Every night I'd lie awake for hours, unable to tell if my eyes were open or closed; not that it mattered. Sleep wouldn't claim me until long after midnight, and even then it was a restless sleep, void of all dreams, leaving only darkness.

Waking up to my alarm, I would thrash myself out of the sheets only to slump five minutes later against the shower stall, trying to coax life back into my weary body by huddling under the icy cold spray. Numbness. I'd barely feel it.

I arrived later than usual to work one morning. A group of ballerinas were gathered together, surrounding Lily as if she were Jesus passing out bread and fish. But no, she was merely spitting out gossip, and the vultures at her feet cawed and widened their eyes, crying for more.

Lily was holding out her hands, demonstrating how small something was.

I came up behind them right as they started a hysterical fit of giggling.

"Lily!" i snapped.

The group stopped laughing by sucking in their breaths.

Lily turned around, her hair swirling in slow-motion after her. She batted her long, mascara-covered lashes and gave me an innocent smile.

"Yeah?" She asked, placing her long fingers against her wide hips.

"What are you doing?"

"Me?" She stared at me as if dumbfounded. "Nothing. Just telling a little joke, that's all." She shrugged.

"Tell me, I like jokes," I dared her, my voice darkening.

"Nah," She grinned at the girls behind her. "It wouldn't be appropriate." She turned back to me with steel in her eyes.

I stood staring her down for a moment before looking past her to the others.

"Go," I said at last. "All of you. You should be getting ready for pratice."

I walked away without another word, doing my best to pretend the hushed laughter behind me was my imagination.

...

I went to my office and sat at my desk.

I sat there staring at nothing. My eyes unfocused and my heart became slow and uneven. My limbs felt heavy as if I were sleeping. My ears felt fuzzy and I could no longer hear the clock ticking on the wall. My eyes ached so I closed them for a few seconds.

When I opened them again, I saw my cell phone on the desk, glowing softly, indicating I was getting a call.

As I reached for it, my hearing suddenly returned. I flinched when the wail of my ringtone pierced my ears. I snatched my phone with a snarl and answered it.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Thomas Leroy?"

"Yes?" I said, almost impatiently.

"Hi, this is Susane over at the hospital. I'm one of the nurses that has been taking care of Beth?"

My heart suddenly faltered, then quickened dramatically.

"Is she all right?" I asked, my mouth dry.

"Well, sir, that's why I'm calling. See, there was a complication during her reconstruc-"

"Is she all right?" I interupted loudly.

The woman hesitated. I heard her take a deep breath, then sigh it out into the phone.

"She-"

"Well?" I demanded.

"She didn't make it. I'm sorry, Mr Leroy."

I swallowed what tasted like acid in my mouth. The woman began speaking again, but I didn't hear her. I hung up, dropped the phone on my desk, and leaned back in my chair.

Beth... My stomach curled and my lungs tightened. I looked down at my hands, which gripped the armrests of the chair. They trembled anyway.

I closed my eyes and tears streamed down my cheeks.

"My... little princess..." I whispered, hanging my head.