It felt like a knife had pierced through my heart, the pain so intense that I could hardly breathe.
Memories flooded back like a tidal wave, bringing with them all the dark moments of my past as if demons from those small, suffocating spaces were tearing at my soul.
Another sharp pain surged through my abdomen.
I pulled back the blanket and saw a warm fluid flowing down my thighs, staining the pristine white sheets with bright red.
Frantically, I dialed emergency services.
By the time I arrived at the hospital, I was curled into a ball, drenched in sweat.
"The baby no longer has a heartbeat."
The doctor's words left me frozen.
"You developed a high fever due to the flu, and the baby didn't make it. We need to perform a procedure now to avoid infection. Please notify your family."
"No, that's impossible. This afternoon, my baby was still moving. He was responding to me. I could feel his heartbeat. How could he be gone just like that?"
Tears streamed down my face as I lay on the hospital bed, muttering to myself. Then, in a desperate frenzy, I grabbed the doctor's arm.
"Please, I'm begging you, save my baby. He still has a heartbeat. I can feel it."
The doctor looked at me with pity and gently pried my hand away.
"Ma'am, I'm so sorry for your loss. There's no longer any sign of life."
As I watched the doctor walk away, a deep sense of helplessness and despair washed over me.
"The procedure requires a family member's signature. Mrs. Larson, when will your family arrive?"
The nurse stood nearby, holding the consent form.
I pulled out my phone and tried calling Bernard again.
Still, no one answered.
The cold air in the operating room made me shiver uncontrollably. The harsh light of the surgical lamp beamed down, making it impossible for me to keep my eyes open.
I had a dream.
In the dream, I was locked in the corner of a public restroom, trembling.
"Please, let me out. I have a dance competition today, I can't miss it. Please."
Suddenly, someone poured a bucket of cold water over my head. I felt a biting chill rush through my entire body.
That December was unusually cold.
"You think someone like you can compete in a dance contest? Do you even know what you look like? Let me warn you, if you try to stand out again, next time it won't just be locking you in the bathroom."
Annika's voice echoed from outside the door, followed by cruel laughter.