Baby Doll(29)

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN


LILY


Where is he? Where is Rick? That was Lily’s first thought when she opened her eyes at dawn. She frantically scanned the room for him, the way she always did when she woke up. She’d learned to wake early in order to prepare for any shift in Rick’s mood or temperament. Maybe she’d never stop feeling this way, this sliver of terror she’d confront at dawn before her real life could begin.

Sky lay curled up in Lily’s arms. They’d had a full house last night. Abby lay snoring on one side, Sky on the other, and her mother sleeping on the other hospital bed. Only Mom was gone now. All that remained on top of the bed were the folded blankets and a stack of pillows. Lily glanced around nervously until she spotted a piece of paper on the hospital’s bedside table.

“‘Went to get a few things for my girls. Be back soon. Love, Mom.’” Lily read the message aloud, clutching the note in her hand, running her fingers along the familiar cursive scrawl. Love, Mom.

Lily’s eyes filled with tears. She couldn’t bear the thought of losing her mother or sister again. She had to fight to keep the bad images from worming their way in. She stretched, her muscles aching from yesterday’s run, and she slowly eased herself out of the bed, careful not to wake Sky or Abby. Quietly, she made her way over to the window.

Lily had been so consumed with keeping Sky safe, with making sure that Rick was caught, that she hadn’t had time to really take everything in. But now, in the early-morning hours, Lily stood watching the sun as it began to make its way over the horizon. Lily had missed thousands of sunrises, and now here she was, gazing at the glorious start of a brand-new day. Bursts of golden yellow, burnt orange, and splashes of red all mingling together—a sunrise so picturesque that it couldn’t possibly be real. Below her, the city was coming to life. Nurses huddled together outside sucking on their cigarettes. Worried family members paced back and forth, talking on their cell phones. But not a single one of them seemed to notice the unimaginable beauty unfolding around them.

Pay attention, Lily thought. All of this could be taken from them in an instant, and no one cared. That’s not true, Lily told herself. I care. There was nothing she cared about more than this sunrise, and then it struck her. This wasn’t a onetime thing. Lily would see the sun rise again and again. She had a lifetime of sunrises ahead of her.

Lily pressed her forehead against the cool pane of glass and imagined sunbathing in the backyard until her skin turned golden brown. In the spring, she would lace up her sneakers, and with the scorching sun beating down on her back, she would run until her lungs ached. There were so many possibilities now. She could do all those things and more. She was free.

Lily would have stood there forever, but the nurses arrived to take more blood. Abby woke up, more than a little groggy. When her gaze met Lily’s, her face broke into a huge grin.

“Thank God it wasn’t a dream,” Abby said.

“I know. That’s exactly what I was thinking.”

They shared another smile, and then Carol appeared.

“Carol, I told you to get lost.”

“Since when are you my boss? I picked up an extra shift, smarty-pants. Now, are you coming with me to get a clean bill of health, or do I need to call for reinforcements?”

Abby sighed, turning to Lily. “The vultures need to poke and prod me and make sure I don’t belong in the loony bin. Will you be okay?”

“I’ll manage. But hurry back.”

“You know I will.”

Abby slowly made her way out of bed as Dr. Amari arrived, carrying a giant white teddy bear, a lopsided purple bow tied around its neck. Abby motioned for Lily to help her into the waiting wheelchair. As Lily stepped closer, Abby spoke in a whisper, obviously not wanting Dr. Amari or Carol to hear.

“Watch out. That woman wants to interrogate you. To make sure you’re not crazy.”

“And if I am?”

“You’ll be in good company,” Abby said, contorting her face.

Lily laughed loudly, and the sound surprised her yet again. After all she’d endured, how was it possible that laughter could come this easily?

“I won’t be long. Isn’t that right, Carol?” Abby asked again as if to reassure them both.

“Trust me, Lily, your sister will chew those docs a new one if they try to dillydally. We’ll be back before you know it.”

They left and now it was just Lily and Dr. Amari. Sky, thumb in her mouth, was still sleeping peacefully.

“They need to draw some more blood,” Dr. Amari said, gesturing to the teddy bear she’d brought as a bargaining chip. Lily wasn’t sure if it was the surprise of waking up in a new location, or the prospect of more tests, but the instant Lily woke her, Sky began to wail. Luckily for Lily, Dr. Amari came prepared. “I thought Sky might like this.”

Sky surveyed the bear’s bright eyes and lopsided smile. A grin slowly spread across Sky’s face as she pulled the bear close to her.

“Mommy, can I keep this one?” Sky asked hopefully.

“Of course, Chicken.”

Lily smiled at Dr. Amari. It seemed even a child raised in captivity wasn’t immune to bribery.

“What do you say, Sky?”

Sky appeared to be thinking hard, her brow wrinkling. She finally stared right at Dr. Amari.