They had used the fire escape to get free of the building and one of the policemen released Jovon's bound hands. It wasn't until William's arms was around her did she realise that something was wrong with her.

One of the paramedics screamed something about a stretcher the same time she felt a sharp twinge of pain on the side of her stomach. She could barely make out the shouting voices over the roar in her ears that followed by the stinging pain.

It felt like she was sinking, sinking in the sea and couldn't get to the surface no matter how hard she tried. The cold water she was sinking into felt nice and relieving, it took away the burning. Yet a large hand closed over her own hand, touched the side of her face, her neck her hair. It kept her from sinking even though the burn was still present, the large hand comforting her and it wasn't so dark anymore. Annie quiet liked the large hand.

The large hand left her, and more hands closed over her body, lifting her. She was jostled and jostled and poked with things. The things weren't gently keeping her from sinking, they were yanking her to the surface by the place that burned the most. She didn't like whoever was touching her, but luckily for her, they took pity on her and sent her into a dark lonely sleep. It wasn't as soothing as the large hand, but it eased the pain.

*                           *                           *

There was only pain.

Her head, her chest, her thighs. . . burning pain. Her side, her arm. Pain.

Pain and hushed words in the gloom.

Where was she? Though she tried, she could not open my eyes. The whispered words became clearer . . . a beacon in the darkness.

“Her ribs are bruised, Mr. Phim, and she has a hairline fracture to her her skull, her thighs and arms has little burns from the fire and her back is badly bruised. She underweight and the the stress must have caused her to bleed, but her vital signs are stable and strong.”

“Why is she still unconscious?”

“Ms. Mckade has had a major contusion to her head. But her brain activity is normal, and she has no cerebral swelling. She’ll wake when she’s ready. Just give her some time.”

“And the baby?” The words are anguished, breathless.

“The baby’s fine, Mr. Phim."

“Oh, thank God.” The words were a litany . . . a prayer. “Oh, thank God.”

Holy Kamoly.

He was worried about the baby . . . the baby? . . . Of course.

The baby.

Annie tried in vain to move her hand to my belly. Nothing moved nothing responded.

“And the baby? . . . Oh, thank God.”

Her baby was safe.

“And the baby? . . . Oh, thank God.”

He cared about the baby.

“And the baby? . . . Oh, thank God.”

He wanted the baby. Oh thank God.

Annie relaxed as unconsciousness claimed her once more, stealing her away from the pain.

Everything was heavy and aching: limbs, head, eyelids, nothing was willing to move. Her eyes and mouth were resolutely shut, unwilling to open, leaving her blind
and mute and aching. As she surface from the fog,consciousness hovered, a seductive siren just out of reach. Sounds became voices.

“I’m not leaving her.”

Jovon? He was here . . . Annie willed herself to wake—his voice was strained, an agonized whisper.

“Jovon, you should sleep.”

“No, Dad. I want to be here when she wakes up.”

“I’ll sit with her. It’s the least I can do after she saved my son and grandchild. Your mom was frantic and shaken when she got the call about you almost dying in the fire."

“How is she?"

“She’s groggy . . . scared and angry. It’ll be a few hours before the Rohypnol is completely out of her system.”

“Christ.”

“I know. I’m feeling seven kinds of foolish for not realising that Lukas was the culprit sooner. but I was blind and even almost believed that Annie cheated on you. You would be dead now If it wasn’t for Annie here . . ."

“We all thought Annie was sleeping with Lukas and even though she tried to tell me, I didn't believe her. I fell into the trap that Lukas laid out for me." Jovon's voice was full of anguish.

“Jovon, calm down. Annie's a remarkable young woman. She was incredibly brave.”

“Brave and headstrong and beautiful.” His voice cracked.

“Hey,” Marcello murmured “don’t be so hard on yourself, son . . . I’d better get back to your mom. It’s after three in the morning, Jovon. You really should try to sleep.”

The fog closed in.

The fog lifted but she had no sense of time.

“What are you doing in here? You hurt my sister badly and you surely don't think that by doing this she's going to forgive you."

“Trust me, Kaden, I know she wouldn't do so easily, but i want to be here for her when she wakes up. I don't deserve her love or her forgiveness."

Kaden! He was here. She fought the fog . . . fought . . . But she spiralled down once more into oblivion. No . . .

“Detective, as you can see, Annie is no state to answer any of your questions.” Jovon was angry.

“She’s a headstrong young woman, Mr. Phim. After all she went through, it a surprise that she made it out alive. The doctor said she has multiple fractures and some bruises.”

“i'm so glad she’d killed the fucker. If he wasn't dead already, I would kill him all over again."

“That would have meant more paperwork for me, Mr. Phim . . .”

“Mrs. Anderson is singing like the proverbial canary. Lukas' was a real twisted son of a bitch. He held a serious grudge against your family and you . . .”

The fog surrounded her once more, and she was dragged down . . . down . No!

“What do you mean Lukas was sleeping with Americus when you were married?” It was Megan. She sounded angry.

Annie tried to move my head, but she was met with a resounding, listless silence from her body.

“What happened?"

“Mom—”

“Jovon, What did they do?”

“Lukas planned to use Americus to get to me."  It’s almost a sob . . . No.

“Hey . . .”

The world dipped and blurred and she was gone.

She heard soft garbled voices.

“You told me you suspected something about them." Megan was talking. Her voice was quiet, sad.

“I know.” Jovon sounded resigned. “But I gave her the benefit of a doubt. I finally stopped being suspicious when she became pregnant with Genesis. She had stopped making those suspicious calls and stopped staying out late. I finally thought that I had my wife back and my life was finally in order. Maybe if I had found out sooner, Americus would still be alive by now."

“It's not your fault, Jovon . . . Americus knew what she was setting herself up for. And don't ever let me hear you blaming yourself for it. You were hurt too after she died and refused to speak with any of us. You mourned her in your own way. She would have killed you if she hadn't fallen in love with you . . . i still consider Genesis as my granddaughter. The poor girl had nothing to do with all this."

“She doesn't. I won't tell her the truth about her birth, she doesn't deserve that . . . and I . . . I hurt Annie” he whispered.

“We always hurt the ones we love, darling. You’ll have to tell her you’re sorry. And mean it and give her time."

"Her last message to me. . . she said she was going to stop loving me. She was going to move on."

“Did you believe her?”

“At first, yes.”

“Darling, you always believe the worst of everyone, including yourself. You always have. Annie loves you very much, and it’s obvious you love her.”

“She was mad at me."

"I'm sure she was. I’m pretty mad at you right now. I think you can only be truly mad at someone you really love.”

“I thought about it, and she’s shown me over and over how much she loves me . . . to the point of putting her own life in danger and saving me again.”

“Yes, she has, darling.”

“Oh, Mom, why won’t she wake up?” His voice cracked. “I nearly lost her.”  There were muffled sobs.

No . . .

Oh . . . the darkness closed in. No—

“It’s taken years for you to let me hold you like this after . . .”

“I know, Mom . . . I’m glad we talked.”

“Me too, darling. I’m always here. I can’t believe I’m going to be a grandmother.”

Grandma!

Sweet oblivion beckoned.

Hmm. His stubble softly scraped the back of my hand as he squeezed her fingers.

“Oh, baby, please come back to me. I’m sorry. Sorry for everything. Just wake up. I miss you. I love you . . .”

He loves me?

She tried. She tried. She wanted to see him. But her body disobeyed her, and she fell asleep once more.