Chapter 3: The Hospital

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When I arrive at the hospital, I'm rushed into a room where my parents are both lying in beds. My heart aches at the sight of them, hooked up to machines and barely conscious. "What happened?" I ask the nurse who is working on their charts.

"They were both hit on the head and knocked unconscious," she explains. "They're stable now, but we're not sure when they'll wake up."

Tears well up in my eyes as I sit by their beds, holding their hands in mine. My mind races with questions and fear. Who could have done this to them? What happens if they don't wake up? My thoughts are interrupted when one of the detectives comes into the room. "Ms. Johnson, can I speak with you privately?" he asks.

I follow him out into the hallway, my heart pounding. "We found this note at the scene of the crime," he says, handing me a piece of paper. As I read it, my blood runs cold.

'You owe us money, Johnson. Pay up or face the consequences.'

I don't know what to say. My parents never mentioned any debts or anything like that to me. "Do you know if your parents have any enemies?" the detective asks me.

"Not that I know of," I reply, but then I remember something my dad mentioned once. "Actually, I know my dad had a gambling debt with a Russian friend of his. But he couldn't have done this," I say without thinking.

"You never know," the detective says, his eyes narrowing. "We'll look into it. Meanwhile, try to get some rest."

As I sit back by my parents' beds, I can't shake the feeling that something deeper is going on here.

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