Rosemary prodded gently at several spots, each eliciting a grimace of pain.
"There’s significant swelling, indicating muscle tissue damage. As for any fractures or ligament injuries, it’s best to get an X-ray of the lumbar spine at the hospital for a clearer picture."
Though her experience hinted at no fractures, caution prevailed, and she recommended a hospital visit.
"How long would he need to rest if it’s a muscle injury?" Eunice, hovering at the edge of the room, couldn’t help but interject.
Surprised to see her aunt had joined them, Rosemary answered truthfully,
"Typically, bed rest for three to four weeks is necessary. He’ll also need some pain relief and anti-inflammatory medication. But given Grandpa’s age, it might take four to five weeks for a full recovery. Plus, there might be conflicts with his heart medication, so we’ll have to adjust his prescriptions accordingly."
Serena, sitting at the bedside, murmured with concern,
"How could that be?"
"If it’s a fracture, the duration of bed rest could extend to eight weeks for a minor one. A severe case might even require surgery. Could you please step out and find someone to help? I want to help Grandpa change his clothes."
Lying in discomfort was no small ordeal.
"I can help," Eunice stepped forward confidently.
As Serena reluctantly moved aside, she couldn’t help but overhear their exchange.
"Just coordinate with me," Rosemary, who had often helped her Grannie Grace with such tasks, was adept at it.
Eunice, observing Rosemary’s expert movements, felt a pang of sympathy. How many times had this child repeated such tasks to perform them with such ease?
Changing clothes for an immobile person, especially a man, required both skill and strength.
Rosemary noticed the emotion in her aunt’s eyes and explained lightly,
"I used to do this for the Harris family’s old lady, so I’m experienced."
"Your foster parents’ mother? Why were you, a child, doing this? Where were the adults? Didn’t the adults care?"
"They weren’t as good at it as me."
Rosemary’s simple response hinted at more to Eunice, who felt a deeper ache for her.
Thankfully, it was winter, and Darren’s outer garments were the only ones damp. The inner layers were spared.
After changing him, Rosemary and Eunice helped shift him to a more comfortable position.
That was when Bard rushed in, seeing his wife and niece tending to Darren on the bed, with Serena standing aside.
Bard hurried to assist, and after a moment asked,
"Rose, your granddad’s alright, isn’t he?"
Rosemary summarized the diagnosis for him and then called for a basin of warm water.
"Granddad can’t use this ointment. It’ll react with his current medication and could cause an allergy. We need to clean it off and apply something else."
"I’ve got it," Bard said, taking the towel, soaking it in the warm water, wringing it out, and then gently wiping off the liniment from his father’s lower back.
Rosemary lifted her gaze to the servants nearby.
"Who applied the ointment to Grandpa? Why didn’t you consult me first?"
Now, the servants could no longer keep silent, one of them sheepishly admitting,
"Serena instructed us to. She said a little ointment would suffice, and there was no need to alarm everyone."
Serena panicked, her internal alarm blaring. She thought, "Weren’t you instructed to keep quiet? And yet you spilled the beans, you coward!"
Rosemary’s gaze once again settled on Serena.
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