St. Dario's hospital

The shrill wail of ambulance sirens still rang in Alaric’s ears long after the emergency room doors had slammed shut behind Rhea’s stretcher.

He stood frozen in the brightly lit corridor, his usually impeccable suit streaked with dirt and flecks of dried blood that weren’t his own. A shallow cut burned across the back of his hand where shattered glass had sliced him while pulling her from the wreckage, but the pain barely registered. His eyes remained locked on the glowing EMERGENCY sign above the double doors, silently begging them to open.

Every second stretched into eternity. Doctors and nurses rushed past with charts and equipment. In the waiting area nearby, families huddled together whispering anxious prayers while a child cried somewhere down the hall. Yet despite all the noise and movement, the world felt eerily quiet to Alaric.

All he could see was the haunting image of Rhea’s pale, unconscious face in the moments after the crash… the way the cab had folded around that concrete pole.

His phone vibrated in his pocket. He didn’t need to check the screen. He already knew who it was. He had called her the moment they reached the hospital.

“Melissa.”

The line stayed silent for half a second before her trembling voice broke through.

“Alaric… where is she?”

His chest tightened painfully.

“She’s alive.”

Melissa let out a shaky breath that sounded dangerously close to a sob.

“I’m at the hospital now. Which floor?”

“I’ll come get you.”

He ended the call before she could ask anything more.

A few moments later, the elevator doors slid open just as he was walking toward them. Melissa stepped out. She looked nothing like the composed, elegant woman he had grown used to. Her hair was hastily tied back, loose strands clinging to her tear-streaked cheeks. She hadn’t even changed out of her house clothes, and her hands shook visibly as she clutched the strap of her handbag.

The moment she saw him, she hurried over.

“What happened?” she asked breathlessly. “Where’s Rhea? Is she conscious? Was she talking? Did she—”

Her questions tumbled over one another, fueled by panic. Alaric gently caught her shoulders.

“Melissa.”

She looked up at him, eyes wide with fear.

“Take a breath.”

“I can’t.” Her voice cracked. “You called and said she’d been in an accident. How am I supposed to breathe right now?”

“Listen to me.” His voice remained calm, steady. “The doctors are with her now. She was unconscious when I pulled her out, but she had a pulse. They haven’t told me anything yet, and until they do… we’re not assuming the worst.”

Melissa closed her eyes. A single tear escaped despite her efforts to hold it back.

“I almost lost her once,” she whispered. “I’m not losing her again.”

Without thinking, Alaric stepped closer and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. For a long moment, Melissa simply leaned into him, borrowing strength she no longer had.

“It’s going to be okay,” he murmured.

She wanted so badly to believe him.

Nearly thirty agonizing minutes later, the emergency room doors finally opened. Both of them straightened immediately. A middle-aged doctor approached, removing his surgical cap.

“Family?”

Melissa stepped forward.

“I’m her mother.”

The doctor’s expression softened.

“She’s going to be alright.”

Melissa’s knees nearly gave out. Alaric instinctively steadied her.

“She suffered a mild concussion, several cuts and bruises, and a fractured wrist,” the doctor explained. “Thankfully, the impact wasn’t as severe as it could have been. We’ll keep her overnight for observation, but at this point, she’s not in any immediate danger.”

Relief hit Melissa so hard that fresh tears spilled down her cheeks. She covered her mouth with a trembling hand. Beside her, Alaric finally released the breath he’d been holding since the crash.

“Can I see her?” Melissa asked.

“In a little while,” the doctor replied kindly. “She’s still unconscious, but we expect her to wake up within the next few hours.”

Before either of them could respond, another doctor stepped out of a nearby treatment room.

“Is anyone here with Maya Lawson?”

Melissa and Alaric turned.

“She regained consciousness a few minutes ago,” the doctor continued. “She’s asking for her parents. We were able to reach her emergency contact, and they should be here shortly.”

Relief flickered across Melissa’s face.

“Thank God,” she whispered. “Can we see her?”

The doctor permitted them, and they entered. Maya sat on the bed, her head resting against the headboard. A bandage wrapped around her forehead, and one of her arms rested in a sling. She looked exhausted, but she was awake.

The moment she saw Melissa, tears filled her eyes.

“I’m so sorry,” Maya whispered.

Melissa hurried over and knelt beside her.

“No, sweetheart.” She gently squeezed Maya’s hand. “You don’t have to apologize.”

Maya shook her head, still visibly shaken.

“It wasn’t an accident.”

Melissa frowned.

“What do you mean?”

Maya swallowed hard.

“That driver… he was trying to kidnap us.”

Silence fell. Melissa’s expression slowly changed. Her face drained of color.

“What?”

“He locked the doors…” Maya whispered. “Rhea tried to stop him. She grabbed the steering wheel… they were fighting…” Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. “If she hadn’t done that… I don’t know where he would’ve taken us.”

Melissa reached out and brushed Maya’s hair away from her face.

“I’m so sorry.” Her own voice trembled. “I’m so, so sorry you girls had to go through something like that.”

Just then, hurried footsteps echoed through the corridor. A woman rushed toward them, panic written all over her face.

“Maya!”

“Mum…”

The woman dropped to the bed and wrapped Maya in a careful embrace.

“Oh my God… don’t ever scare me like this again.”

“I’m sorry,” Maya whispered through fresh tears.

Melissa quietly stepped back, giving them space. She watched the emotional reunion for a brief moment before turning toward Alaric. They both knew they had to leave.

The moment they stepped out of the room, her expression hardened.

“The driver,” she said quietly. “The man you said was involved… what happened to him?”

Alaric nodded.

“He survived the crash. He was injured too.”

Melissa blinked.

“Where is he?”

“They loaded him into an ambulance at the scene.” Alaric glanced toward the nurses’ station. “He should be somewhere in this hospital.”

“I want to see him.”

Without hesitation, Alaric nodded. Together, they walked toward the reception desk. He calmly explained the situation to the nurse on duty. The woman searched her computer. Then searched again. Her frown deepened. Finally, she looked up apologetically.

“I’m sorry… I don’t have anyone matching that description.”

Alaric stared at her.

“There must be some mistake. I watched the paramedics load him into an ambulance myself.”

The nurse shook her head.

“I’ve checked every admission from tonight.” She turned the monitor toward them. “Only two patients from that accident were admitted.” Her finger rested on the screen. “Ms. Rhea Bennett and Ms. Maya Lawson.”

Silence crashed over them. Melissa’s face drained of all color. Her gaze suddenly drifted past the reception desk to the faded blue logo mounted on the far wall… to the brass dedication plaque beneath it… to the familiar hallway stretching toward the old surgical wing.

Her breathing hitched.

No…

It couldn’t be.

Her eyes swept across the corridor again. The emergency entrance. The nurses’ station. The elevators. Every corner carried ghosts she had spent years trying to forget.

This was St. Dario’s Hospital.

The same hospital where she had once worn a white coat.

The same hospital where her career had ended.

The same hospital she had sworn never to step inside again.

She hadn’t noticed earlier because her mind had been completely occupied with Rhea. Until now.

“Melissa?”

She grabbed Alaric’s arm so tightly her nails dug into his sleeve.

“We’re leaving.”

Alaric frowned.

“What?”

“We’re getting Rhea out of this hospital. Right now.”

"But the doctor says..."

"I dont care what the doctor says." She cuts in. "We're getting my daughter out of this hospital."

Alaric searched her face. He saw genuine terror in Melissa’s eyes. Not the fear of a mother whose daughter had been injured. This was something else. Something deeper. Something that told him Melissa knew far more than she was saying.