It Didn't Have to Be This Way

Chapter 2

Emir's head is pounding when he wakes up. He wonders briefly if his flight from the house was all a dream. The room he's in is unfamiliar, the sounds around him different. No. He's not at home. He has no idea where he is so he decides to explore, finding the door to the room unlocked.

The house is mostly quiet, but very large. It seems to be night, but he doesn't really know. He doesn't have his phone to tell what time it is, so that's one question that won't get answered right away.

"Hello?" he calls out. "Is anyone here?"

Silence. He walks more. A little bit further and he hears a sound. A baby's cry. Then sounds that indicate someone is trying to console the little one.

"Shhh, my love. You're fine."

The voice nearly brings him to his knees. He sees a soft light coming from under a door ahead. He runs to it. He pushes the door open and stops breathing. He blinks. Rubs his eyes. Blinks again.

"Reyhan?"

The woman turns around. Her eyes are wide and her face instantly goes white. Emir sees she's in danger of dropping the baby attached to her breast. He runs and catches the woman as she begins to sink to the floor. The familiar scent hits him. Reyhan's scent.

"Emir?"

What? How? Why? All the questions race across his mind, but they're all drowned out by the beating of his heart. He lifts a hand to his chest in wonder at the thumping he feels there. He hasn't noticed that sign of life in himself since he lost her. But there it is. His strong, healthy heart beat. A heart that beats only for her.

The baby lets out a sleepy burp and then gives Emir a milky grin. Another shock comes at the sight of a little girl in his wife's arms. So many questions. But he can't stop looking at Reyhan. And the baby. A baby that's undeniably his.

"You found us," Reyhan says tearfully. "We're saved."

That brings him back to his senses. Something crazy is going on. Someone has explaining to do. Because this makes no sense. How could he be holding Reyhan? How could this be happening?

He looks around. There's a bed across the room so gets them all settled there. Once they're comfortably situated, the baby lying between them, he gives himself a quick pinch to make sure he isn't dreaming. It feels so real, but it can't be ... can it?

"I thought you were dead," is the first thing he can think to say.

"I know," she says, her voice filled with tears. "I gave up hope when they told me that. I didn't think you'd find us. I thought we would die here."

"But where is here? What is this place? Why are you here? Why am I here?"

"All I remember is being in the hospital, still pregnant," she explains. "And then the next thing I remember is waking up here just after she was born. We've been here ever since."

"But how? Why?"

Reyhan just shrugs. She shivers a little, so he pulls her closer to his body to warm her. His lips brush the top of her head and drop a kiss there. If this is a dream, he doesn't want to wake up.

"I thought this place was some sort of hospital. They run tests on us all the time," she continues. "We're both sick and they can't figure out how to cure us."

Reyhan groans in pain right then, struggling to move.

"Take her," she begs. "I always get weaker after I feed her. I should let them give her a bottle, but I can't stand to hear her cries."

Emir takes the baby and takes her to her baby bed. She looks up at him and he can't help but notice she's a perfect copy of Reyhan, except she has his eyes. He gently strokes his finger down her cheek. Once again, he has no doubts this is their child.