Connor knocked softly on the door before pushing it open. He entered the room sheepishly, one hand hidden behind his back.
"I want to apologize, Ava. I was rude earlier. I didn't even try to understand what you're feeling," he said sincerely. A playful smile crept onto his face as he added, "Would you accept my gift as a peace offering?" He revealed a Snickers bar from behind his back.
Ava couldn't help but laugh, and with her pregnancy hormones, she couldn't resist the gesture. "Okay, truce," she said, taking the candy. She softened. "I've been rough too. I'm sorry."
Her smile faded as she continued, her voice trembling slightly. "I'm terrified, Connor. I want so badly to spend time with this little one," she said, rubbing her belly. "But I don't know why—I can't shake this feeling that I'm going to die during the surgery," she finally admitted.
"Oh, Avey… Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"It… it came up during the hypnosis, and I needed time to process it."
Connor's brow furrowed. "What happened when you were under hypnosis?"
Ava hesitated, her gaze dropping. "It's hard to talk about. It was… so frightening."
At that moment, a knock came at the door, and Dr. Charles peeked inside. "Hi. I just wanted to check in—do I interrupt?"
"No, no worries," Ava replied. "We were just talking about what happened during the hypnosis."
"Oh, I see. I'll leave you two to it," Dr. Charles said, starting to retreat.
"Wait!" Connor called after him. "Would you mind helping us with that? If it's okay with you, Ava?"
Ava hesitated, her hands tightening around the candy wrapper. "I… I don't know. It was terrifying back there."
Dr. Charles gave her a reassuring nod. "Take your time, Ava. There's no rush."
She took a deep breath and finally said, "No, I want to do this. I need to move forward."
Dr. Charles guided Ava back under hypnosis. She found herself in her childhood home, but this time, the scene unfolded differently. It played out from a third-person perspective, unlike the first time when she had experienced it firsthand. Though she couldn't see him, she felt Connor's warmth as he held her hand. It grounded her, giving her the courage to describe what she saw so Dr. Charles and Connor could help her make sense of it.
"Okay, Ava, tell me what you see," Dr. Charles prompted gently.
"I'm upstairs, at the top of the staircase," Ava began.
"Why are you there? Why aren't you in bed?"
"I was in bed, but I heard voices downstairs."
"Whose voices?"
"My father and Sam—Mia's father."
"What are they talking about?"
"They're arguing. Mia died… there was nothing my father could do to save her."
"What happens next?"
"Sam hears something—it makes him furious."
"What does he hear?"
"A cough, I think."
"And why would a cough make him so angry?"
"He thought it was Mia, but… but she was already dead."
"So, who coughed?"
"I… I think it was me."
"You think?"
"That's what my father said."
"But did you cough, Ava?"
Suddenly, Ava broke free from the hypnotic state, her eyes snapping open. The memories were too overwhelming. She folded forward, tucking her head between her knees as she began hyperventilating.
Connor was immediately at her side, helping her calm down. "It's okay, Ava. It's okay," he murmured, holding her steady. It had been an exhausting day, and she needed rest. He stayed with her, comforting her until she drifted off to sleep.
Once he was sure she was settled, Connor quietly left the room and made his way to Dr. Charles's office. He knocked softly before stepping inside.
"Am I interrupting?" Connor asked hesitantly.
"Not at all, Connor. Please, come in. How's Ava?"
"She's asleep now. It's been a long day," Connor replied, letting out a slow breath. After a pause, he added, "Can I ask you something?"
"Of course," Dr. Charles said, gesturing for him to sit.
"Do you think Ava's memory could have been altered by something—or someone?"
Dr. Charles leaned forward, thoughtful. "I don't think Ava's memory is the issue. I believe her subconscious is trying to tell her something she's not ready to hear yet."
Connor spent the night calling hospitals near Ava's childhood village, certain something was off with the story she'd told him. But so far, he'd hit nothing but walls. He tried contacting Child Protective Services, only to be met with confidentiality. Even using his doctor status didn't help—he was constantly told to fill out paperwork.
Then, he had one last idea: the school. The time difference worked in his favor, allowing him to reach a teacher. She was young, around his age. While she wasn't there when the incident happened, she'd heard about it. She couldn't give Connor the answers he was looking for but did provide him with the contact details of someone who might be able to—Ava and Mia's former teacher. The woman was elderly now, but she could still hold the key to the truth.
"Hello?"
"Am I speaking with Madam Emily Rose?"
"Yes, who is this?"
"My name is Connor Rhodes. I'm Ava Bekker's partner. I believe you were her teacher when she was young."
"Oh, Ava Bekker... How could I forget? What happened to her and her father was so tragic."
"You had another student back then. A little girl named Mia."
"Mia Egfield... I'll never forget that name."
"Can you tell me what happened to her? It's really important for Ava."
"It's such a tragic story, too. Her mother died when she was young, and after that, her father sank into alcoholism. We suspected there was child abuse."
"Sorry to interrupt, but who was 'we'?"
"Ava's father and I. He was the village doctor, so I asked him about the numerous bruises Mia had."
"And what did you do about it?"
"Sam—Mia's father—was a powerful man. He'd been a police officer and kept plenty of connections. But we had to act. We barely managed to save Mia when he almost killed her. When she fell sick during the cave fever epidemic, we saw an opportunity. We were supposed to fake Mia's death to get her to safety, but something went wrong. I never knew exactly what happened, but Sam ended up killing Dr. Bekker... and then himself. Leaving two orphaned girls."
"Wait—do you mean Mia was still alive?"
