Mikaela awoke groggily to the sound of beeping hospital equipment.
Her head felt heavy, and it hurt to try to remember how she got there.
Her vision cleared, and she saw Annette sitting beside her bed, holding her hand.
"Thank goodness, sweetie, you're awake," said Annette, smiling.
"What happened?" asked Mikaela weakly.
"You fell very sick, so I brought you to the hospital," said Annette.
Some of the fog in Mikaela's mind cleared.
"Wasn't Daddy supposed to come see me?" she asked.
"No, he ran away. He isn't coming," said Annette, relieved that Mikaela didn't remember the details.
"Why?" asked Mikaela, the anti-depressants in her system numbing her emotions.
"Because he did something very bad. But don't worry, you're safe now," said Annette, hugging Mikaela.
Mikaela hugged her back, but the hug felt mechanical, and had no warmth.
"Ms. Petra? I need you to fill out some paperwork," said the doctor coming into the hospital room.
