Silence. Finally.
Paul snapped back to reality and rushed forward to catch Eleanor as she crumpled.
His eyes brimmed with concern for her. When they turned to me, all I saw was disgust and contempt. "Jessica, if anything happens to Ellie, I swear you'll pay for it."
I lay on the bed and watched him carry Eleanor out. All I felt was a savage rush of satisfaction.
The blood beneath me seemed to be gushing now. I used every last shred of strength to press the call button at the head of the bed.
The sound of frantic footsteps in the corridor flooded me with relief, and the world went black.
So tired. I want Mom and Dad. I just want to be their carefree little princess again.
A doctor's voice wound through the darkness: "The patient has no will to survive. Increase the dosage. Find whoever matters most to her and bring them in. See if that gets a response."
The person who matters most? They were all gone.
The man I once believed I'd spend my life with had died in my heart just minutes ago.
I sank into a long, long dream. Paul wasn't in it. Only the three of us: Mom, Dad, and me, happy together.