© 2021 Phylicia Joannis
I opened my eyes to a piercing light and a bright smile. The Nurse looked down at me, her eyes glistening, and I smiled back. It hadn’t been easy, volunteering to be the one to climb up through the rubble and get help. No, getting out of that dark tunnel had been hard. But it was worth it to see her face.
“You’re okay?” I rasped.
The Nurse squeezed my hand. “Thanks to you.”
I looked past her to the Old Woman and the Climber standing beside her. They all look tired, but clean. “How long have you all been here?” I asked.
“Just a few minutes,” the Climber replied.
“We came to visit you this morning. To tell you thank you.” The Old Woman smiled.
“Morning?” I crinkled my brow and looked around the room, realizing where I was. “How long have I been here?”
“You were in and out for two days, but you’re going to be okay,” the Nurse reassured me. “You were severely dehydrated and had a concussion, but you should feel like yourself soon.”
“Thank you for staying.” The words seemed lame, considering all we’d been through together. A thought struck me. “I don’t even know your names.”
“I’m Jane Truman,” the Old Woman answered.
“I’m Zinnia. Gonzalez.” The Nurse smiled.
“Ryan Parker,” the Climber spoke softly. “Simon Lowe’s the other guy, but he’s a weasel, and you’re better off not knowing him. Domingo Reyes didn’t make it. He died in the tunnels…”
I frowned. Dreadlock didn’t make it. I couldn’t help the tears that followed. “Is that everyone?” I sniffed.
“Um, there’s Chase Avery…” Ryan’s voice trailed off, and he stared at the floor.
I looked at all their faces. Each one stared back at me, eyes full of concern . . . and something else. Then I knew. “Where is he?” I asked, dreading the answer. “Where’s my father? Where’s Chase?”
Zinnia gave Jane a puzzled look before answering me. “He lost a lot of blood, honey,” she hemmed.
I closed my eyes. He couldn’t be dead. I had too many thoughts, too many questions left unanswered. “Where is he?” I asked again.
“He’s in the ICU,” Zinnia explained. “He had to have surgery, but he hasn’t regained consciousness. He needs a blood transfusion, but he has a rare blood type.”
My eyes flashed open, and I let out a breath. Chase wasn’t dead. But he wasn’t okay, either. “You say he needs blood?” The door to my room swung open and the air in my lungs left.
“Miracle! Thank God you’re okay!”
Oh God, he’d found me.
***
Miracle sighed as she leaned back in her chair, instinctively reaching for a jacket collar that wasn’t there. So much had happened. Nearly a year had passed since she’d escaped that dark place. A year filled with reporters and attorneys and unwelcome intrusions into her private life. She wished it could all be over.
Miracle shifted in her seat and took a sip of water. The man in front of her stopped writing.
“Who found you?” he asked.
“I’ll tell you in a moment.” She rubbed the back of her neck and sighed. “I need a break.”
“Of course.”
Miracle stood and straightened the bottom of her skirt as she exited the room. She got on the elevator, moving instinctively to the back corner and staying there until she reached the ground floor. Once she was through the doors, she paused and exhaled, taking a moment to breathe in the fresh air. Her phone buzzed and she reached for it.
“Hello?”
“Miracle, it’s me. How’s everything going?”
Miracle took a deep breath. “I’m not sure I can do this.”
“You can. Stick to the plan and you’ll be fine.” The phone went dead in her ear, so she put it back in her purse. She walked back to the building and entered an elevator full of occupants. Miracle counted the floors as they ascended. Ten… eleven… twelve… thirteen–
The elevator came to an abrupt halt and the overhead lights flickered, then darkened. Curses and limbs flew in every direction. Miracle yelped as she collided with two strangers.
This can’t be happening again. Miracle’s eyes grew wide with panic, and she reached into her purse for her phone.
“I’m so sorry, everyone!” A flustered voice cried out. Miracle spied a tall, blonde-haired woman as she pulled a young boy’s hand from the elevator panel. Scruffy blond hair grew past his eyes, but stopped right at his wide, impish grin. The woman apologized again, then pushed the emergency button back in. The elevator resumed its course amid a chorus of grumbles.
Miracle danced on her toes as the elevator crawled up. She practically flew out of the elevator when it reached her floor, catching the front end of what would probably be a long lecture between the woman and her son. Miracle reentered the office looking much calmer than she felt.
“Now, where were we?”
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