Reality of Darkness

Chapter 24

Zak POV.

"How is she?"

It's the first words I hear when I open the front door to my mom with Gracie. Putting my finger on my lips, I gesture them in and into the kitchen, the furthest room away from the bedroom.

She steps in and rushes through, setting a large dish on the side. I follow after her, before making a huge fuss of Gracie who laps it up before darting into the garden.

"So?" She asks, wringing her hands together. "It's chicken soup, you already know that. How is she?"

"Thanks. She's asleep." I tell her. "Going on,"- I glance at my watch.- "14 hours and 37 minutes."

"Oh my. She must be exhausted. I hope she came home and rested straight away."

I lie and reply with a yes, not wanting to add that Elle was more than able to render me useless in the shower, again.

My mom's eyes settle on the floor, the same spot I scrubbed last night viciously when we got home, seeing a faint staining on the floor from her blood. Bacon had gotten almost all of it up, just a bit remained.

"She hit the floor so hard." She whispers.

"It's a sickening sound."

"You've heard it?"

I nod. "I'll always remember it too."

My mom nods in agreement before setting her bag down. "How long will she sleep for?"

"I haven't a clue, I think I should wake her up soon though. She needs to eat. I'll feed her if I have to."

My moms eyes brim with tears before she turns away and walks over to the garden doors where Gracie flew out of. "Oh Zak.."

"She's going to be okay, mom."

"I know, I know.. Did the doctor say anything...?"

I frown "About what?"

When I see her hands wringing again, I sense something is up. "You know.."

"No. I don't." I tell her.

She waves her hand, to dismiss it, but now I'm on the level of panicking. They were busy in the hospital yesterday, what if they forgot something?

"Mom, what? Tell me. I need to know everything."

Turning, she chews her lip. "It might have been a turn of phrase. It's probably nothing."

"What the doctor? Did he say something?"

"No. Elle said... Well she called me Granny."

I frown "When? After she hit her head?"

"No. Before. I was getting the needle out of Gracie's foot and Elle said it. But it just... It got me thinking."

"Thinking what?"

"That she might be pregnant?"