Valentina went to sleep again.Ismena realized how tired her mother looked, so, she pleaded with her to go back home, and get some rest before coming back."No, I can't leave Tina like this." Amelia refused. Her eyes went to the door occasionally because she was also waiting for her husband to come back."I will be here to take care of Tina, mom. At least, go and freshen up before coming back here." Ismena pleaded.Amelia refused. But after more pleas from her daughter, she finally agreed—giving in to the exhaustion that filled her bones. "Alright, I'll take my bath, change clothes and come back again." She said, getting up from the bed.Ismena and Sandra waved goodbye to her, as she walked out of the door.Outside the hospital, Amelia looked around for her husband, but he was nowhere within sight. Has he left the hospital?Well, maybe he got an emergency call at the workshop. That thought calmed her down, as she proceeded to the bus station.Meanwhile, in the hospital room, Sandra
"Hector died a long time ago. Hector was a doctor who worked for the Facility. I own a workshop now, and I have a family." Alfred added."You have a family now?" Simon was already weaving plans on his head. The Facility needs to know about this."Yes. But, don't worry, you will not live to tell the Facility." He said casually."You think killing me will solve anything!? The Facility will come after you!"A small cold smile played on Hector's lips then. "They will never know. Just like they never knew anything in the past eighteen years." The smile vanished and a deadly look replaced it, "I will kill you to keep my family safe. I will do anything to keep my daughters safe.""Your daughters...?""That woman you are after, Hazel Smith, is my daughter. That child you think is gonna become a vessel for many monstrous experiments is my daughter. There is no 'successful'. Not anymore." He paused. Took a deep breath. "Not that you would be alive long enough to convey that message to the Facil
"When he drugged Number 6 up and took little Hazel to his cage, I was unable to watch from the Cam-Room. I was too heartbroken." He paused, tears in his eyes, "I did not watch but I heard it all. Her screams... Her pleas..."His eyes squeezed tight. Tears flowed down repeatedly. "I heard and remembered every bit of those agonizing screams...""Uhm...don't you think you're being too emotional about this?" Simon's unconcerned tone filled the air.Hector's eyes opened. He fixed them on the man.Simon shrugged, "They are just experiments. It was all for a good cause."Hector's eyes squeezed shut again. He balled his hands into fists, and squeezed, imagining it to be Simon's head. "Heartless monster." Hector intoned.Simon caught himself. This is not looking good for him at all. If he's going to get this damned man to release him, he has to pretend like he cares, even if he doesn't give shît."I'm sorry about that, uhm...don't mind me. What happened was awful, truly awful." He pursed his
Hector continued his story. "Hazel was barely conscious when I took her and ran, by the time I got far enough away from the facility, she'd lost full consciousness. I didn't want there to be problems when I arrive at the hospital carrying her—I didn't want to create any suspicions—so I laid her by the roadside, stayed in the nearby bush, and waited.""Thankfully, I didn't have to wait long. A young couple saw her and stopped to help her. I pretended to be a passerby who also saw what was happening and stopped to help with the situation. A few other cars stopped too. Together, we loaded her up and I directed them to the hospital where I want her to be treated."Simon, in his chains, was still trying to wrap his head around everything Hector was telling him."When Amelia heard her daughter has been found but she's in the hospital, she came running." Hector's eyes went hazy and fled with memories, "I can still remember that look of relief in her eyes to have found her daughter alive but
Simon snorted again. "Now, that's dramatic. That's funny too, considering that I know for sure that she is the woman in that hospital room." "She died in the hospital three weeks after losing the baby." Hector continued, "I was starting to suspect we might lose her completely when there was a sudden change in her condition. It worsened. The doctor informed us to prepare for the worst. I thought hard on what to do, knowing fully well that Amelia might die if that Hazel dies.""So, that very morning I went to my bedroom cupboard and picked up Number 6's blood sample I took some time ago from the lab because I wanted to work from home then. I put that tube in my pocket before going to the hospital, I had no idea what I was thinking when I decided to bring that with me, but I did it anyway. Best decision I ever made." He added, sparing Simon a glance."Only to get to the hospital to find Amelia screaming so loud." He went on, "I knew something had gone wrong. I followed the screams only
But, then again, Sandra—always the smart one—already picked it up. Her own eyes widened, she looked at her friend, "You know him?""O-Of course, I know him. I bumped into him that very day with you, remember?" Ismena was trying to throw her friend off."But that was a long time ago, and besides, he addressed you by your name too." Sandra isn't someone that can easily be thrown off. She added, "And it looks like he is here to see you... isn't that right?" That part was directed to Alphose.Alphose, caught in the middle, was speechless but for an entirely different reason. Apart from the question he was asked, he broke out in cold sweat for an entirely different reason.A minute of uncomfortable silence passed."We have to talk." He directed to Ismena at last."O-Okay." To Sandra, he said, "We'll be back in a minute." He inclined his head slightly. "Oh, of course," Sandra responded, baffled by the situation.Why am I breathless just by seeing him again? She thought as she watched them
But, even with all the excitement, she was trying to contain, she was still holding her breath while waiting for Alphose to get himself under control.When he did, all the corded muscles in his arms and neck relaxed. He released a very deep breath too, before he turned to face her. His eyes were back to gray again. "Are you okay now?" She asked him, concerned."Yes." A nod, "We have to bring her back with us to Naturiah, Ismena. You have to explain everything about what I am to her.""I have no idea how to tell her everything. She'll think I've lost my mind." She pointed out, truthfully.Alphose thought so too. His head was working too.Is it really a good idea to bring her to Naturiah? What if she isn't his mate?The idea hurts, more than it's supposed to. He has waited for his mate all his life. "I think we need time. Time to tell her everything and also time to explain to her that she needs to follow us to Naturiah." Ismena suggested."I know that. But time is the only thing we d
"Yes. Oh, yes. Yes, I'll go." No hesitation. Nothing. Her eyes were just filled with trust.It made Ismena emotional and she shook her head, "But, Sandy, you don't even know where it is.""Don't care. What matters is that you're there—wherever 'there' is—and you're going there with me, and we're going to spend more time together.""But Sandy, what about your work?""I can always take a break. Remy, that dog, knows I'm long overdue for now." She smirked then.Ismena smiled too, at the reference to her boss. "Well, that's true. Oh, Sandy, I'm so happy you're going with me—"The door opened and Alphose entered again. "We don't have much time left, Ismena. We have to go now."Ismena nodded repeatedly, "Okay, okay."Alphose allowed himself to look at Kassandra then, "What about her?""She's—" Ismena began.But Sandra cut her off, raising her hand up, "Her, is also coming too."Their eyes locked.For a moment, Sandra would have sworn that the world around them stilled. Alphose's face might