Chapter 67 68
Chapter Sixty Eight.
Tess_
The fluorescent lights in the hospital waiting room buzzed faintly, doing nothing to calm the storm of emotions swirling inside me as the bright light flicking.
I sat next to Damien, my body stiff with worry and exhaustion. My thoughts were a chaotic mess…everything had happened so fast.
One moment, I was trying to wrap my head around my mom being shot, and the next, I was here, struggling to figure out how to keep her safe from someone I never imagined would go this far.
Damien’s presence was the only thing grounding me. Even though I could feel the weight of everything pressing down on him too, he was calm, focused, and it made me feel a little less alone.
"We should move your mom somewhere no one knows about," He suggested quietly, his voice breaking through my thoughts. "She’ll be safer if Helen doesn’t know where she is."
I nodded, my heart heavy. It was the only option that made sense, but the idea of uprooting my mom while she was in such a fragile state made me uneasy. "But where? How can we make sure she’s safe? There is no where Helen won't go"
He thought for a moment. "I have a friend who works in private security. I can call him and see if he can help us find a place. Somewhere discreet, where Helen won’t be able to reach her."
I looked at him, a glimmer of hope stirring inside me. "You really think he can help?"
"I’m sure of it," Damien said with a firmness that reassured me. "We’ll do whatever it takes to keep your mom safe, Tess, I promise you."
I nodded again, grateful for his help, even as worry gnawed at me, before we could discuss it any further, the doctor walked up to us, his face serious but not unfriendly.
"Are you staying overnight?" the doctor asked, his gaze moving between Damien and me.
"Yes," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper.
The doctor nodded. "Your mother is stable for now. She’s resting, but you can go in and see her if you’d like."
My heart squeezed at the thought of seeing my mom lying in a hospital bed, unconscious and vulnerable.
I wasn’t sure if I was strong enough to face it. But I knew I had to, she needed me, and I couldn’t let her down.
Damien shifted beside me, and I could feel his hesitation. I knew he didn’t want to go in…this wasn’t his burden to bear. But I needed him. I needed his support, his strength and encouragement. "Please come with me," I whispered, looking up at him, my eyes pleading. "I… I can’t do this alone."
He hesitated for just a moment, then nodded. "I’m right here with you."
With Damien by my side, we followed the doctor down the sterile hallway, the sound of our footsteps echoing off the walls. My heart pounded louder with every step, dread curling in my stomach as we approached my mom’s room.
When we finally reached it, the doctor opened the door and stepped aside, allowing us to enter.
I froze in the doorway, my breath catching in my throat as I saw my mom lying on the bed through the door glass, surrounded by machines that beeped steadily.
She looked so small, so fragile, and the sight of her like that shattered something inside me.
Tears blurred my vision as I stumbled toward her, Damien close behind. I reached out, taking her hand in mine, but it was so cold, so still.
My mom, the strongest person I knew, was lying there, helpless and unresponsive.
I stepped into the room, the sterile smell of the hospital hitting me all at once. My mom lay there, surrounded by machines that beeped softly, and the sight of her like that made my knees weak.
It was like time had slowed down, and I could hardly believe that this was real.
I approached her bed, my heart pounding in my chest. Her hand looked so small, so pale, as it rested on the blanket.
I reached out, taking it in mine, and the coldness of her skin sent a shiver through me. Tears welled up in my eyes, blurring my vision as I looked at her face, so peaceful yet so still.
"Mom," I whispered, my voice breaking. "Please… please wake up."
I tightened my grip on her hand, willing her to respond, to give me some sign that she could hear me. But she didn’t move, didn’t even stir. The tears began to fall, hot and fast, and I felt a crushing guilt pressing down on my chest and a fast hammer stamping my heart.
"I’m so sorry," I sobbed, my voice trembling. "I’m so, so sorry, Mom. This is all my fault. I put you in danger… I never meant for this to happen."
The words spilled out of me, each one soaked in regret. "If I had just been more careful, if I had just stayed away from him and not pushed her further, you wouldn’t be lying here like this. You didn’t deserve this. I should’ve protected you… I should’ve been there."
My shoulders shook as the tears streamed down my face, and I pressed her hand to my cheek, desperate for some comfort, some connection to her. "Please wake up. I need you, Mom. I can’t do this without you. You’re the only one who ever knew how to make things right, the only one who always believed in me, no matter what."
I felt a sob rising in my throat, and I choked on it, the pain almost too much to bear. "I’m so scared, Mom. I don’t know what to do… I don’t know how to fix this. But I need you to wake up, please. I need to see your smile, to hear your voice, just one more time. Please, Mom… don’t leave me."
I buried my face in the sheets beside her, my body trembling with grief and fear. The guilt gnawed at me, tearing me apart from the inside. I should’ve known better, should’ve kept her safe, but I hadn’t. And now she was paying the price for my mistakes.
"I’m sorry," I whispered again, my voice barely audible. "I’m so sorry… Please come back to me, Mom. Please…"
Suddenly, Damien’s arms were around me, pulling me close to his chest. He led me to a chair beside the bed, guiding me to sit down. "It’s okay, Tess," he murmured, his voice soothing even as I broke down completely. "I’m here… you’re not alone."
But it wasn’t okay. Nothing was okay, and I didn’t know how to make it right. All I could do was cry, my heart breaking as I begged for my mom to come back, even though I knew she couldn’t hear me.
The exhaustion of it all began to take over, my sobs turning into soft whimpers as I leaned into Damien’s embrace. He held me close, his presence a small comfort in the midst of the storm.
I clung to him, my tears muffled against his shirt as he held me tight. I couldn’t stop the tears, the overwhelming fear and helplessness consuming me and weighing me down. Damien didn’t say anything else….he just held me, his presence the only thing keeping me from completely falling apart and sane.
Slowly, my sobs began to subside, the exhaustion from everything that had happened catching up with me. His steady heartbeat and the warmth of his embrace were comforting, lulling me into a sense of safety that I hadn’t felt in hours. My eyelids grew heavy, and I found myself sinking deeper into his arms.