to embrace his new life.
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His heart was bruised but not defeated. There was much healing to be done, but Cesar was a survivor. He had hope.
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And so, with a brave heart and the promise of a brighter tomorrow, Cesar left the hospital. His journey of healing had just begun.
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The Bruised Heart
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