C38 Let It Be Nothing

Annabelle lay in silence, the remnants of her confrontation with Dante replaying over and over in her mind.

The firmness of his words, the way he’d gripped her chin and made his point.

It all lingered like a haunting echo.

She still felt the heat of his gaze, the possessive, almost protective way he’d spoken as if she was his to protect.

The idea unsettled her, leaving her conflicted.

“Why would he even care? He’s still just a cold-blooded killer,” she told herself, stubbornly clinging to her perception of him.

And yet, in that heated exchange, he’d looked so different. Almost human. Almost...reachable.

But the facts remained. Dante was the one who’d brought her back here, right where she didn’t want to be, as though her wishes didn’t matter.

As though she was his possession, just as he claimed. The thought made her stomach twist with frustration, her fingers curling into the blanket.

“Who did he think he was?”

Her anger was soon interrupted by a shiver as a more terrifying thought crossed her mind.

What would have happened if Dante’s man hadn’t come for her in that alley? She would have been at the mercy of that stranger who’d looked at her with such hatred as if she had no worth.

She squeezed her eyes shut, the memory vivid and raw: the malice in the man’s gaze, his cold, sneering words. Go back to the hole you crawled out of.

Annabelle wrapped her arms around herself, unable to stop the tremor that ran through her. “What if he actually killed me?” she thought, heart pounding.

She had briefly thought he saw the money with her when she was not being careful.

But he hadn’t even asked her for anything.

He hadn’t wanted her money. He just wanted to hurt her.

And Cathy. The pain of the thought hit her like a punch to the gut. If that man had succeeded, Cathy would forever think Annabelle had abandoned her. Something she was probably thinking already.

The cruelty of what a total stranger had done to her even made her fear for her sister the more.

What if someone like that had gotten her sister?

What if Jose’s sister was someone like that?

She had heard about the cruelty of city people, but she had never believed it could be as bad as what happened to her.

Tad had come from the city, of course, and she had thought he was the worst, but her mind just couldn't wrap around the fact that someone who didn't even know her would be so cruel to want to kill her.

A choked sob escaped her, the tears spilling over. “I’m so sorry, Cathy,” she whispered, her voice barely audible, as if her sister might somehow hear her apology.

“Miss, are you feeling pain anywhere?” Judith’s soft voice brought her back to the present, the nurse’s face creased with concern as she entered with a cart in front of her.

The smell of soup hit Annabelle's nostrils, yet despite all her pains, she didn't feel that queasy feeling she had been feeling recently.

“Sorry,” Annabelle mumbled, quickly wiping her tears. “I’m just… tired.”

“It’s all right. You’ve been through a lot.” Judith’s calm, steady tone was like a balm to Annabelle’s frayed nerves.

She watched as the nurse adjusted her IV, checking her vitals before pushing a small tray toward her.

“Try to eat a little,” Judith encouraged, offering a soft smile. “It’ll help you regain your strength. You also need it for your medication too.”

Annabelle managed a weak nod and took a few bites, though her mind remained clouded, drifting between anger, fear, and guilt. The thought of Cathy stood lodged in her heart like a thorn, twisting with every reminder of how utterly helpless she was. She felt trapped, as if every attempt to turn things around only ended up taking her farther away from her sister and dragging her more under other people's control.

She took her medication and eased back into bed to rest as Judith suggested.

A sharp pain suddenly pulled her out of her thoughts.

Annabelle shifted uncomfortably, feeling a strange sensation in her lower abdomen. It was a persistent ache that felt almost like a cramp.

She pressed a hand to her stomach, hoping it would pass.

But the feeling grew sharper and more urgent until she felt the unmistakable pressure in her bladder like she needed to pee.

She tried to get off the bed and she had barely lifted her leg off the bed before Judith appeared again.

“Where are you going, Miss? Let me help you.” Judith moved quickly to support her, her hand steady on Annabelle’s arm as she eased her into a nearby wheelchair.

Another nurse appeared to assist, and Annabelle felt the slight sting of humiliation at being so carefully watched.

The ache in her abdomen had only grown sharper by the time they got to the restroom.

The wetness she had felt between her legs was making her uneasy.

Then her pulse quickened as she felt a sudden gush of warmth.

“What is happening to me?”

She pushed the thought away, trying to keep her focus. But the sensation was too unsettling and the wetness too pronounced.

By the time they reached the toilet, she was on the verge of panic.

Judith helped her to her feet, and Annabelle steadied herself.

Then she gave the nurse a look, asking for privacy. “Thank you. I think… I’ll be fine from here.”

Judith nodded, though her expression was laced with concern. “I’ll be just outside if you need anything,” she assured her gently, closing the door softly behind her.

Annabelle took a shaky breath as anxiety made her shiver.

Remembering how that horrible man had kicked her in her stomach over and over again, she wondered if some permanent damage had been done.

“Please, let this be nothing.”

She quickly lowered herself onto the toilet bowl, hoping for a moment of relief.

But as she relaxed, she felt a sudden, startling shift in her body, and a rush of warmth that wasn’t urine escaped her. She gasped, clutching the sides of the seat, her heart pounding as she looked down.

The scream escaped her before she could clamp her hand on her mouth as she jerked upwards, forgetting her pain.

Hoping her eyes had played a trick on her, Annabelle looked again.

What she saw left her frozen.

In the bowl, a dark, crimson clot floated. It was large, shiny, and unmistakably abnormal.