The next scene is a blur. My surroundings freeze as I dash to grab my bag from my cubicle, sprint to exit the building, and run to the bus stop. With shaking hands, I scroll down my phone screen to find a taxi number while reading the bus timetable at the same time, thinking about which one will bring me faster to the hospital. In the next five minutes, I'm sitting in the backseat of a cab that miraculously showed up when I was still deciding. I can't take a train home anyway. Even though it will bring me faster to my town around this peak hour, my legs and brain would just refuse to function.

After I manage to call Sophie and leave a message for my boss, Max, I begin to usher the driver to go faster and faster. I groan when we have to slow down or stop at the traffic light and cuss every time we bump into another stupid driver.

"I understand that this is an emergency, Ma'am, but please, take a deep breath and calm down. I will take you there as fast as I can without causing another accident," says the driver in front of me, his dark irises eyeing me from the rearview mirror. Irritation and compassion coat his gaze.

The driver's line is like a slap in the face. He's right. I need to control my impulse that has gone through the roof now. I take a deep breath and close my eyes, but all I can see is Chloe's face and I whimper again. Leaning back against the headrest, my eyes are staring blankly at the car ceiling. And for the first time in my life, I say my prayer to all gods that might hear my desperation.

I jump when my phone rings, flashing Sophie's name on its screen.

"I'm in the hospital now. Chloe and all the kids are still inside, getting the emergency treatment, and we're not allowed to come in." Sophie is trying to talk in a calm manner but I know better that she is also shaken. 

"Have you seen her? Is she alright? Is she awake?"

"No, I haven't seen her, Char. I'm not allowed to go inside, remember? I'm in the emergency waiting room now, sitting with other moms. I will update you as soon as I hear something. How far are you?"

"Not that far. I will be there in five or ten minutes tops."

"Okay. I will call Mom and Dad now." With that, Sophie hangs up, taking my last restraint from falling apart. 

I break down and cry.

I whine to lessen the throbbing tightness in my chest. I just want to be with my baby now, holding her hand while she has to go through this painful process. Is she in pain now? Is she scared? Does she need her mama like every other night when she had a nightmare about zombies lurking around inside her wardrobe? 

This is the point where I will do anything to make sure she's alright. This is the point where a mother is willing to give her life for her child.

"We're here, Ma'am." The driver's voice pulls me from my jumbled mind.

After I pay the taxi bill, without bothering to get my change, I sprint to the emergency room. Sophie welcomes me with a tight embrace and we cry together in each other's arms. We don't say a word because we know that all kinds of reassurance lines sound like bullshit right now. Chloe is like a daughter to her and she's as terrified as I am. What we can do is wait in silence, facing our fear together.

Other parents, whose kids were also on the same school bus, don't look anything better than we are. They sit on their chairs, fidgeting, faces as white as sheets, looking defeated. A few even sit alone and sob silently. I know it's not the right time to say it, but I'm so blessed to have a supportive sister who always shows compathy through my hard times.

After fifteen minutes which feels like forever, the emergency door swings open. A nurse, whose clothes have some bloodstains on, mentions a name, followed by a couple getting up and striding inside. The next thing I hear is an agonizing howl from the woman and we all know what that means.

A shiver runs down my spine. I have never been this scared in my life.

Minutes go by and it's excruciatingly slow. A few more names are mentioned, but none of them is my daughter's name. We wait and wait with the rest of the faith we have. 

"Is the family of Chloe Garnett here?" asks the nurse who is standing at the end of the emergency hall. 

"Yes!" Sophie replies as she pulls me up and herds me to the medical personnel who is now looking at us with an expression I can't decipher. 

"How's she?" I ask but my voice comes out as a whisper.

"Let's talk about this inside. The doctor is waiting," the nurse answers before holding the door open for us.

The emergency room is in chaos. A strong smell of blood and the saturation of alcohol hits my nostrils. Through the gap between the white curtains, I see beds lining up and occupied by a few kids who are lying unconscious and hooked up to different kinds of wires. The health workers are moving back and forth, blocking my sight.

The nurse directs us to a small room covered only by a curtain where a middle-aged man in a white robe is waiting for us.

"Hello, I'm doctor Wayne, who handled your daughter." He shakes our hands. "First of all, I'm sorry for what happened to your little girl. This is a tragedy that costs us lots of pain, even lives." The doctor sighs. "Chloe is still unconscious, but from the test we've run, there are no signs of internal bleeding. Only, her shoulder joint is dislocated, and we are currently waiting for the x-ray result to see if there are any other conditions that we need to know before we proceed with further measures."

Hearing that Chloe survives brings back my ability to speak again. "Will she be alright, Doc?"

"That's what we hope. The thing is... she has a serious cut near her hip, causing her to lose a lot of blood and it's rather alarming. Unfortunately, we don't have enough supplies to give her a transfusion right now. We are calling around for help to see if other hospitals have the supply, but it might take hours, maybe days. However, if her biological parents are here, and are fit to be the donor, it will be so much faster for her to get the supply she needs, which means less risk of suffering from an organ or brain defect."

I take a sharp breath. "I don't have the same blood type as hers, but I sure can get a hold of her biological father."

"That would be great," Doctor Wayne replies. "How long do you think you can get him here?"

"Give me a few hours. But please, before I go, can I see my baby just for a second?" I beg.

"Of course. She is still in the observation room, you can see her from the outside. Tina will show you the way," the doctor replies, pointing at the nurse who let us in earlier.

I break into tears again when I see my daughter lying motionless on the hospital cot. Her tiny face is covered by a breathing tube while the IV fluid hangs on the pole next to her bed. The EKG machine is beeping next to her, showing green and red lines against its black screen. I want to see more than I can see now. How bad is her wound? Is she cold there? Is the hospital blanket warm enough?

"Char," Sophie mumbles as she nudges my shoulder. "About Chloe's biological father, did you mean it?"

I haven't told Sophie about Ashton Knight because I wanted to have my space to process all of this. Sophie is nothing like Sandy; her big sis complex would get the best of her and surely, it would drive me up the wall. 

I nod weakly at her question. "Yes. I found him. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, Soph. It's just..."

"No, don't worry about it. Go get him now. The sooner it is, the better it is for Chloe. I'll stay here to make sure she gets what she needs."

"Are you sure? What about Diana? Who's going to grab her from school?"

"Mom and Dad should be here soon. I can ask Dad to pick her up later. Just go, Char. Chloe needs the blood supply," Sophie urges. 

I nod again. After glancing at my girl for one more time, I turn on my heels and leave the room. Hang in there, sweetheart. Mama will be back with the help you need.

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