Chapter 5 - The Waking Room
On the seventh day after the fall, the rain tapped steadily against the double-paned glass of Room 412.
Harrison sat beside Khloe's bed, holding her thin, pale hand in his. He hadn't slept more than two hours a night since the incident. His eyes were shadowed with fatigue, but his presence was constant, an unyielding shield guarding her room against the world.
A soft, faint twitch moved through Khloe's fingers.
Harrison froze, leaning closer. "Khloe?"
Her eyelids fluttered open slowly, wincing against the soft ambient light. She blinked several times, her breathing shallow beneath the clear oxygen mask.
"H... Harry..." her voice was a faint, raspy whisper.
"I'm here," Harrison said gently, standing up and smoothing her hair back from her forehead. "I'm right here, sweetie. Don't try to move."
Khloe’s hand moved instinctively toward her lower abdomen. When her fingers felt the flat, bandaged surface beneath her hospital gown, her eyes widened in sudden, absolute terror.
"My... my baby..." she gasped, tears immediately pooling in her eyes. "Harry... where is my baby?!"
"She's alive, Khloe," Harrison said quickly, his voice warm and firm, holding both of her trembling hands. "She's alive. Her name is Maya. She's downstairs in the NICU."
Khloe let out a broken, sobbing breath, her chest heaving as tears spilled down her cheeks. "Is she... is she okay? Please tell me the truth."
"She’s a fighter, just like her mother," Harrison smiled, wiping her tears with his thumb. "She’s tiny, and she’s on a ventilator, but the doctors say her lungs are getting stronger every day. You saved her, Khloe. You held on."
Khloe closed her eyes, letting out a long, shuddering breath. "Richard... and Vanessa... what happened?"
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Harrison’s face turned into a calm, unforgiving stone mask.
"They are in custody," Harrison told her softly. "They spent the night in a cell. And I am going to make sure they never step foot in polite society again."
