Chapter 9 - The Awakening
Later that afternoon, the medication wore off enough for Chloe to open her eyes.
She blinked against the harsh fluorescent lights of the hospital room.
I leaned over the bed, stroking her hair very gently.
"Mommy?" she croaked, her throat dry from the breathing tube they had removed.
"I'm here, baby," I smiled, fighting back a wave of tears.
"Where is Daddy?" she asked softly.
Marcus stepped forward, taking her other hand.
"I'm right here, sweetie," he said, his voice thick with emotion.
She tried to touch her face, but the thick bandages stopped her.
Panic flashed in her innocent eyes as the memories rushed back.
"Grandpa's present," she whimpered, her breathing growing rapid.
"It burned me. Why did it burn me?"
I looked at Marcus, my heart shattering into a million pieces.
How do you explain to a child that her own grandfather wanted to destroy her?
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"It was an accident with the lotion, honey," Marcus lied smoothly to protect her.
I hated lying to her, but the truth was too heavy for a ten-year-old to carry.
