Episode 3
1004 Words
Naomi's POV
"Don't call him, please," I said sharply.
He looked surprised. Smiled in disbelief. "You just survived a robbery attempt and you don't want your husband to know, why?"
I swallowed, not sure if I could trust him yet. "Yes, I just don't want him here."
He hesitated, then said, "No problem," and slid his phone back into his pocket. "Anything you want."
I sighed in relief before saying, "You mentioned the attack was a robbery. Well, it wasn't a robbery. Someone sent him to kill me."
Raphael frowned. "That's not what the detective said. According to the police, it was a robbery. Some valuables were taken. It seems you didn't want to let the robber take what he wanted."
"What? That's ridiculous," I said loudly. The pain in my shoulder made me wince as I tried to sit up.
"Take it easy," he said gently. "Your wound is deep."
I shook my head. "That's not true. I can prove it. And the assassin should be in police custody, they can question him for the truth."
He raised an eyebrow. "Assassin?"
I nodded. "There were three of us when the ambulance arrived. Me, Ben and him. I knocked him out with a vase."
His smile widened. I'd seen that smile before. It meant he wasn't sure who to believe.
"The police report only mentions you and your son in the apartment," he said carefully. "There was a broken vase but nothing about an assassin or whoever was responsible."
My eyes widened. "I saw the ambulance team first, not the police. Maybe they didn't get the facts right."
"The police have no reason to lie, Naomi."
"And I don't either." My voice cracked. "I'm sure Ben would say the same thing. He saw the man too."
Raphael bowed his head, exhaled. "I'll speak to the medical team that responded. See if anyone confirms what you're describing."
I sat upright slowly. "I told you. Ask Ben." I looked around. "Where's Ben? I need to see him."
He didn't answer right away.
"You don't know where he is, do you?"
Still nothing. He stood, opened the door. "Hold tight," he said, and left.
I repeated the words under my breath; hold tight, wondering what they meant. I pushed the thought away and tried to get up when the door opened again.
A doctor walked in. His face looked tired. Sad.
"Glad you made it," he said. "You were lucky."
"Thank you. But I need to see my son."
He hesitated, stepping closer. "I'm sorry. That won't be possible."
I looked at him like he was joking. "I don't understand. Why can't I see my son?"
"Your son didn't make it." His voice was steady, careful. "He's gone. We did everything we could."
The world around me paused. I laughed first but there was no humor in it. "You must be mistaken. My son's name is Ben. Maybe you're thinking of someone else's son."
"Ben is dead, ma'am. He died before the ambulance arrived."
Heat hit the back of my eyes. I laughed again, the sound breaking apart halfway through.
The door opened. Raphael stepped in, his eyes glassy, tears that didn't fall.
That was the confirmation I needed. I got up. Raphael caught me before I could fall, but I fought him, screaming, sobbing, loud enough that nurses rushed in.
He didn't let go. He pulled me into him, said "it's okay," into my hair while I soaked his shirt with tears, my fingers twisted into the fabric like it was the only solid thing left in the world.
"I'm sorry about Ben," Raphael said.
Something cracked open in my chest, deeper than anything I'd felt when my father died.
"She's free to go," the doctor said to Raphael, not even looking at me before he left the room. The nurses followed after him, quiet, careful not to meet my eyes.
I stopped crying. "I want to see his body." My voice came out hoarse, barely mine.
"That's not a good idea," Raphael said gently. "It'll only add to the pain." He paused. "I'll take you home instead."
I pulled away, shook my head. "I'm not going home."
"Okay." He didn't push. "Where would you like to go? I'll take you. But you shouldn't be alone right now."
I covered my eyes with my hand, trying to stop the tears that wouldn't stop coming. "Take me to your place."
Raphael hesitated. "I don't think Allen would like that."
"Don't say his name." The words came out sharper than I meant them to. "Please."
He nodded once. Didn't ask why. "Alright. Let's go."
He held me steady as we left the ward, into the elevator, down to the lobby.
I kept my eyes on the floor the whole way, like looking up would make it all real again.
Then I looked up and sighted a familiar face.The woman from the ambulance team. The one who'd been in my apartment.
I crossed the lobby fast, grabbing her by the shirt before Raphael could stop me. "You were there. You saw the assassin. Why did you lie?"
Heads turned. Everyone in the lobby was watching now.
"I'm sorry," the woman said, flinching. "There were only two of you when we arrived. You and your son. That's all I saw."
"You're lying." My voice cracked into something I didn't recognize.
Then I slapped her, hard enough that she stumbled back a step.
Raphael grabbed me, pulling me away. "Naomi. This isn't the best way to go about this."
"They killed my son," I said loudly, hitting his chest hard, the words breaking apart as I said them.
"We'll talk about it when you've rested," he said.
I barely heard the rest, my eyes went to the main doors as it opened.
I saw Allen walk in, wearing that innocent look of his.
The second I saw him, every bit of grief inside me turned into something else. Something like rage.
I pointed at him as he came closer. "You.”
- Writer
