“It’s no use. With her condition… Ms. Johnston, you should go see her. It might be the last time.” For a moment, I felt dizzy. I could hardly hear anything, and my head was throbbing. “Quiana, pull yourself together!” I could barely hear Shaun calling me. I forced myself to lean onto the wall for support and walked to my mother’s hospital room. She was still sleeping. “Mom, wake up.” I gently touched her cheek. My mom and I had escaped from the mountains. She was a college student who had been kidnapped. However, she could not have her own children. They mistreated her and threatened her life. When I was just a baby, I was taken away and given to her to raise as her own. Years later, she risked everything to escape with me. She knew I was taken from Soriah, so she brought me back here. When I was young, we did not have enough money for food, but she always gave me her share. When I could not afford school, she sold everything she had to pay for my tuition.
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