Mafia Bloodlines

Chapter 34

Faina's pov

The steady beeping of the heart monitor was the only thing that reassured Faina that Agape was fighting to live. Before Agape was her usual self and she would chat bon stop but I could now see that her illness was taking a toll on her. Three days had passed since Ambrose left, promising to return with a heart for our daughter. Three days of watching Agape grow weaker. Three days of fearing the worst.

I sat beside the hospital bed, my fingers tightly wrapped around Agape’s small, cold hand. I hadn't left the room, afraid that if I  stepped away....

“Please hold on, my love, Daddy is going to come back, I know he will. He will leave no stone unturned and when he does we will be a happy family again. Just like we were meant to be.” I whispered, brushing damp strands of hair from Agape’s pale face.

Agape’s lips trembled slightly as if she wanted to speak, but she barely had the strength to keep her eyes open. She had  started  to sleep more often in the past couple of days.

I turned to Dr. Reynolds, who was checking Agape’s vitals. “She’s getting worse, isn’t she?” My voice was hoarse from exhaustion.

Dr. Reynolds sighed heavily. “Her heart is deteriorating faster than we hoped. She needs that transplant soon, Faina.” He glanced at his clipboard, then back at me with sympathy. “We’re running out of time.”

I swallowed hard, gripping Agape’s hand tighter. “She will have the transplant, doctor we just need more time.”

Dr. Reynolds gave me a look I didn’t like—one filled with doubt.

“Securing a donor isn’t easy. Time is our worst enemy right now.” Dr Reynolds said.

I turned away, unable to listen to the words she already knew were true. Ambrose had been so certain when he left. What was he doing to get a heart?

I closed her eyes, exhaustion and anxiety weighing heavily on me. My mind replayed the way Ambrose had looked at me before he left—the intensity in his eyes, the way his fingers had lingered when he left me in charge. I hope he is not in any danger.

I sighed deeply, resting my forehead against Agape’s hand. “Mama loves you, baby,” I murmured. “You’re going to be okay.”

But even as I said it, doubt clawed at my throat. I had not heard any word from Ambrose.

Suddenly, Agape’s body jerked . The heart monitor beeped erratically.

My head shot up. “Agape?”

Agape’s eyes fluttered open, glassy and unfocused. Her lips parted, struggling to form words.

“Mama…” Her voice was barely a breath.

Faina leaned forward, brushing a hand over her daughter’s cheek. “I’m here, my love. I’m here.”

Agape’s gaze flickered, then suddenly, her body went limp. The beeping of the monitor turned into a shrill, continuous alarm.

The door burst open as nurses and doctors rushed in. One of the nurses gently pushed me  back. “She’s slipping into a coma!”

I felt her legs weaken. “No! Do something! Please!”

Dr. Reynolds was already barking orders. “We need to stabilize her! Increase the oxygen flow! Prep for emergency intervention!”

I stumbled backward against the wall, her breath coming in shallow gasps as the nurses worked frantically. Tears streamed down my face as she watched Agape’s tiny chest rise and fall, so faintly it was almost imperceptible.

This wasn’t happening. This couldn’t be happening. My hands trembled as she covered her mouth, stifling a sob. Where are you, Ambrose? Where are you?

Agape remained unresponsive. The machines kept beeping, keeping her alive, but barely.

I closed her eyes, whispering a silent prayer.  Please, God. Don’t take her away. Not like this. I had never prayed in my entire life but I felt this time it was befitting.

As I stood there, numb and shaking, an unshakable dread settled over me. Something terrible was coming. I called Tobias to talk to him.

" I need you to find my husband, I have tracked him down and he is somewhere in South America. Bring him home in one piece, Tobias."  I ordered Tobias because he was the man I trusted the most from Ambrose's man.

" I won't let you down Faina. " He agreed and then set off to find Ambrose.

Third person's pov

The hospital hallways were eerily silent that night. Most of the lights had been dimmed, and only the distant hum of machines and the occasional footsteps of nurses filled the air.

Agape’s room was quiet except for the steady rhythm of the ventilator. The machines beeped softly, their green and red lights blinking like tiny stars in the darkness. Faina was sleeping besides her.

But then… a shadow moved.
A dark figure slipped into the room, silent as death itself.

The intruder stood by Agape’s bed, staring down at the fragile girl. The glow of the monitor reflected off the metallic glint of gloved fingers.
And then, without hesitation, they reached forward. A soft click.The ventilator powered down. The machines beeped a warning.
Agape’s small body twitched. Her lips parted as she struggled, instinctively searching for air that was no longer there.The figure remained still, watching.

The alarms blared.

A nurse outside the room looked up sharply. The sound wasn’t right. She rushed toward Agape’s room, throwing open the door.

“Oh my God!” she screamed. “She’s crashing! Help! HELP!”

Faina, who had been dozing in Agape's room, jerked awake at the commotion.

She bolted to her feet, her heart pounding. Agape.

She pushed through the nurses and gasped in horror.

Agape was convulsing, her face already turning blue. The machines were off.

“No!” Faina shoved past them, reaching for her daughter. “What’s happening? What’s wrong?!”

The doctors worked frantically. “Restart the ventilator! Get the crash cart!”

Faina grabbed Agape’s hand. It was limp. Too limp.

“Baby, please!” she sobbed. “Come back to me!”

The nurses scrambled, the defibrillator charged.

“One… two… CLEAR!”

A violent jolt.

Nothing.

Again.

Nothing.

Faina felt herself sinking, shaking her head in disbelief. “No, no, no, no…”

The doctor stepped back, his expression grim. “She’s gone.”

Faina let out a shattered scream. She collapsed onto the bed, clutching Agape’s lifeless body.

Her baby.

Her precious baby was gone.

And somewhere in the darkness, the shadow slipped away, unseen.