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"I know. I'll carry her. The car is running downstairs. We have to hurry. Everyone's waiting." He says, walking upstairs towards her bedroom.
Carefully and quietly, we wake Elle up and carry her to his car outside.
I sit in the back with her as we drive through the very dark night towards where Matteo is taking us.
I hardly speak at all. At this point, I have more questions that there could possibly be answers for - and at this point, only one thing actually matters.
Elle.
Elle is all that matters.
I hold her close to me as she quietly watches the streetlights flash past our window.
Outside a decrepit and abandoned building, Matteo pulls the car to a stop.
I stare at it, wondering if we're lost. He must be. I glance towards him sitting in the driver's seat, getting ready to climb out of the car. We're not lost. He is exactly where he means to be.
It's dark around us, most of the street lights don't even work anymore.
I want to reach out and check if my car door is locked.
"What are we doing here?" I ask, nervously.
"We're here. This is where they've set up. They're inside waiting for us. Give me your phone. These people don't take risks and they won't let outsiders bring phones in."
"Here?" I ask in shock as my anxiety begins to skyrocket.
"Come on, Amelia; we don't have a lot of time. Do you want help or not?" Matteo snaps, reaching inside the car to pull my arm and get me out.
"Ok, ok give me a second. I'm coming. I just didn't expect - um - this place."
"Give me your phone." He says again, holding his hand out. Reluctantly I place my phone in his hand and the minute he pushes it into his back pocket I get a heavy feeling of regret.
Without another word, he lifts Elle into his arms, and we walk into the dark building. It stinks. It's musty and old and I have to watch where I step to avoid breaking my ankle on some fallen pieces of rubble or a rusted trolley abandoned here by one of the street people.
"Matteo - " I say nervously. But he is far ahead of me, and when I realize this, I am scared and jog to catch up. We walk up three flights of stairs, avoiding dark dirty stains on the floor that could be vomit or blood or - I don't even really want to know.
I want to grab Elle and run. This was a mistake. We shouldn't be here. Whatever they are offering here I don't want it. This isn't right. It can't be right.
Why would he bring us here?
I watch Matteo's back as I walk behind him. I could never fight him. Maybe if I tried to explain that I want to leave - maybe he'd let me? I don't think so. There's something about his demeanor that tells me he's not in a listening mood.
I'll have to wait for the right moment to take her and get away from here.
Finally, when we get into the room he's headed for, I do breathe a small sigh of relief.
Somehow, in this hole of a building, they've created a clean space.
A section of the room is cornered off with massive plastic sheeting; inside it, they've set up what looks like an operating room. My stomach churns at the sight of it. I'm used to such a sterile surgery environment. Nothing about this feels or looks right.
Matteo carries Elle over to the wheeled bed and lays her down on it, talking to one of the doctors. I look around, wondering what the hell all of this is for - what his other business is.
He must offer surgeries to people like me - probably charging them a decent amount, but something more affordable than the hospital.
I sigh deeply. Without his help, Elle can't get what she needs.
I have to relax and let him do his thing.
