Both love and fear can compel one’s eyes wide open.
In April of 1937, amidst the carnage of the Spanish Civil War, for a time the Basque town of Guernica had managed to escape much of the violence, murders, and tortures as were hallmark atrocities committed by both the Nationalists and Republican government. Yet soon Guernica would unknowingly become a breeding ground for modern warfare.
Alejandro has suffered from such violence. Unable to move or speak, his invalid condition prompts him to become a patient in a convalescent ward of a terrifying hospital. There, he meets Isabel, a beautiful nurse whose angelic presence he falls in love with. Also, he is befriended by Raul Miguel, a man gripped by torturous insanity, or perhaps not.
As Alejandro’s strength returns and the secrets of this terrible place are revealed, overwhelming fear leads to a desperate escape. However, one hell is traded for another, compelling one to forever keep his eyes wide open.
Reader Advisory: A passionate romance amidst tortuous images.
PUBLISHER NOTE: Historical Romance. Inspirational Romance. 22,400 words. M/F. All characters depicted in this work of fiction are 18 years of age or older.
With some difficulty, Isabel returned Alejandro to the comfort of his bed. With a delicate touch to close his eyelids, she applied cool, damp compresses over his eyes which were now severely swollen. Rising for a moment from where she sat next to him on his bed, Isabel closed the curtains of the window next to his bed to shade this corner of the convalescent ward.
In the hopes of relaxing Alejandro further, she retrieved a wash basin with water and soap. She rested at his side on the bed and in silence began sponge-bathing his bare chest and shoulders. Isabel noticed almost instantly how he released the tension of his rigid muscles. A slight quiver from his lips was followed by a deep swallow in his throat as if he was somehow attempting to speak. She continued watching him as she washed his stomach and then his arms. When touching his hand, she guessed what he might be thinking as ever so faintly his fingers entwined with hers.
In reaction to this, Isabel gripped his hand much tighter while whispering, “You are most welcome.”
For a moment she removed the compress covering his eyes. The swelling, though somewhat reduced, remained noticeably red but with the irritation of his eyes greatly lessened.
“Follow my finger,” she instructed, moving her index finger from left to right before his eyes. Alejandro’s pupils followed with each passing direction. Gazing deeply into his eyes and seeing her reflection, Isabel whispered, “I believe that you were frightened and are now hidden somewhere inside yourself, lost. I will find you. That I promise.” As she sat up, Isabel felt his hold of her hand strengthen, causing her to warmly smile at him.
Leaving his bedside, Isabel left the convalescent ward, intending to seek out Doctor Samaranch in hopes of revealing to him Alejandro’s movements. She knocked on his office door yet received no reply from within. As she turned the handle, she then opened the door and found him asleep in his chair with his deep snoring echoing off his office walls. Understanding how much he suffered from the exhaustion of being overwhelmed by his work, she stepped back out to the hallway, closing the door behind her. Before she left, she caught a suspicious glance from Magdalena who was passing by while pushing a cart from the nearby kitchen.
Isabel lingered there in the hallway for a moment to collect her thoughts. Only Magdalena or Pedro could have pushed Alejandro’s wheelchair outside to the terrace. I believe it was Magdalena who on purpose tried to harm Alejandro. Yet I lack solid proof of this as I do not trust Pedro either. He shares her cruel abusive nature. In her mind, her growing suspicion of them both festered, wondering which of the two could either be so careless or so cruel. She resolved to closely watch Magdalena and Pedro for traces of their true nature, with her eyes wide open to both of them rather than timidly glancing away.
