CHAPTER 32: THE POISONED MEAL

The next day, I woke up feeling happy.

Yesterday was a good day. Nobody fought. Everybody was calm. Damian even helped Bianca. I thought maybe he had really changed.

I was wrong.

I woke up in Killian's arms again. He was already awake, watching me.

"Good morning, my love," he whispered. He kissed my forehead.

"Good morning," I said. I smiled. "Today I feel strong. The twins did not disturb me too much last night."

He smiled. "Good. That means they slept well."

He helped me to sit up. He held my back.

"Eva," he said, "turn on the camera and audio for our room."

But Eva did not answer.

Killian frowned. "Eva?"

Still no answer. The room was quiet. The small light on the wall was not blinking like it used to.

Killian stood up. He walked to the speaker. "Eva, are you there?"

Nothing.

I looked at him. "Killian, what happened to Eva?"

He shook his head. "I don't know. Let me check."

He walked to the main room. I followed him slowly.

Leo was already awake. Bianca was holding Tiny Elena. Damian was standing near the table.

"Good morning," Damian said. He smiled, but his smile was different today. It was too quick. Too forced.

Killian looked around. "Eva is not answering. The cameras are off. The audio is off."

Damian quickly said, "Maybe she is resting? Robots also rest? Let me prepare the food today. You rest, Elena. I will do it. I want to help."

Killian looked at him. "You? Since when do you know how to prepare food? Eva always does it with the automated kitchen."

Damian laughed small. "I learned small. Let me try today. You and Elena should sit down. I will bring the food."

I did not think too much. I thought he was trying to be good. I thought he was trying to prove he had changed.

Killian was still worried about Eva. "Eva is disconnected," he said. "Somebody turned her off. All the cameras are off. Somebody did this on purpose."

Damian did not look at him. He went to the kitchen side. He was moving fast. He did not want Killian to follow him.

"Damian, wait," Killian said. "Don't touch the kitchen machine if you don't know it."

"I know it," Damian said. "Just sit down. I will bring it."

He prepared the food alone, using the manual side stove and old pots Killian keeps for emergency. He did not use the automated kitchen because Eva was off and the automated kitchen was off too. Nobody saw what he did inside the kitchen. The cameras were off. Eva was off. Nobody could see him.

He came back with a plate for me. Soup and bread. He placed it in front of me with a smile.

"Elena, eat. I prepared it specially for you. For you and the twins."

I smiled. "Thank you, Damian. This is nice of you."

Killian looked at the food. "Wait," he said. "Let me taste it first."

Damian quickly said, "No! No need. It's for Elena. She is pregnant. She needs to eat first. You can eat yours after."

Killian looked at him suspiciously, but I already started eating. I was hungry.

I took a few spoons.

At first, it tasted normal. Then my stomach started turning.

"Killian..." I whispered. My hand went to my belly. "My belly... it is paining me."

Killian jumped up. "Elena! What is wrong?"

My body started shaking. I felt a sharp pain in my lower belly. Then I felt something warm. I looked down.

Blood.

I was bleeding.

"Killian!" I screamed. "My babies! My babies!"

Killian held me. His face changed. Fear. Anger. Pain. All at once.

"Elena! Elena! Look at me! Don't close your eyes!"

Bianca screamed. Leo started crying. Tiny Elena started crying too.

Damian stepped back. His face was pale, but his eyes were jealous. He was looking at my belly.

"You..." Killian turned to him. "What did you put in her food?"

Damian did not answer. He tried to run to the door.

Killian shouted, "Eva! Eva! Turn on!"

But Eva was still off.

Killian quickly ran to the control box. He turned Eva back on. The lights blinked. The cameras came on.

Eva's voice came back, weak at first, then clear. "Killian... I am back online. I was disconnected. Someone turned me off."

"Eva, check Elena!" Killian shouted. "She is bleeding! She ate Damian's food!"

Eva scanned quickly. "Elena is losing blood. The pregnancy is in danger. She needs a hospital immediately. She cannot be treated inside the bunker. The bleeding is serious."

Killian's eyes became red with anger. He turned to Damian. "You poisoned her! You wanted to kill my twins!"

Damian shouted, "They are not supposed to be born! You took everything from me! You took Elena! You took the money! You took my life! Those twins should not live! Elena was supposed to be mine!"

Killian did not wait. He grabbed Damian and threw him to the ground.

At that same time, Killian pressed his emergency button to call his boys. The boys he had before the Apocalypse started. His trusted boys. He had stationed them in a small camp only 10 minutes away from the bunker, so they could protect us if anything happened.

"Eva, send my location to my boys now!" Killian shouted. "Tell them to come fast!"

Eva answered, "Message sent, Killian. They are on their way."

Within minutes, we heard vehicles outside. Loud. Fast. Killian's boys had arrived from their nearby camp. They were strong men, the ones who followed Killian before the world scattered.

They entered the bunker. They saw me bleeding on the floor. They saw Killian holding me.

"Boss, what happened?" one of them asked.

Killian pointed at Damian. "Arrest him! He poisoned Elena! He wanted to kill my twins! Beat him! Tie him!"

The boys grabbed Damian. They beat him. Damian was shouting, begging, but nobody listened. They tied his hands and legs and threw him in the corner.

"Killian, please," I whispered. My voice was weak. "My babies... save my babies..."

Killian held my face. "I will save you, my love. I will not let you die. Hold me. Don't sleep."

He turned to Eva. "Eva, check the road! Is it safe? How many hours to the nearest hospital? Will the fuel in the truck reach there? How many hours before raiders attack?"

Eva checked quickly. "Road is clear for now, Killian. But raiders move in this area in the evening. You have about three hours before they come out. The nearest hospital is two hours away if you drive fast. The truck has enough fuel to reach there. But you must go now."

Killian nodded. "Carry her! Now!"

His boys carried me gently to the truck. Bianca carried Tiny Elena and followed, crying. Leo held Killian's hand, crying.

"Killian, will Elena die?" Leo asked, crying.

Killian picked him up. "No. She will not die. I will not let her die."

We entered the truck. Killian held me in his arms inside the truck. I was bleeding all through. My clothes were stained. My body was weak. My eyes were closing bit by bit.

"Elena, stay with me," Killian whispered, tears falling from his eyes. "Don't leave me. Please."

Eva's voice came through the truck speaker. "Killian, drive fast. The hospital is two hours away. Elena is losing blood fast. She is at the verge of losing her life."

Killian shouted to his boy driving, "Drive! Drive fast! Don't stop for anybody!"

The truck moved fast. The road was empty. The wind was blowing. My head was on Killian's chest. I could hear his heart beating fast.

I tried to hold his hand. "Killian... I am sorry... I ate the food..."

He kissed my hand. "Shh. Don't talk. Save your strength. You did not know. It is not your fault. It is Damian's fault. I will make him pay."

I closed my eyes. I felt darkness coming.

"Killian..." I whispered. "If I don't make it... take care of little Elena... take care of Leo..."

"No!" Killian shouted. "Don't say that! You will make it! You will give birth when the Apocalypse is over. Your babies deserve more. They deserve to be born in a good world, not inside this bunker. You will live to see that day. Do you hear me?"

I nodded . I held his hand tighter.

The truck kept moving. The hospital was still far. But Killian did not let go of me.

He kept whispering, "Stay with me, Elena. Stay with me."

And I tried. I tried to stay with him.