Disclaimer: I don't own the show or characters. All I own is the writing, Antonia, and story.
Author's Note: I needed to take a little break from Valley of Sorrow and write this three-chapter story. It's an idea I've been pondering over for a while, now, and finally decided to write it. Another dark and angst-filled story, of course. Do feel free to leave reviews and let me know your thoughts on this. Any and all feedback is highly appreciated and cherished. I'll likely start writing the next chapter tomorrow as I hope to get this completed by the end of the weekend or earlier next week. Thanks. Enjoy.
Warning: There is some, mild, gory detail.
Just Two More Broken Souls
Lorna Morello grabbed onto her young daughter, holding her tight against her chest. She smothered the top of her head in loving kisses as tears soaked her pale cheeks. "My precious Antonia," she murmured quietly, so that only her child could hear. A hand ruffled through the long curls that sat upon her head. "I need ya to not come back here after school. Go, go get help. Find someone—anyone who will listen. Ya hear me, baby?"
The curly-haired seven-year-old shook her head violently. Her tiny arms tightened around her mother's neck. Tears poured from her dark brown eyes. "No, mommy. I-I can't leave you," her small voice cried out, almost the same as Lorna's. She nestled closer to her mother's body, fear building heavily in her.
"Ya have to do this. I need ya to, sweetie. I don't want you to get hurt. The mean, scary, man who brought us here—he's gonna try to kill us," Lorna whispered, trying to keep her composure. She hated that her daughter was put into this outrageously terrifying situation. Loathed that either one of them were put into this. But she'd be damned if she ever let anything happen to her little girl.
Sucking in a shaky breath, Lorna pulled the small child closer and embraced her protectively. Trying to soothe away the terror that so clearly shined through her actions. "You needa get outta here, my love. Do it for mommy, okay? I need you to be safe. You're my baby, Antonia, I love ya more than anything in this world…I can't let you get hurt. Please do what I ask; please, baby."
"B-but, but what-what if I never see ya again, mommy?" The little girl wept, eyes peering widely up at her mother.
It broke her heart to see her daughter cry, to hear the pain and fear in her small voice. She took Antonia's face in her hands and gave a loving kiss to each of her rosy cheeks. "Don't ya worry about that, sweetie. I promise that's not gonna happen. But ya have to get outta here and find help. Get as far away from this place as you can, my angel," she pleaded, rubbing her thumb comfortingly around the little girl's forehead.
"I love you so much, my Antonia. I promise everything's gonna be okay," Lorna whispered, embracing her child snugly against her. She shut her eyes, praying and hoping that her words were true. That her daughter will get to see her again after leaving the house. She couldn't imagine her daughter's suffering through the loss of her. She didn't want her to have to deal with something like that…but that was better than their both losing their lives. At least that was what she told herself to make this easier.
It was mid-afternoon and Nicky Nichols planned to spend it outside smoking her first pack of cigarettes in almost a week. She craved its gritty texture, its smoky scent. With the cold air breezing through, she found it the perfect combination. She stood outside of the gas station she purchased the pack from, pulled one out, and lighted it with her lighter. The moment she took that first drag, her eyes shut in content. It made her remember exactly why she needed those things. Smoking comforted her—took away any and all of her stresses.
She exhaled a deep, smoky, breath of air and smiled. Seven days without her desirable cigs were torture for her. She didn't know how she made it through. But that hadn't matter now—she had them back in her possession and life could go on as normal. Or that was what she thought until a small figure caught her sight. Seeming to be gradually getting closer.
As the figure grew closer, Nicky quickly found it to be a small child. Rather, a little girl. Her eyebrows arched inquiringly over her big brown eyes. What on earth was a little girl doing running around the middle of nowhere on a Monday afternoon? She thought to herself. Taking one more big drag of the cigarette, she put it out and placed it in the pocket of her jacket before cautiously approaching the child.
She looked her over, immediately noticing how filthy and scratched up she appeared to be.
"What're ya doin' running around all by yourself?" Nicky tried to soften her voice but knew she wasn't the best when communicating with children. Children certainly weren't her cup of tea. But staring this tiny, curly-haired, girl over—there was something different. Something that made her feel...protective? She couldn't quite put a proper explanation to the sensation.
The disheveled child walked closer and looked up at her. Tiny brown eyes glazed with terrified tears. "My mommy," she mumbled through sniffles. Her hands grabbed fiercely onto Nicky's pants, pulling desperately on them. "My mommy!"
Uncomfortable, Nicky was almost at loss of what to say—what to do. Clearly, there was something seriously wrong with this little girl. She reached down to place a gentle hand over the curly-haired child's head. "What about your mommy? Is she looking for you? Did ya run away from her or somethin', kid?"
"No," the brunette cried out. "Mommy told me to leave."
Swallowing thickly, the redhead rubbed her temple. She sucked in a breath, not sure what to do about this strange situation. The little girl was blatantly upset and hurt—most likely abused, she deemed. "Mommy told ya to leave? Is mommy mean to you?"
The child rapidly shook her head, though more tears streamed down along her porcelain cheeks. "No. Mommy loves me. She told me to leave—she don't want the mean man to kill me. But-but now he's-he's gonna kill mommy and I-I don't want him to!"
Massaging her temples, Nicky grumbled out a breath. The realization that this child was not going to leave left an uneasy sensation in the pit of her stomach. She couldn't just abandon her. Not when it was clear something awful must have been going on. Another sigh came up through her larynx. She placed a comforting hand on the trembling child's shoulder.
"Did a man take you and your mommy? Who is this mean man?"
Twirling a finger around her dark brown curls, the disheveled young child focused her eyes away from the stranger. She nervously moved her foot around the gravel that rest beneath it. "He's a scary man," her voice shook through a batch of sobs. "I don't—I don't know who he is but he-he chased me and mommy and then p-put us in his car. And-and mommy's stuck there! Sh-she made me leave."
The current situation only seemed to worsen, Nicky thought. How she longed to take another drag of that damn cigarette. But she refrained. Knowing she had no other choice but to somehow find a way to help this blatantly frightened child. She cautiously lay a hand over one of her shoulders, letting her eyes peer heavily into the other's. "Why don't I bring ya with me, yeah? Ya need some medical treatment and I'll call the cops. See if they can find your mom."
"No, I just—please just help me find my mommy!" The young brunette shook her head fiercely. Sobs shaking harshly through her small body. She stood, eyes gazing pleadingly up at the redhead.
Nicky scooped the little girl up, carrying her with her back towards her vehicle. "Ya need to go to the hospital; I don't know what's happened to ya and I'd feel safer taking you to a place where there's doctors. I'll call the police on the way and tell them to find your mom, okay?"
The child frantically peered around at her new surroundings and moved her eyes up towards Nicky. She swallowed uneasily. "You're a stranger," the words slipped out of her mouth. Quickly, her body became frigid in the older woman's arms. She was so enthralled in trying to find help for mom that she forgot that she had no idea who the person helping her was. If it was another stranger who planned to take her away.
"I know I am, kid," Nicky responded, softening her features as a way to show that she was not going to do anything other than what she previously mentioned. "But I'm a good stranger, I'm not gonna hurt you. I'm just gonna take ya to the hospital to get ya looked at, yeah? Ya wanna tell me your name?"
"Antonia," the curly-haired brunette mumbled, settling into the backseat of the car. She buckled herself in and peeked up towards the front where Nicky was getting in to the driver's seat. "But I like being called Ona."
Turning the key into the ignition, Nicky stared at the young girl through the rearview mirror and gave a kind smile. "A pretty name ya have, Ona. Must be Italian, yeah?"
Antonia shrugged her shoulders and leaned her head exhaustively against the rim of the car window. "Mommy is. I don't know if I am or not. She didn't tell me. I'm gonna ask her when we find her." A yawn expelled from her mouth. She didn't realize how tired she was until she sat down in the back of this stranger's car. Her eyes glanced back to the front. "What's your name?"
The redhead took a moment to lightly chuckle at such a comment. When she finally regained her composure, she turned her head to look intently at the child. "If your mommy's Italian that means you are too, kid. At least half. I'm Nicky," she informed her, noticing the exhaustion that seemed to be easily showing on her face. "It's okay to shut your eyes and rest while I drive ya to the hospital. I promise you're safe here. I'll wake ya when we get there."
"You found this child in the middle of nowhere?"
Nicky kept her hand held comfortingly over the little girl's shoulder and nodded while gazing up at the middle-aged woman who questioned her with a thick Russian accent. "I'm standing outside a my car, having a cig, and I see her come running from nowhere. Ya ever hear a story like this? Weird," she told the story with eyebrows arched over brown orbs. She still couldn't fully wrap her mind around the events of the last hour.
The nurse carefully checked over the small child with the stethoscope that lay around her neck. Her eyes, however, focused over on the red-haired woman who sat beside the gurney. In the many decades she'd spent as a nurse, she came across plenty of unusual situations—this was no different. "I can assure you this is not the strangest thing I've heard. I'm a nurse almost thirty years now—I've heard it all."
"I bet this makes for an interesting job then, huh?" The redhead inquired with a curved eyebrow.
Shrugging her shoulders slightly, the middle-aged woman kept her mouth closed while finishing looking over the little girl's vitals. She let her eyes peer down at the curly-haired child and wondered how she ended up in such a situation. "What's your name, darling?" The features on her face softened as she studied the little girl's olive-toned face.
"Ona," the brunette little girl muttered, eyes staring blankly ahead.
Arching her eyebrows, the nurse placed her hands on the faintly trembling girl's shoulders and gave her a friendly smile. Children were the purest to ever grace the planet, she deemed. To see them in the hospital always, so heavily, pulled on her heartstrings. "Now, that's a very pretty and unique name. How old are you, Ona?" She allowed one of her hands to brush maternally through the child's brown curls.
Antonia looked up at the nurse with weary eyes. The touch nearly made her flinch. "Seven," she mumbled, turning her gaze away from her. She pulled the sheet closer to her. "I want my mommy. Please find her."
A sympathetic smile, the Russian woman gave an intuitive nod. "What's your mommy's name? Do you know?"
"I hear my aunt call her Lorna. But I'm not allowed to call her that or she gives me the look."
Nicky chuckled at the comment. Though, the name made her skin grow slightly cold. Lorna? It sounded familiar—like the name of someone she might have run into before. She shrugged her shoulders, however, and focused her attention on the small child. "The look? What look is that?"
"The mommy look. Every mommy does it, she says. It's not nice to call mommy her name," the little girl answered in a tone that made it seem like the most obvious thing.
Nodding perceptively, the short-haired Russian woman gave a chuckle. It was a true statement. Every mommy did, indeed, give the look. She certainly gave the look to her sons on more than one occasion while they were growing up. "That's right. Your mommy's taught you right. Do you know your last name? That's what'll help the police find her faster."
"I have to write it down every day at school," Antonia answered with the nod of her head. "It's Morello. Like the cherries mommy says."
Morello. Lorna Morello sounded eerily familiar. Nicky swallowed thickly. Not someone she talked or spent time with much…but a person she clearly remembered having the most remarkable personality in her high school years. One of the cheeriest—bubbliest—student to grace the school. No one ever had a problem with her…or, at least, not that Nicky knew of.
"Aha," she said, holding a finger up. "I knew ya were Italian."
The curly-haired child slightly smiled in return, brown eyes looking up into the older woman's.
It was not often that Nicky felt anything towards a child other than pure irritation. But this little girl—there was something different about her. Something that made her want to do whatever she could to help her. To take care of her until her mother was found and brought back to her. "I promise ya, kid, we'll find your mommy. Do ya remember anything about where ya were at?" A hand she used to ruffle through the little girl's thick curls.
Shaking her head, a slight pout began to form at the corners of Antonia's mouth. The same way her mother's had when she cried over her deceased husband. "I don't know. I just—I want my mommy," she sniffled lightly.
"I'm gonna give the name to the police and that should help them. Don't worry, honey, they'll find her. I know it's scary to be here all alone," the nurse murmured, framing her hands delicately around her quivering cheeks. She used her thumb to softly wipe away the tears that soaked the pale flesh. "I'll stay with you if you want. I have three sons…couldn't imagine them being in this situation as young children."
Sitting in the chair beside the gurney, Nicky covered her hand comfortingly over top of Antonia's tiny one. She stared down at her with a somber expression. "I'm staying right here with ya, too."
Looking sadly down at her hands, Antonia shifted uncomfortably. Her eyes averted, ever-so-slightly, up at the nurse. "What's your name?"
"Red," she replied with a friendly smile. The tips of her fingers ran soothingly back and forth around the child's forehead—a motion she used to do to her own children as a way to put them at ease.
Nodding, the young girl felt a rush of exhaustion suddenly set in. She could hardly keep her eyes open. They began to droop but she refused to shut them until her mother was brought to her. She couldn't sleep without knowing her mommy was safe.
Brushing her thumb in gentle circles around her hand, Nicky looked down at her with a foreign softness emanating through her big brown orbs. "Let yourself sleep, kid. I'm sure your mommy would want ya to rest, yeah? We'll wake ya if anything changes… don't worry," she gently assured, continuing the soothing motion around her hand's flesh until she heard her breaths labor.
Red moved her eyes from the little girl up to Nicky. She gave a warm smile. "I take it you have kids yourself?"
With a chortle, Nicky rapidly shook her head. A mother was something she wasn't—something she didn't have any desire to be. After growing up under Marka Nichols' care, she vowed to never become pregnant. And, realizing her homosexuality in middle school, she never had to worry about such a thing. A relief to say the least. "Sure as hell don't—never really cared for them."
Arching her eyebrows surprisingly, the Russian nurse tilted her head slightly. "You seem so natural at comforting her, I'da never guessed."
"That's a shocker," Nicky muttered with a snicker. "Considering my own mother didn't do a damn thing to raise me. I guess some women are born without a maternal instinct, yeah?"
The comment all but broke Red's heart. How could a mother not want to show her child love and affection? A concept she could never comprehend or wrap her mind around. Her three boys were her world. She'd walk on glass for them. Die for them. It was just the unsaid rule of being a mother, she thought. But maybe that wasn't the case for all mothers.
"I'm sorry to hear that. That hurts my heart to hear—I would do anything for my kids…"
Nicky shrugged her shoulders with an empty smile. She was used to it. Learned to accept that her mother would never love her the way a mother was supposed to love her child. "It's all under the water now. I've survived. I don't dwell on it. I have a new life now."
"Well, good for you. It takes a strong person to get through life with a cold mother." Red smiled sympathetically, placing a comforting hand over the redhead's shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze.
Everything hurt. That was the first thought that ran through Lorna's mind when she awoke. Every inch of her body ached. It was as if she ran a marathon in the scorching heat with a dozen elephants trampling over her body. Almost unbearable. She blinked rapidly before looking perplexingly around the room. Where was Antonia? The second thought that scampered around in her head. She tried to sit up but realized that only caused her more pain.
"No, no, no," a voice quickly muttered. "Don't try to move. Ya needa stay still; you have a bullet in your chest and we're on the way to the hospital. Moving will cause the bullet to move and we can't risk that."
Squinting her eyes, Lorna looked up at who spoke to her. A tall, slender, woman with long deep-black hair and a seemingly stern face hovered overtop of her. She moved her head carefully to search her surroundings and quickly took notice that she wasn't in the house anymore…rather she was lying on a gurney in a rapid-moving ambulance.
She felt a batch of tears form at the brim of her eyes. Her head returned to its original position, orbs now peering up into the unfamiliar woman's. "I needa find my daughter," she cried out. "I needa find my daughter." Against the other's advice—and mostly filled with adrenaline—Lorna tried again to sit up but felt the pressure of the woman's hands stop her.
"Ya have to lay still," she reminded her. Her blue orbs softened as they looked down at the petite brunette. "Police are already looking for her. Right now ya needa worry about yourself. You're in bad shape right now."
Lorna shook her head profusely and continued to try to defy the instructions. She tried for a third time to push herself up but found that the other woman's hold on her was too strong. "I'm fine…all that matters is my daughter. Please, she's only seven and-and I told her to go get help."
Using one hand to hold her down, the black-haired paramedic let the other one stroke soothingly across the flesh of her forehead. "You're not fine at all. You were shot in the chest and if ya move, you could die. I need you to lay still. If you want your little girl to see you then ya have to stay still for me. I promise the police are looking for her right now."
You could die. The words only worsened Lorna's agony. She shook her head violently, eyes full of terror and pain. Her daughter needed her. Death was not allowed. Sobs gradually began to expel from her lungs. "I-I can't die. Please, please…I can't die. My baby—she already lost her daddy…she can't lose me too."
"Shh," the older woman tried to soothe, keeping a tight grip on her. "Just lay still, sweetie, and you'll be okay. You have to calm down. I know you're upset, confused, and worried…but the more worked up you get the worse off ya are."
Tears soaking the flesh of her cheeks, Lorna sniffled and tilted her head down to get a glance at her chest. She couldn't make out much but what she could, it sickened her. A large breath came out of her mouth. She looked back up at the woman. "Why, why can I see inside my-my chest? I-I thought ya said I was only shot?" The worry only continued to grow.
"Okay, calm down please. I know this doesn't look good. I know but ya have to calm down. I didn't wanna make ya feel worse…but the person who shot you also used a knife to cut ya here."
"Calm down? Calm down? How the hell can I calm down when I'm this close to being dead and my daughter's god-only-knows where? Can you at least tell me who you are?" The brunette questioned, however, her voice becoming more and more breathy.
Using her fingers to massage gently into both of the shoulders her hands were covering, the paramedic sighed. One of the hardest jobs was to helplessly watch a dying person realize her fate. Those were the patients who haunted her sleep. Who impacted her beyond words. She hoped and prayed this didn't end up the same way. "My name's Alex Vause, I'm a paramedic."
She stroked a hand comfortingly through her dark brown waves. "You wanna live so staying calm is your best option. Just breathe, yeah? Don't think about anything else. Focus on breathing for me."
"Do, do ya think I'll live?"
The question felt like a ton of bricks weighing down on her. One of the questions she loathed answering. She pushed aside her feelings and gave a warm smile down at the young woman. "Of course. You're going to the right place. You're in good hands, don't worry."
Craving some sort of physical contact, Lorna moved her hand up to grab hold of the paramedic's and squeezed it deathly tight. "Will you be with me when we get to the hospital?" Her eyes gazed desperately up into lighter ones.
"I can't stay…I have to report to other emergencies, sweetie. I'm sorry," Alex murmured softly, her orbs faintly glazing over. She swallowed thickly. It wasn't smart to form an emotional bond towards a patient…but this young woman made that difficult. She sucked in a breath and used a thumb to wipe at her tears.
Lorna only tightened her grip on the hand she held. "I don't wanna be alone," she whispered.
That was all she needed for her tears to start rolling. This patient was one of those. One that would haunt her for the rest of her life if she didn't make it. If she didn't stay with her after to see what happened. She tilted her head slightly, looking the small brunette over with compassionate eyes. To see how utterly frightened she was broke her heart tremendously. She couldn't leave her in a state like this. If this was the end, she needed someone by her side. Even if that someone was a complete stranger.
"I'll see what I can do, okay? I don't want you to be alone either. But I'll have the hospital try to locate your family and daughter. Can you tell me your name, sweetie?"
Staring blankly ahead out the window of the back door, the petite brunette silently sniffled. Trying to keep herself together somehow. Attempting to comprehend how she got into this fatal situation. How she put her daughter's life at risk. It all made for a huge lump to sit in the back of her throat. "Lorna Morello. My daughter's name is Antonia. Do the police know that? How are they gonna find her without knowing her name?"
The tall paramedic nodded and grabbed her pager from the pocket of her pants. She relayed the information through to the local hospital they were headed towards before averting her attention back on the distressed patient. "They will soon enough. I just informed the chief of the hospital what ya told me. At least ya know your daughter wasn't there when the person started shooting, yeah? That should give ya some piece of mind," she assured, trying to keep her as calm as possible.
"I wouldn't been able to live with myself if that happened. I knew he was planning to kill us…that's why I made her leave to get help. At least for herself. Do ya…do ya think maybe she's at the hospital? Maybe someone found her and brought her there?" Her brown eyes stared up with a hopefulness shining through.
"That's a possibility. We'll see when we get there."
Looking the small woman over with sympathy, Alex grew slightly curious of her situation. She never had encountered a patient who was almost murdered in a kidnapping. "Did ya know the man?" On the plus side, she hoped talking about it might keep the young girl's mind off the pain and fact that she had a gaping hole in her chest.
Lorna shut her eyes at the inquiry. Did she know the man? More than she wanted to, she thought. "Unfortunately," she whispered after reopening her eyes. She stared down at the sheet that cover her lower body and caught a glimpse of dried up blood. The sight made her inwardly flinch. She hated to see blood. "He was my boyfriend in high school…but, but then I met my daughter's father and fell in love. Obviously, he never got over that."
Slowly moving a strand of hair from over the young woman's eyes, the paramedic only nodded her head attentively. She silently reminded herself it wasn't appropriate to get emotionally invested in any patient's story. But it was hard not to. Not when the patient was seemingly on her death bed desperately clinging to her—both metaphorically and literally.
"God, that's horrible," she muttered with the shake of her head. "What was the purpose of him kidnapping both you and your daughter?"
"I-I don't know." Suddenly the pain started to overpower the adrenaline. Lorna felt waves of sharp throbbing in her chest; she instinctively let out a piercing scream. It was something she'd never experienced before in her life. An agonizing pain she couldn't explain. Almost as if she was being stabbed all over again but this time while aware of her surroundings.
Tears swarmed from her eyes. It was an unbearable, excruciating, sensation. "I-I-I can't, can't b-b-breathe," her voice croaked through heavy sobs. Her breathing grew harder and deeper. She gripped tighter onto the other's hands—a gesture to keep her from fading away. She didn't want this to be the end. It couldn't.
Alex used her free hand to lay soothingly against the flesh of her forehead and brushed her fingers slowly back and forth in an effort to comfort her somehow. "We're almost to the hospital," she murmured in a hushed voice, keeping her eyes on Lorna's. "As soon as we get there, you'll get better pain medication. The kind we have here is shit, honestly."
"Mommy?"
Lorna felt her eyes flutter open at the small voice of her daughter. She searched the room and found the very girl sitting in a chair on the side of her bed. Her pale cheeks were damp with tears, eyes red and puffy from the obvious crying she'd done. Lorna swallowed thickly, her throat dry and scratchy, and reached her hands out to place onto the little girl's face. She wiped lovingly at her tears.
"Mommy," Antonia repeated with a teary smile. She scooted the medal chair closer and wrapped her tiny arms around her mother's neck. To finally be reunited came as a relief to the small child. Her mother was everything to her—she couldn't lose her. "Are you hurt?"
Hurt was a bit of an understatement Lorna deemed. But having her daughter safe and sound in her arms was enough to keep her mind off the throbbing ache in her chest. She cradled her hands comfortingly around the child's head, brushing a maternal kiss against her forehead. "I'll be okay, sweetheart," she murmured, her voice much hoarser and raspier than usual.
"How are you? Ya didn't get hurt, did ya my love?"
Shaking her head, the curly-haired seven-year-old nuzzled her face into the crook of her mother's neck. Needing the closeness after the events of today. The ordeal that nearly ripped their lives apart. "I just was scared for you, mommy."
Encircling her arms protectively tight around her little girl, Lorna pressed a tender kiss atop her head. Nothing was more precious to her than having her baby cradled against her. She ran a hand gently through the thick dark curls that made up Antonia's head of hair. "Who brought you here, hon?"
Lifting her head slightly, Antonia pointed her finger over at the redhead woman who watched the heartwarming reunion from the doorway. "She did—her name's Nicky and she stayed with me until we found you," she informed her, a faint smile forming at the corners of her mouth.
"Hi," the woman waved from her spot, smiling warmly at the two. Seeing Lorna Morello in the flesh only confirmed the familiarity the name struck with Nicky. That was indeed the same girl she saw every day in high school. The petite brunette with the effervescent charisma and a smile so bright that it could blind a room full of people.
Pulling her daughter closer, Lorna gave a grateful smile in return. "Thank you for looking after my little angel and gettin' her help."
Nicky shook her head and threw up a hand. "Don't worry about it, kid. I wasn't gonna just abandon a little girl in the condition she was," she assured, slowly making her way in the room. The fact that Lorna didn't seem to recognize her hadn't come as a shock. The two never even exchanged words before in school—no, Nicky just secretly lusted over the pretty little brunette after acknowledging her sexuality. And, now, was slightly thankful she hadn't tried to pursue anything with her…to know that she had a daughter only proved that Lorna was straight.
"We went to the same high school. I don't know if ya remember or not but I do. When Ona told Red and me your name, I knew there was something familiar about it."
Hearing her daughter's nickname formed a smile on Lorna's face. She ran her hand lovingly through the dark brown curls. "Hmm, we did? I try not to think about my high school days. And who's Red—was she with ya when ya found my daughter?"
"Red's the nurse, mommy. She's real nice," Antonia interjected, snuggling closer and feeling her eyes get heavy. Her mother's arms could always so easily lull her to sleep, and this was no different.
"I don't think we ever talked or anything but I remember seeing you in a lotta my classes. Ya always seemed so happy."
Giving a soft kiss to her sleeping child's head, Lorna sighed and looked down at the sheets that covered her body. She used her smile to cover up how she truly felt all through those years. It wasn't a topic she liked discussing. Swallowing uncomfortably, Lorna drew a circle around the fabric beneath her with one of her fingers. "I'm a naturally happy person, I guess."
Nicky arched an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? You don't look happy right now. I mean I guess given the situation, that would make sense. But if ya were really happy in high school, ya wouldn't not wanna think about it."
"Ya don't even know me and you're tryna get me to tell ya some big dark secret you think I have? Real subtle there, Nicky. But the thing is there ain't one. I'm just in a lotta pain right now because I got shot in the heart—it's been a day," Lorna muttered exhaustively.
With a light-hearted smirk, the redhead just shrugged her shoulders and eyed the brunette suspiciously. "I can read people easily, kid. I'll let it slide for now…you need your rest and time with that sweet little girl a yours. Let me tell ya I'm not a big fan a kids but Ona, there's something special about her. And damn, she looks just like you."
Tightening her arms around the sleeping little girl, Lorna scrunched up her nose at the comment. Let it slide for now? What did that imply? It wasn't like the two would ever see each other again. "What do ya mean let it slide for now? I doubt we'll ever see each other after this. I mean I'll always be grateful to ya for keeping her safe but I think this is it."
"Believe me, we'll see each other again. I'd like to get to know ya—I always wanted to be friends with ya in high school but never got around to doing anything about that. So why not now? There's gotta be a reason I was the one to find your daughter, yeah?"
"Ya think it was fate? Maybe. Right now I just wanna sleep—I'm exhausted," Lorna admitted, the past two nights of no sleep finally catching up to her as her eyes began to droop.
Nicky nodded and grabbed a tissue from the box that rest on the moveable tray. She took a pen out of her satchel and scribbled down her phone number, walking over to hand it gently to the frail brunette. "Yeah, ya look it kid. Here's my number—don't be afraid to text it, yeah? I'll leave ya to rest. I hope to hear from you when you're feeling better. Take care, kid. Not just of little Ona but of yourself, too."
Watching the mysterious woman exit her hospital room, Lorna held on tight to the tissue. When the door shut, she peered down at the number scribbled in blue ink. Maybe this was the beginning of a turning point in she and Antonia's lives. She hoped that was what this meant. The sound of the door's reopening brought her away from her thoughts.
She gave a tired smile at the lengthy paramedic who quietly made her way in the room. "Thank you," she softly whispered.
"For what?" The black-haired woman inquired with inquisitive eyebrows. She stood at the side of the bed, looking her methodically over. It was a miracle she was lying in this bed alive.
Lorna waved her arms around. "For this…for saving my life."
Touching a thumb softly to her forehead, Alex shook her head with a chuckle. "I didn't do that—the doctors did. I'm glad ya survived…I really wasn't sure if ya would make it. I mean it's not often I see a patient with their heart visible and live through that. Quite a story to tell your daughter, yeah?"
"You kept me from moving…and ya said if I did, I woulda died. So yes you did save my life." Lorna felt her eyes fluttering from a mixture of the fading anesthetic and plain fatigue. "What're ya doing here? I thought ya had to go to other emergencies?"
"I just helped bring in another patient so I decided to check in. Had to make sure you lived, woulda haunted me if I didn't find out. You look pretty tired, though. I'll stop by another day when you're better rested and not in excruciating pain. Take care and follow your doctor's order, sweetie. Ya don't wanna pop a staple, believe me. That shit's painful."
Nicky immediately pulled out a cigarette the minute she entered her shared apartment. She needed it after the day she had. Taking a long drag, she exhaled blissfully while throwing off her shoes. Loud music blaring from the living room quickly caught her attention. She held the cigarette between two fingers, at her side, while walking through the archway to find the culprit.
What she entered into made her eyes roll out of irritation. She took another drag of her cig and puffed out a rather loud breath. "Why is Barb here?" The question directed towards her blonde-haired girlfriend in a frustrated tone. Just what she needed to come home to after a long day, she inwardly groaned.
"What? This is my place too, Nicky—I'm allowed to invite my own mother over whenever the hell I please. Besides, what the fuck room do ya have to talk? You were gone all day. I needed somethin' to keep me busy," the blonde edgily replied, throwing her hands up in defense.
Nicky rolled her eyes, plopping down on the couch and glaring darkly at her. "Yeah? Your drug-addicted mother who keeps pushing drugs on us? Ya really think this is a smart idea, Lisa? Ya know what I don't even have it in me to care right now," she held a hand up, everything in her drained from all the activity.
"I just spent the majority of my day in the hospital. Found a little girl while I was out getting gas and turned out she and her mom were kidnapped…her mom also happens to be Lorna Morello. Ya remember her?"
"Isn't that the little slutty girl ya always complained about?" Barb interrupted with a chuckle, her eyes looking over at Analisa with intrigue. While awaiting confirmation, she snorted the white powder she held in her hands through a straw.
Irritation only grew stronger. Nicky's eyes widened as they gave a dark look over towards the straggly-haired brunette and her girlfriend who sat beside her. She hoped that wasn't the truth. "Your mom's lying, yeah? You don't have a problem with Lorna, right? I mean she never did a thing to anyone," she pointed out.
Forcing a smile to her face, Analisa stiffly nodded her head. Even though she knew her mother was telling the truth. She couldn't stand that Lorna Morello. Even more so when she realized Nicky seemed to have a little crush on her all through high school and apparently now as well. She didn't like that one bit. And vowed to do something about it. Something that would actually get rid of Lorna for good, seeing that the first plan didn't do that.
"Lorna has a daughter, huh? And you just so happened to be the one to find her? Wow, that's some luck. Thank God they're okay," she said, trying to sound as convincing as possible.
Barb stifled a laugh at the obvious acting on her daughter's behalf. She knew how far from the truth it was for her to actually be grateful that woman's alive. The countless times Analisa would walk in the door of their apartment in a rage, plotting to somehow murder Lorna Morello. Yeah, right, she wanted the woman gone and she knew her daughter would do anything to get exactly what she desired. One way or another Lorna Morello was likely going to be forever neutralized.