SHATTERED

╣NINETEEN╠

“Eleanor is …” Doctor Paul began then sighed heavily.
“Eleanor is what, doctor?!” Thelma  panicked.
“She couldn't make it.” the Doctor told her sympathetically.
“She… she…” Thelma swallowed hard, she felt as if a straight bullet had just hit her chest. “no!” she shrieked.
“No, this can't be.” she cried and slouched on the chair, breathing heavily.
“I am sorry. We tried our possible best, she lost so much blood before arriving here.” The doctor told her trying to comfort her. Thelma couldn't speak, she was breathing heavily, her chest rising and falling, still bewildered about the bad news she just heard. Thelma stood up from the chair abruptly, walking angrily out of the doctor's office.
“Ma'am where are you going to?” the doctor asked her, standing up.
“I need to see my daughter.”
“But, you can't, they are attending to her now.” the doctor walked from behind his desk to meet her. She looked at the doctor from head to toe, anger raging in her. She walked out slamming the door. Thelma entered the room Doctor Paul came out from earlier, walking briskly to see her daughter even if it is for the last time.
“I am sorry you can't see her.” one of the nurses, preparing Eleanor's body so it will be taken the morgue said to Thelma as she whisked her way into the room.
“Please, I need to see her …please.” she blubbered, pleading.
“Okay, I'll give you just a minute.” the nurse said removing the green cloth covering Eleanor's face.
“Eleanor!” Thelma shrieked, covering her mouth with her palm. It was really true, her own daughter,her only daughter is dead. Thelma touched Eleanor's bandaged forehead, crying uncontrollably. “I am sorry, I am so sorry… I should have been there for you, I should have stopped you that day from running away. I should have listened to you…”she said regretfully. “Eleanor, why did you do this to me? Why did you leave me all alone, why? You were the only one I had, now I am left alone in this forsaken world. Why Elean? Oh why, talk to me?” she rested her head on Eleanor's cold chest crying.
“Ma'am, it's time.”
“Time for what?!” she yelled angrily at the nurse.
The nurse shuddered at her sudden outburst. “It's time to take her to the morgue.”
“I need to stay with her. I need to stay with her, she is going to talk to me.” she blubbered.
“You have to go,” the nurse said taking hold of her hand. “You are going to be fine.”
“I can't leave her here all by herself, she needs me, Eleanor isn't it?”  she said, acting like a lunatic.
Two nurses held her hands, pulling her out of the room. They locked the door after they succeeded in taking her out of the room.
“My daughter is in there, she needs me. Why are you keeping her there. She wants to go home with me. Eleanor! Eleanor!” she  yelled, crying and collapsed on the floor. She later stood up, walking out the hospital like a zombie, a walking dead, she didn't feel like she belonged to this world anymore. She was dazed, the last piece of her shattered heart had fallen, she was just like a living dead person. She slumped on the driver seat of her car, resting her head on the headrest. She couldn't cry, she couldn't speak, she was just too weak. She ignited the car engine, driving out of the parking lot of the hospital. Where will she go to, now? She didn't care where she went, she was driving an endless journey until she got hit by a car. Yes, this was how she was going to end her life. As a matter of fact, she had nothing in this world. Everything has been taking from her, including her heart.

                    ➰➿➰
        Today was Ethel's first day at work. She was employed as a an assistant detective in Cambridge county. She knocked on a door that led to her employee's office.
“Come in please.” a masculine voice said from the office. Ethel turned the knob open and walked in.
“Good morning sir,” she greeted the well dressed plump man seated behind his desk.
“Good morning, Miss Clifford right?”
“Yes,” Ethel nodded her head, smiling.
“Please have your seat.”
“Thank you.”Ethel said and sat, submitting her curriculum vitae to him.
“Hmm, you have a degree in criminology. Good, you are more than qualified for this job.”
“Thank you.”
“So tell me, why do you want to become a detective?”
Ethel smiled. She loved to be asked this question. “I want to become a Detective because, I want to investigate deeply to know the real truth about a case and not put people behind bars unjustly.”
“Hmm… interesting. Have you investigated on any case before?”
“Yes, I was given a case to investigate on as a project while in the university.”
“What case was that?”
“An investigation to  find an arson, who caused a fire in our chemistry laboratory.”
“Were you able to find the arson?”
“Uh, yes but the investigation was like a group project. Different student made their own personal investigation on the same case.”
“Okay.  Before I can call you a skillful detective, you have to join Detective Moore in solving a sexual assault case that happened here in Cambridge two weeks ago. Here is the case file, you can go through it. You may take your leave. Good luck!”
    Ethel stood up and walked out of the office, going to her own office that she'll be sharing with Detective Moore. When she entered her office, she looked around, it was nice and comfortable. Detective Moore hasn't resumed work yet. She sat on a swivel chair, opening the case file.
“Adelaide Miller, Nine years old.…” she read the victims information out. She exhaled loudly. This is going to be her first investigation as a real detective, she said a prayer in her mind for God to grant her success.