“Stay here and explain,” he said firmly. “Harith can’t handle another complication, Alice.”
My heart pounded as I looked up at him, feeling trapped. “I need to be with Adeline,” I said quietly, trying to keep the desperation out of my voice. But he didn’t let go.
“Alice,” he said, his tone softening a little, but his grip stayed firm. “This isn’t just about you. This is about Harith—a child who’s suffering. And Beatrix thinks you’re the reason. Talk to her. Help her understand.”
A lump formed in my throat and I struggled to hold back my emotions. I glanced over my shoulder at Harith’s room, where doctors were still working to help him. He looked so small and fragile, caught in a struggle he didn’t deserve. A strange feeling rose within me—something I couldn’t quite name, but it hurt all the same.
Beatrix’s tearful eyes were locked onto me, full of accusation and sorrow. Her hands still clung to my arm, shaking as she tried to steady herself. She took a shaky breath, her gaze never leaving mine.
“If you had any compassion, you’d understand what it feels like to fear for your child,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “To know that their life is hanging by a thread.”
Her words hit me hard. For a moment, I felt her pain—her fear for Harith’s life. A part of me wanted to reach out, to comfort her, even if just for a moment. But then, I thought of Adeline, my own daughter, lying in a hospital bed, needing me. My heart twisted painfully, torn between these two children caught in a situation neither of them could control.
Taking a deep breath, I gently placed a hand on Beatrix’s shoulder, looking into her eyes with as much calm as I could find. “I understand your pain,” I said softly. “But I need to be with Adeline right now. She’s my daughter, and she needs me.”
Beatrix’s grip on my arm loosened, and her shoulders slumped with sadness. She nodded slowly, and for a brief moment, it felt like there was a small understanding between us—two mothers bound by the love for their children, both caught in a struggle we didn’t ask for.
Without another word, I turned and walked away, the echo of my footsteps filling the hallway as I made my way back to Adeline.
A blinding flash of light pierced through my eyes.