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A state police officer and a plain-clothes detective stood on either side of Brittany’s bed while Nurse Angie (or Smalls!) stood at the foot of her bed. They barked questions at the young mother while Nurse Angie shot daggers at them with her eyes and tried to get to her patient to adjust the IV and check her vital signs.
“Brittany?” Jenna called out.
“Jenna!” Brittany’s head lifted off the pillow, her eyes round and worried. “Did you find—” When her gaze took in Jenna’s empty arms, she sagged back against the pillow, tears slipping down her cheeks. “She’s gone, isn’t she?”
Jenna glared at the men. “Out,” she said calmly, softly, emphasizing the command with her gaze and the tightness of her lips.
“But—” the state police officer started.
“If you haven’t asked all the questions by now,” Jenna said, “they’ll have to wait until morning. Miss Berry needs rest.”
When the detective opened his mouth to say something, Jenna raised her chin and narrowed her eyes at the man. He clamped his mouth shut and closed the pad he’d been writing on. As he turned to move away, Brittany grabbed his arm. “Please, find my baby.”
He patted her hand awkwardly and said, “We’ll do our best.”
Brittany released her hold, letting her hand drop to the bed beside her. “Please,” she whispered, the sound choked by a sob.
Once the men left Brittany’s bedside, Nurse Angie recorded Brittany’s vitals and asked, “What’s your level of pain?”
“Ten out of ten,” Brittany said. “My heart is broken. I can barely breathe because my baby’s gone.”
“Do you want me to give you something to help you sleep?” Nurse Angie asked.
“No.” Brittany swiped at the tears on her cheeks. “How can I sleep when my baby is missing? She’s so little. So fragile. I don’t even know if she’ll survive. What will she eat? Who will take care of her? Will they be kind to her? The man who took her came at me violently, hitting me over and over after I was already down. He was so angry. Will he take that same anger out on my baby?” She pounded her fist against the mattress. “I don’t know what’s happening to her. It’s killing me.”
“Brittany, honey,” Jenna said softly, closing the distance between them, “let Nurse Angie give you something to take the edge off.”
Her sister stared at Jenna. “Is this punishment for all the years I’ve been a pain in the ass? Is this karma coming back to spit in my face?” She bit her bottom lip. “If I’m to be punished, punish me. Not my baby.” Her shoulders shook with silent sobs as a torrent of tears drenched her face.
Jenna nodded to Nurse Angi. “Give her something to help her calm down.”
“No.” Brittany sucked in a shaky breath. “I need to stay awake. I need to be alert if they bring her back to me.”
“You need to be healthy and rested when she comes back,” Jenna insisted. “You’re making yourself sick by staying awake and crying so much.”
“I can’t stop,” Brittany said. “For once in my life, I know what I want. I want my baby. And I promise I’ll be a good mom to her. I’ll go back to school, get a degree then get a job so that I can provide everything she needs. She deserves a good life. Not the crappy excuse for living I’ve been doing since high school. Please,” she pressed her fist against her lips. “Please let her come back to me. I didn’t even have a chance to name her. She’s out there somewhere, and she doesn’t even have a name on her birth certificate.” More tears flowed.
“What did you tell the detective?” Jenna asked.
“I told them everything I told you,” she answered.
“About the baby’s father and the man who wanted to adopt her?”
“They said they’d send someone to check on Larry and Mr. Waters.” She closed her eyes. “Please let her be with one of them. Although why Larry would want a baby when he has another family, I don’t know. And I hadn’t told Mr. Waters anything about changing my mind.” She raised her hand to her battered face and winced. “Why did he hit me so many times after I was down? He was so angry he wouldn’t stop. Oh, God. My poor baby is with that monster.” Her body shook with silent sobs.
“Sweetie.” Nurse Angie touched Brittany’s arm. “I’m going to give you something to help you. I promise, when your baby is back, I’ll make sure you’re awake and ready to take care of her.”
Brittany blinked back tears. “Promise?”
Angie gave her kind smile. “Promise.”
Brittany lay back against the white sheets, her strawberry blond hair a tangled mess, her bruised face blotchy and damp. “Do it,” she whispered. “I can’t stop imagining the worst. My poor, sweet baby.”
Nurse Angie added a syringe full of something to the IV. “That should help,” she said softly.
“The only thing that will help is for whoever took my baby to bring her back safe and sound.” Brittany’s voice faded.
“Sweetie,” Jenna leaned close. “Before you sleep, do you have the phone number of the man who gave you money for you to live on during your pregnancy.
