Two Shadows, One Deadly Fascination!

Chapter 4: Vivian

The sterile scent of the hospital hit me as soon as I walked through the automatic doors, the cold air sending a chill through my skin. I’d lost track of how many times I’d made this same trip over the past week, how many times I’d walked these hallways with a heavy knot in my stomach, hoping for good news. But today felt different. The knot was tighter, harder to ignore, and the pit of dread growing inside me was impossible to shake.

I took a deep breath and walked to the nurse’s station, offering a tight-lipped smile to the woman behind the counter. She knew me by now, her face soft with sympathy.

"Vivian, right?" she asked, her voice gentle.

"Yeah," I said, feeling the heaviness in my throat. “Here to see Leah Potters again.”

She nodded and glanced down at the chart. “She’s still in the same room, but…” Her voice trailed off, and I caught the look of hesitation in her eyes before she forced another smile. “The doctor’s in with her now. You might want to speak with him.”

I swallowed hard, my heart sinking as I made my way down the hallway. That look on the nurse’s face… it was never good when they hesitated like that. It was never good when they told you the doctor was already in the room.

I reached Leah’s room and paused, my hand hovering over the door handle, feeling the weight of what might be waiting on the other side. I wasn’t sure I could take any more bad news. Leah had already been through hell, and I wasn’t ready to hear that things were worse than they already were.

But I had to. I had to know.

I pushed the door open.

Leah was lying still in the hospital bed, her face swollen, the bruises a sickening mix of purple and yellow now. The machines beeped steadily beside her, but they were the only signs of life. She looked smaller somehow, more fragile than the last time I’d seen her. And standing beside her, clipboard in hand, was Dr. Patel.

He turned when he heard me enter, his expression somber. “Ms. Hart,” he greeted with a small nod. “Can we talk for a moment?”

I felt my heart plummet, but I forced myself to stay calm. I walked over to him, glancing at Leah before focusing on the doctor. “Is everything okay?” I asked, my voice sounding too small, too tight.

Dr. Patel’s eyes softened, but it didn’t make the words he said any easier to hear. “Leah’s condition has deteriorated over the last 24 hours. Her brain activity isn’t showing the kind of improvement we were hoping for, and the swelling has been slow to reduce.”

I felt my legs weaken, and I had to steady myself on the back of the chair. “What does that mean?” I whispered, my throat closing up with fear.

He sighed, closing the chart and lowering his voice. “It means that if her condition doesn’t improve soon… the chances of her waking up will continue to decrease. The longer she stays in a coma, the more likely it is that the damage will be irreversible.”

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. Irreversible. Permanent. Those were the things I never wanted to hear.

“But… but she’s strong,” I stammered, my voice trembling. “She can still pull through, right? She’s just… she needs more time.”

Dr. Patel gave me a sympathetic look, but I could see the doubt in his eyes. “We’re doing everything we can, but at this stage, it’s difficult to say how much more time she has.”

My body went cold. I felt a tightening in my chest, the kind that made it hard to breathe. This couldn’t be happening. Leah couldn’t… she couldn’t just slip away like this. Not after everything.

“Isn’t there anything else you can do? Something you haven’t tried?” I asked, desperation creeping into my voice.

“We’re monitoring her closely,” he said softly. “But we have to prepare for the possibility that… she may not wake up.”

I couldn’t respond. I just nodded, numb, as Dr. Patel excused himself and left the room. I watched him go, the sound of the door closing behind him echoing like a death knell in my ears.

I turned back to Leah, my eyes burning with unshed tears. I couldn’t believe it. She wasn’t improving, and the risk of her never waking up was increasing by the day. My hands shook as I pulled the chair closer to her bed and sat down, staring at her pale face. She looked so peaceful, like she was just sleeping, but the machines hooked up to her body told a different story.

“Leah…” My voice cracked as I reached out, taking her cold, limp hand in mine. “You have to wake up. Please. You can’t… you can’t leave me like this.”

The frustration boiled inside me, the anger simmering just below the surface. This wasn’t fair. None of it was fair. Leah was lying here, fighting for her life, and Adam was still out there, living his. He hadn’t faced any consequences for what he did to her. He was walking free, probably laughing to himself, thinking he’d gotten away with it.

And if Leah didn’t wake up… he would get away with it.

My hands clenched Leah’s, my nails digging into my palm as the anger bubbled over. Detective Harris had been around, sure, but what had he really done? What progress had he made? Nothing. The police hadn’t arrested Adam. They hadn’t charged him with anything. All they had were questions and excuses. And meanwhile, Leah was fading away.

I stood up, pacing the room, my mind racing. The doctor’s words kept replaying in my head. Irreversible. Permanent.

If Leah didn’t wake up soon, there would be no one to testify. No one to say what really happened. And without her, the police would have nothing. Adam would win.

I stopped at the foot of the bed, my fists clenched at my sides as I stared at her. “I’m going to make him pay for this,” I whispered, more to myself than to her. “I swear to God, Leah. I’m not going to let him get away with this.”

I couldn’t rely on Detective Harris anymore. He was too slow, too cautious. And the law? It wasn’t going to be enough. Not this time. If Leah didn’t wake up soon, I’d lose her for good. And I couldn’t lose her—not like this.

Adam had done this to her, and if no one else was going to make him pay, then I would.

I walked back to Leah’s side, leaning down to kiss her forehead, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to spill over. “Hang in there, okay?” I whispered. “Just hang on a little longer. I’m going to make this right.”

The machines continued their steady beeping, the only sound in the room as I squeezed her hand one more time before leaving. As I walked down the hall, I felt the weight of it all pressing down on me—Leah’s life hanging by a thread, Adam still free, the police dragging their feet.

But I wasn’t going to wait anymore.

If the system wasn’t going to bring him to justice, then I would.