The time neared 3:00 a.m. in the small room where she lay. The machines beeped, but her heartbeat was slowing down. Her breath was shallow and uneven.
The doctor was just about to leave when a man rushed in. "Where's Rosanna!?"
"Mr. Graceffa, come in. They brought her in half an hour ago. She's lost a lot of blood."
"Is she alive?" Joey questioned.
"Yes, but you have to understand, she has three stab wounds to the chest and abdomen."
"Can I see her please?"
"I'm doing everything I can, but the wounds were already infected when she arrived."
Joey ignored him and ran in, crouching by the bed. He took her pale hand in his. "Ro..."
Her eyes flickered open, and she smiled at the sight of him. "Joey. I did exactly as you said. I held my head up high."
"I know, I know, you did everything just right."
"Even as it was happening, I still fought back."
"I know. Don't talk anymore. You have to save your strength and stay alive."
Unbeknownst to them, another man had entered the room. He gasped when he saw his friend on the bed. "Ro!"
Joey stood up, only to immediately feel a tug on his sleeve.
"Joey, is she still breathing? Is she going to be okay? Who did this to her? Joey, did you know about this?"
A small hand took his. He turned to face the girl on the bed. "Matt. Matt, I'm so sorry. I forgot everything you told me."
"Ro."
"Do you remember?" she continued. "We played piano together."
Matt smiled sadly. "Yeah, that's right. I taught you piano."
"You would sit behind me on the bench and put your hands on top of mine."
"You would always change the melody when we played."
Ro chuckled. "Yeah. I would always change the line, and you would laugh every time."
"I know."
They sat in silence for a minute. The beeping slowed down. Then Matt started to count. "Un deux trois quatre cinq six sept huit neuf..."
Ro was struggling to breathe, but she repeated his words. "Un deux trois quatre cinq six sept huit neuf."
"Good."
He started again. "Un deux trois quatre cinq six sept huit neuf."
"Un... deux... trois..."
The machine flatlined. Matt didn't notice. "Sept huit neuf..."
He looked down and saw Rosanna's lifeless body staring at him.
"Sept huit..."
He screamed in agony, then fell to his knees sobbing.
