Chapter 4 - Waking Up to Truth
When I finally opened my eyes, the harsh white light of the recovery room felt like needles dancing across my retinas.
My mouth tasted like dry cotton, and every muscle in my body ached as if I had been hit by a freight train. I tried to move my right arm, but a gentle weight rested against my hand.
I turned my head slowly.
Seated in a plastic chair beside the hospital bed was Dr. Naomi Vale, looking exhausted with her surgical mask pulled down around her neck. On the other side of the bed stood Detective Miller, holding a small, bundled package wrapped in a pink flannel blanket.
“Easy, Mrs. Mercer,” Dr. Vale said softly, reaching out to adjust my IV drip. “Don’t try to move too fast. You lost a dangerous amount of blood during the abruption, but you pulled through.”
My breath hitched. I looked wildly around the room.
“The baby...” I choked out, my voice raspy and broken. “Where is my baby?”
Detective Miller smiled—a genuine, warm expression that completely transformed his stern facial features. He stepped closer, carefully lowering the bundled blanket into my trembling arms.
“She’s right here,” the detective said quietly.
I looked down.
A tiny, round face stared back at me. Her skin was a healthy, rosy pink, and a tuft of dark hair rested softly against her head. She let out a tiny, contented yawn, curling her microscopic fingers into a tiny fist.
Tears spilled over my eyelashes, tracking hot paths down my cheeks. I pulled her close against my chest, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead.
“She’s beautiful,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “She’s safe.”
“She’s both,” Dr. Vale confirmed, resting a comforting hand on my shoulder. “And so are you. The arrest warrant for Gavin has been fully executed. He’s currently being held at the county detention center without bail.”
I looked up at Detective Miller, my heart pounding. “And Ruby? Where is Ruby?”
May you like
“She’s downstairs with her mother, Claire,” the detective answered reassuringly. “Claire arrived at the hospital an hour ago after we contacted her. They’re together, Sloane. And Gavin will never be able to threaten either of them ever again.”
A wave of profound, overwhelming relief washed over me, heavier than any physical pain I had ever felt. I closed my eyes, hugging my newborn daughter tighter, knowing that the nightmare was finally, truly over.
