Fight for them.

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜɪʀᴛᴇᴇɴ

Her eyes drifted to the clock: 11:55 PM. She was certain she was the only one still awake.

Suddenly, her phone began to vibrate in her hand, its unexpected noise breaking the peaceful silence and jolting her heart into overdrive. She glanced at the caller ID, her stomach twisting when she saw the name flashing on her screen: Alicia Katz.

"No, no, no..." Elara whispered to herself, dread settling in her chest. What could Alicia possibly be calling about this late at night? She felt her pulse quicken, an ominous knot forming in her stomach.

She quickly pressed to answer, the words tumbling out before she could catch her breath. "Alicia?"

"Elara, it's... it's Rex."

"What the hell do you mean it's Rex?" Elara's voice cracked as she pressed the phone tighter to her ear, her free hand trembling. She grimaced, burying her face in her hand, completely forgetting Olivia was asleep on her chest. The toddler stirred, letting out a soft, annoyed whine.

"I—I don't know exactly," Alicia's voice was strained, each word laced with panic. "I just got the emergency call. He collapsed, Elara."

The air in Elara's lungs disappeared. "Collapsed?" she whispered, the word barely audible as it clawed its way out of her throat.

Alicia paused, as though steadying herself before delivering the next blow. "He... he was seizing."
Elara froze, her mind refusing to process what she'd just heard. Seizing. The word rang in her head like an alarm, louder with every passing second. Olivia, now wide awake, started to fuss, her little face scrunching up as if she was about to burst into tears.

"They... they took him out of camp completely, medical discharge" Alicia said, her voice cracking under the weight of her fear.

Elara bit her lip so hard. She knew the protocols. They wouldn't pull someone out of camp unless it was something they couldn't deal with.

"Alicia," she whispered, her voice trembling. "That's a six-hour drive—"

"I'm going" Alicia snapped, the raw emotion in her voice jolting Elara. "I know you're coming too."

Elara's chest heaved, her breath shaky as she tried to calm the storm building inside her. She squeezed her eyes shut, pressing the heels of her palms against her forehead. "I—I'm going to figure it out," she stammered, her voice breaking as she struggled to keep it together.

Alicia's voice softened, but the desperation still lingered. "Call me when you're on the road. I love you, Elara."

"I love you, too." Her voice cracked again as the call disconnected.

For a moment, Elara just sat there, clutching the phone in her hand like it was the only thing tethering her to reality. Olivia squirmed in her lap, letting out a frustrated wail. The sound shattered Elara's fragile composure.

Her tears came without warning, hot and uncontrollable, as she cupped her hands over her face. Her shoulders shook with silent sobs as she tried to hide from Olivia's wide, curious eyes. "I'm sorry, baby," she whispered hoarsely, her voice barely audible over the storm raging in her chest.

Olivia reached up, patting Elara's damp cheek with her small hand. The innocent gesture broke her even further. Elara let out a shaky breath, pressing her forehead against Olivia's, whispering, "It's okay. It's going to be okay." But she wasn't sure if she believed it.

The room felt too quiet, too still, the weight of what she'd just heard suffocating. She had to move. She had to act. She couldn't just sit here.

Elara wiped her face quickly, sniffling as she stood up with Olivia still clinging to her. "Alright, Liv," she whispered, her voice trembling. "Adrias gonna hate me."