The phone vibrated in my hand, yanking me from a conversation with Miguel about the upcoming school festival. We were walking home, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows ahead of us. I glanced at the screen – Aunt Leticia. A knot tightened in my stomach. I hadn't spoken to her since… well, since everything happened.
"Hey, one sec," I mumbled to Miguel, stepping away slightly. I answered the call. "Aunt Leticia? Is everything okay?"
Her voice was a strangled sob, barely audible. "Anika… oh, Anika, please… you have to help me."
My heart lurched. "Auntie, what's wrong? What happened?" Miguel was watching me, his brow furrowed with concern.
"He… he escaped," she gasped, the words tumbling out in a rush. "Mia's father… he got out last night. He… he took her, Anika. He attacked her."
I felt the blood drain from my face. "What? Attacked her? Where is she? Is she okay?"
"He… he took her to the sea," she wailed. "He tried to… he almost drowned her. Some people saw them, thank God, and they… they saved her. She's in the hospital now, Anika. City General Hospital. Please… please come. I don't know what to do."
The phone slipped in my sweaty hand. "The hospital? Is she… is she going to be okay?"
"I don't know," she sobbed. "They're… they're running tests. Please, just come. I need you."
"I'm coming, Auntie," I said, my voice shaking. "I'm on my way. I'll be there as soon as I can." I ended the call, my hand trembling so violently I could barely hold the phone.
Miguel was beside me instantly, his eyes filled with alarm. "Anika? What is it? What happened?"
I looked up at him, tears welling in my eyes. "It's Mia… her father… he escaped. He attacked her, Miguel. He tried to drown her. She's in the hospital."
His face hardened, his jaw clenching. "That monster… I knew it. Come on, let's go."
I dialed my mother's number, my fingers fumbling on the screen. She answered on the second ring. "Anika? Is everything alright?"
"Mom, it's Mia," I choked out. "Her father… he escaped and he attacked her. He tried to drown her, Mom. She's in City General Hospital."
There was a sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line. "Oh, my God, Anika. That poor girl. Are you okay? Where are you?"
"I'm with Miguel. We're going to the hospital. Aunt Leticia is a mess, Mom. She needs us."
"Of course, honey. You go. I'll… I'll see what I can do. Do you need anything? Should I come?"
"I don't know," I said, my voice thick with tears. "I just… I don't know what to do."
"Listen, honey," she said, her voice firm but gentle. "You be strong for Mia and Leticia. Be there for them. I'll take care of things here. Call me if you need anything, anything at all. And Anika… be careful."
"I will, Mom. I love you."
"I love you too, honey. Now go. And tell Mia… tell her we're all thinking of her."
I ended the call and looked at Miguel, my eyes pleading. "We need to get to the hospital. Now."
He nodded, his expression grim. "I'll call my dad. Maybe he can lend us the car and driver. It'll be faster than waiting for a taxi." He pulled out his phone and quickly explained the situation to his father. After a brief conversation, he hung up. "He's sending the car. It'll be here in five minutes."
The longest five minutes of my life. I paced back and forth, my mind racing, replaying Aunt Leticia's frantic words, imagining Mia, struggling in the water… I couldn't breathe.
The sleek black car pulled up to the curb, and the driver, Mr. Garcia, a kind-faced man who always had a smile for us, jumped out and opened the door. "Get in, kids. Let's go."
We piled into the back seat, and Mr. Garcia expertly navigated the city streets, weaving through traffic with a skill that only a seasoned driver possessed. The silence in the car was heavy, broken only by my occasional sniffles. Miguel reached over and took my hand, his touch a silent reassurance.
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The phone call from Anika hit me like a physical blow. David was still on his business trip, and the thought of Mia, suffering again, after everything… it was unbearable. I fought back the urge to rush to the hospital immediately. David would be home soon, and I needed to be there to meet him.
I knew I couldn't leave Anika and Miguel to face this alone. I dialed the hospital, trying to get an update on Mia's condition, but they wouldn't give me any information over the phone. Frustrated, I hung up and started pacing the living room.
When David finally called to say his flight had landed, I felt a surge of relief, quickly followed by a wave of anxiety. How was I going to tell him?
I drove to the airport, my hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles were white. As soon as I saw him walking through the arrival gate, I knew I couldn't hide anything. His face lit up when he saw me, but the smile quickly faded as he took in my expression.
"Elena? What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."
I took a deep breath and told him everything – Mia's father's escape, the attack, the near-drowning, the hospital. His face grew darker with each word, his initial concern replaced by a simmering rage.
"That son of a bitch," he growled, his voice low and dangerous. "I swear, if I ever get my hands on him…"
"David, please," I said, my voice trembling. "Mia needs us. Leticia needs us. We have to be there for them."
He took my hand, his grip firm. "You're right. We'll go to the hospital. But first, I need to drop Isabella off at the office. She has a mountain of paperwork waiting for her."
I nodded, grateful for his support. We drove to his office, the silence in the car heavy with unspoken emotions. I knew David was trying to stay calm, but I could feel the anger radiating off him in waves.
After dropping Isabella off, we headed straight to the hospital, my heart pounding with each passing mile. I couldn't shake the image of Mia, fighting for her life in the cold, dark sea.
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The City General Hospital loomed before us, a sterile, imposing structure that seemed to suck the life out of the air. We hurried inside, the antiseptic smell assaulting my nostrils. I approached the reception desk, my voice barely a whisper.
"Excuse me," I said to the nurse behind the counter. "We're here to see Mia… Mia's mother, Leticia, called us."
The nurse typed something into her computer, her expression impassive. "Name?"
"Anika… and this is Miguel."
She nodded, then pointed down the hallway. "Third floor, room 312."
We thanked her and practically ran to the elevators. The ride up was agonizingly slow, each second stretching into an eternity. When the doors finally opened on the third floor, we rushed out, scanning the numbers on the doors until we found room 312.
I hesitated, my hand hovering over the doorknob. What was I going to say? How was Mia? Was she even awake?
Miguel squeezed my hand, his eyes offering silent encouragement. I took a deep breath and pushed the door open.
The scene that greeted us was heart-wrenching. Aunt Leticia was slumped in a chair beside the bed, her face buried in her hands, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs. She looked utterly broken, defeated.
Miguel and I exchanged a look, a silent acknowledgment of the pain we both felt. His eyes were filled with sadness and a fierce protectiveness towards Mia. I could see the anger simmering beneath the surface, the same anger I felt churning inside me.
I took another deep breath and slowly approached the bed. The curtains were drawn, casting the room in a dim, oppressive light. I reached out and gently pulled them back.
And there she was. Mia.
Lying in the hospital bed, pale and still, she looked like a ghost of her former self. Her dark hair was matted to the pillow, her face bruised and swollen. Her eyes were open, but they were vacant, lifeless. The spark that usually danced within them was gone, replaced by a hollow emptiness that made my heart ache.
A wave of nausea washed over me, and I stumbled back, my hand flying to my mouth. I wanted to scream, to rage against the injustice of it all, but I couldn't. I was frozen, paralyzed by the sheer horror of what I was seeing.