Tormented: Day 14

Word Count: 84,009

Summary of Events:

After barely eating any breakfast, Riel went to leave for the courthouse, but his father stopped him and confronted him with some hypotheses as to why he thought Riel was doing what he was. Esperanza was feeling ill, so six Argonauts came to apparently help her, but they only hurt her and made the sickness worse as far as she was concerned. Riel was trying to pay attention to the court proceedings, but he was getting too tired; the judge grew alarmed and had an ambulance summoned which took Riel to the hospital, where he lapsed into remembering the evening before his mother killed herself, and finding her body in the morning. Esperanza woke from a nightmare and came to the realisation that the Argonauts had given her a forced abortion. Riel woke up in the hospital after several days of sleeping; his father was by his side talked with him about matters Riel found rather distressing.

Excerpt of the Day:

"Riel turned away from his father. Surely they couldn't be that unreasonable, Roberto had been one of the most adamantly logical of Riel's few friends in law school — or at least he'd thought he'd been.

"Once you're better I think it would be best for you to go back there and say that you are trying to do this for their benefit, and not their detriment, and concede defeat if it is that they will not listen to you," Father said. "Like the prophets who called on Israel to repent. They were wanting to help Israel, but Israel would not listen, and so the prophets could do nothing but admit they wouldn't be able to get through to the Israelites and watch as God enacted His judgement on them. You'll have to do the same."

Riel turned back to his father. "I can't give up, her family . . . Argentina . . ."

"I know Gabriel, but sometimes that is just the way it has to be," Father said, gently rubbing Riel's arm. "You've put in a good and valiant effort, but there is no more you can do unless the President were suddenly to get behind you and order them to reopen the case or admit their failure in handling it, but I highly doubt that would happen."

"It could," Riel said.

"Yes, but you shouldn't bank on it," Father said. "This trial has been going on for two months and it has been a media sensation so epic I'm sure the penguins in Antarctica know all about it. If the President hasn't gotten involved yet, then there is absolutely no way it's going to happen now."

Riel sighed. He didn't want to give up. He had to find her. He wouldn't find rest if he didn't find her.

More tears were trailing down Father's cheeks as his dark blue eyes bored their gaze deep into Riel's eyes.

"Sometimes there is just no more that can be done," Father said quietly. "It hurts, but sometimes one must give up with reluctance, like the officers who managed Estefanía's case: they didn't want to let it go, but they had to because there was simply no more they could do to find her."

Riel felt tears warming his own eyes, and his vision blurred as he gazed at his father.

"They were teary-eyed when they told me they were closing the case, and they apologised profusely," Father said. "But when there is no more that can be done, there is no more that can be done. Please understand that I know why you've tried so hard, but to put in any more efforts is to die in vain Gabriel."

But then who was going to find Esperanza? Who was going to find Estefanía? How was he going to find the peace and rest he so desperately craved?"