The Desperate Plea
“Emerald...”
Her name was whispered gently, a faint sound that echoed in the room. Slowly, Ashley’s fingers twitched, and she felt a hand holding hers.
The sensation of warmth soothed her aching body, but her mind was still clouded.
Her eyelids fluttered open, only to be met with a blur of faces. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw her mother standing beside her, tears streaking down her face.
“Emerald, you’re awake!” her mother exclaimed, her voice breaking with relief.
Ashley’s vision cleared, and she slowly looked around. The sterile hospital room felt cold, too cold.
The beeping of the machines was deafening, and her body felt heavy, as though it didn’t belong to her anymore. But what really shook her was the overwhelming sense of emptiness. Her stomach clenched.
She blinked, trying to focus. Her gaze traveled to her hands before slowly drifting to her belly, still swollen with the child she carried. The child Demitri had promised to protect. The child she was now terrified for.
“My baby…” Ashley whispered, her voice weak but full of fear. “Is my baby okay?”
Her mother’s eyes filled with tears as she nodded, but the sorrow in her expression didn’t reassure her.
“Your baby is fine, sweetheart,” her mother murmured, her voice cracking under the weight of unspoken pain.
Ashley’s gaze shifted again, searching the room for something—or rather, someone—that wasn’t there.
She noticed her father standing a few feet away, his arms crossed, an unreadable expression on his face. But there was one question that gnawed at her, one person she couldn’t stop thinking about.
“Where is mother?” she asked suddenly, her voice trembling.
Her mother looked at her, confused for a brief moment. “What do you mean?”
“Irene,” Ashley clarified, her breath hitching. “Demitri’s mother… Where is she?”
Her mother’s face softened. “Irene’s fine, dear. She’s been here... she was here when we first brought you in.”
Ashley swallowed, feeling her anxiety surge. There was something off, something her mother wasn’t saying, but before she could press further, the panic inside her bloomed.
“Where’s Demitri?” she asked, her voice almost frantic.
Her mother exchanged a quick glance with her father, and Ashley’s pulse spiked with fear.
They hadn’t looked at her like that before, and it made the room feel smaller. Her chest tightened. “Where is Demitri?” she repeated, louder now, trying to get their attention.
Her father stepped forward, but his expression was still guarded, his jaw clenched. “Emerald, calm down. Let the doctors work.”
“No,” Ashley shook her head, her breath quickening. “I need to know where Demitri is. Please, tell me. What have you done to him?” Her voice cracked as the words tumbled out, desperation lacing every syllable.
“Emerald, we didn’t do anything—” her mother began, but the words fell flat against Ashley’s growing panic.
“No!” Ashley shouted, her eyes wide. “Don’t lie to me! You had him sent away, didn’t you? You made him leave!” She tried to sit up, but the sudden movement sent a wave of dizziness through her. She collapsed back against the pillow, the world spinning.
Her mother’s face twisted in agony as she reached out to hold her. “Emerald, no… we didn’t make him leave. We haven’t seen him either. He’s been missing since you’ve been unconscious.”
Ashley’s chest constricted, and her breath came in sharp, shallow gasps. “What do you mean missing?” Her voice trembled with disbelief. “You’re telling me… you haven’t seen him?”
The world seemed to stop as her mother’s words sank in. Her mind raced. No, this couldn’t be happening. Demitri promised. He promised he would be there. He promised he wouldn’t leave her.
“I—I don’t understand,” Ashley stammered, tears spilling from her eyes. “Where is he? Please… I need him. I need him here…”
The room grew quiet as the doctors entered, their presence bringing a shift in the atmosphere.
They immediately began to check on Ashley, monitoring her vitals, their movements swift and professional. But all Ashley could focus on was the unanswered question that hung in the air: Where is Demitri?
“Please…” she whispered, her voice breaking. “Please, answer me. I need to know where he is.”
Her mother wiped her tears away, unable to meet her gaze. “We don’t know,” she said softly, the words causing a dagger of fear to pierce Ashley’s heart. “No one has seen him. He’s been gone for a week.”
The doctor took notice of her agitation and quickly motioned for a nurse to prepare an injection.
“No!” Ashley screamed, pushing them away weakly. “No! I need to know where he is! I can’t… I can’t survive this. I need to know where Demitri is. Please…”
Her voice became a fragile whisper as the tears streamed down her face. The doctors exchanged glances, then one of them swiftly administered the injection, and Ashley’s vision blurred.
“Please…” she mumbled as her eyelids fluttered closed. Her mind began to slip away, but there was one thought she couldn’t shake.
Where is Demitri?
Before she lost consciousness, she heard her mother’s voice, cracking with sorrow. “We don’t know, Emerald. No one has seen him.”
The words echoed in her ears as darkness overtook her.