Serene noises filled the hospital, but I barely heard them. My world was quiet except for the steady drip of tears running down my face as I held my mother's hand tightly. Her body was frail, each breath she took strained, each one a fight. I had somehow managed to push her to the city hospital in an old cart I found behind the house. It had been left behind by the previous owners. One minute, she was conscious, the next, she was drifting in and out of awareness. Every breath she took seemed like it was a struggle, a pain I feared she had have to endure forever, all because of the inadequate treatment.
"Get well soon, Mom," I whispered through my tears. "I promise to work day and night. I'll do anything to get you back on your feet. I have no one else in this world. Please, do not leave me. You are all I have."
"Miss Kaitlyn, the doctor wants to see you," said a middle-aged nurse, looking at me with pity.
I glanced down at my mom's pale skin, torn between staying by her side and facing the reality I could not avoid. The nurse's gaze became more insistent. "We need to transfer your mother to the ICU. The medications you've been giving her are making things worse. She needs proper care. Get some funds together and bring her back for standard treatment. The dementia is not just affecting her memories, it's damaging her health."
The nurse handed me a prescription. "Take these drugs for now, but you need to get more funds if you want her to get proper care."
"I will," I muttered, the words feeling empty as I stared blankly, feeling lost in a whirlwind of confusion and fear. My whole world seemed to be crumbling.
********
Later, I found myself face to face with Mr. Tony, hoping for a solution, any solution.
"And why would I do that?" Mr. Tony asked, his voice cold.
"I need help with my mother's illness," I pleaded, desperate. "I will work double shifts if I have to."
He leaned back, uninterested. "I do not do advance payments, Kaitlyn. You need to earn your wages first."
I felt the walls closing in on me. "You saw me the other day. You said you wanted to help. What happened?" I was so exhausted, emotionally and physically, that the words came out broken.
Mr. Tony scoffed. "I would love to help you, but you're stubborn. You only see things your way. You do not understand the bigger picture, Kaitlyn."
"Explain?" I asked, my patience thinning.
"You are in your late twenties, right?" he said with a smirk. I nodded, not understanding where he was going.
"Kaitlynnnnn," he dragged my name out, his eyes glinting. "All this time, haven't you figured it out yet? Your body, Kaitlyn, is a great tool. It is what drew me in. And it is what will help you get ahead in life."
I froze, my heart pounding. "What?" I whispered. "Are you really saying this to me?"
"You need to calm down," he said, licking his lips in a way that made my stomach turn. "I have ways to help you—other ways. But you are not ready for that kind of change. You're too stubborn."
A bitter realization hit me like a cold slap. This was just another "give and take" game. My stomach churned with resentment. How could a man who could be my father speak to me this way? How could he desire such things from me?
"Kaitlynnnnn," he said again, dragging out my name as he stepped closer. Before I could move, his hands were on my chest. I pushed him away, fear surging through me as I backed away.
"Get out!" I shouted, shaking as I tried to hold myself together.
He yelled in frustration. "You won't get a dime from me. You will lose in your own game, you…"
I did not wait to hear the rest. I ran, tears blurring my vision.
***********
Back home, I ran myself a hot bath, but the humiliation and anger refused to leave. My body was sore, but it was the emotional toll that weighed the most. I've faced worse, but Mr. Tony was something I didn't expect.
After my shower, I stood in front of the eviction notice, the paper staring back at me like an unyielding reminder of how much my life had spiraled. I let out a deep, frustrated sigh, shaking my head as I walked through the house.
"You're back?" my mom's faint voice broke through.
"You're awake?" I asked, forcing a smile, even though the weight of the world felt like it was on my shoulders.
"I'm so sorry, Kaitlyn. I'm sorry for everything…" She sobbed, her hands clutching her chest.
"Mom, we'll get through this," I said, trying to stay strong for her. "Just hold on. I'll be back soon." I couldn't bear seeing her cry.
I stepped out of the hospital to clear my head, walking through the parking lot when a black van pulled up. Men wearing masks stepped out, and before I could react, one grabbed me from behind. I struggled, kicking and yelling, but they overpowered me. A sharp blow to my head sent me into darkness.
*****
The world went black.