“Can’t you get Zack to ask around and get some information? Or have him hack into the system to find out where sheis?”
“No, I can’t. He nearly lost his badge the last time; he won’t risk itagain.”
“But I want to see my daughter!” she wailed. “I’ll do anything to just seeher.”
“I know you do, and I'm sure you will. You just have to be patient,” my father said calmly as he walked into the room, patting me on my shoulder on his way past me. He was still in his blue work scrubs, a clear sign he hadn’t taken the time to shower before leaving the hospital after hisshift.
“I won’t stop until I see her,” Joan said, her voice turningcold.
“You are just going to have to wait,” I said. There was nothing I’d do right now. Not willinginganyhow.
My phone began to ring, and I excused myself to answer it in another room. I was relieved to get away from the grieving woman. Why hadn’t my mother called Zackinstead?
“Yeah?” I answered, seeing it was my brothercalling.
“Yo, Eli man,” he greetedme.
“I’m busy, Zack,” I sighed, rubbing at my eyes with my freehand.
“What were you thinking, leaving her alone? It was only fifteen minutes, but she was totally lost in her mind,” he nearlyshouted.
“I thought she’d be okay. I expected her to just go to bed,” I stated, rubbing a hand down myface.
“Well, she didn’t. She was kneeling by the door on her knees waiting for you to return. She was obviously in full-out panic mode. You should have called me before you left the house,” he said, lowering his voice as anger dissolved from his voice. “You’re lucky Emily came with me, Elijah. I have no idea how to handle women; she was badenough.”
“Yeah,” I replied, at a loss for words. “Did she sayanything?”
“No,” he laughed sadly. “She panicked even more when I tried to get near her. Took my Emily a good ten minutes to get her to calm down enough to move off thefloor.
“Tell her thank you for me,” I said. I wanted to punch myself for being so stupid, but what was done was done. There was nothing I could do about itnow.
“You can tell her yourself,” he replied. “And are you sure this girl is our Dawn? She’s so . . .sad…”
“Yeah, it is. The DNA test results are a match,” I answered quietly, so I wouldn’t have to worry about being overheard. “I hope to be back once I can get Joan calmeddown.”
“Alright bro, bye.” Zack ended thecall.
Walking back to the living room, I found my parents sitting on the loveseat and Joan sitting in the same spot she was before. She held her hands in her lap and kept sniffling. She looked up when I re-entered theroom.
“So, can you find some info on my baby? Please, Elijah?” she begged with sad eyes. I was good at reading people, and this woman here was certainly putting on a goodact.
“I’ll see what I can do. I won’t be able to find her location, but I can hopefully get something on how she is doing. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to my guest,” I said, hoping to pacify her for the timebeing.
I bid my parents goodbye and dad walked out with me. The sun had long sat on the horizon, casting long, dark shadows around theyard.
“Thank you, son,” he stated once we were outside. “Joslyn couldn’t figure out a way to get her to calm down, and there was an emergency at the hospital so I couldn’tleave.
“Thank you, Dad,” I said, before I made my way to the car. I shot Zack a text, letting him know I was on my wayhome.
I tried to be quiet so I wouldn’t wake Dawn if she was asleep by chance when I got back. I may have even exceeded the speed limit to get there faster because I was so worried abouther.
Reaching the living room of my house, the scene made my heart break once again. Dawn was the only girl who could ever cause me this type of weakness. My girl was lying on the couch with her head in Emily’s lap. She had an afghan covering her as she lay there. Occasionally, I could see tremors go through her body. She looked worse than when I’d lefther.
What had Idone?
Zack sat in the chair closest to the door. He was looking at the TV but I could tell from his face that he was worried. So was I. I had no idea what to do to make Dawn happy and healthy again. She wasn't a simple fun-loving girlanymore.
I patted him on his upper arm, drawing his attention away from wherever his mind was. I walked to the couch, crouching down next to Dawn right as her green eyes slowly opened into a dazed look. They were filled with nothing, almost completely blank. It was as if she had no reason to live—nothing to fight for anylonger.
