Free Broken World by Chloe Adams, Lizzy Ford

sue me if I did,” I say.
    “Maybe.” Chris chuckles. “Or maybe baby-Mia knew I cared about her and just wanted what was best.”
     I lean my head back against the wall, still furious, but knowing he’s right.
    “Maybe,” I whisper.
    “The car’s there. There’s ice cream waiting for you when you get home.”
    “Okay.” I hang up, overwhelmed.
    With effort, I stand and cross to the sink. I blot my face and repair my make-up then rinse out my mouth. The acidic taste is still there. Disgusted, I finish cleaning up and leave the bathroom, stopping in the first snack room I find. I grab a Sprite and stand there, drinking. My phone vibrates again. I assume it’s Chris again. After a minute, I look at it.
    Hey. How’s life?
    It’s Dom. My heart quickens. I’m suspicious, but I know I made myself clear. If he starts on anything about testifying, I’ll tell Chris this time. At least, this is what I tell myself. I’ve wanted Dom to text for days now, since I walked out on him. I want him to be different. Maybe he is. Or maybe, he’s playing me, the way my family does.
    I won’t get pulled into that game again with him.
    Meh. I type back. I tap send, hesitate, then type another message. At hospital. I want to see Number Eight.
    I tuck the phone away. I’ve been ready to back out all day, but now that I told Dom what I’m doing, I can’t. I walk down the hallway, past the nursing station and to the double doors leading to the ICU. Heart pounding, I push one open and enter. The hallways here seem whiter, if that’s possible, and the air heavier.
    Shoving my shaking hands into my pockets, I walk slowly past doorways and halls. I stop at the nursing station in the center of the ICU.
    “I’m here to see … Tanya,” I say. “I don’t know where she is.”
    “Relative?” the nurse asks, looking up.
    “Um, we went to school together.”
    The nurse looks me over. Apparently, I pass her inspection.
    “Sign in.” She pushes a visitor log at me. “Go down the hall behind you, fourth door on the right. Only family is allowed in her room, but you can see her from the window and talk to her family.”
    “Thanks.” I fill out the visitor’s log. My phone vibrates. I pull it out as I turn to start down the hallway.
    I’m proud of you. Dom’s words make my throat tighten. He didn’t take the bait, didn’t remind me about coming forward.
    Okay, so maybe he’s capable of being a real human. I’m not sure I know how to take that, but I think I’m relieved. Everyone in the world can’t be as fucked up as my family.
    I draw an unsteady breath, put the phone away, and stop in front of the fourth door on the right. It leads to a short hallway, with three closed doors and walls of windows on the left. On the right are benches and plush chairs along the wall.
    Someone is sleeping on one couch. Uncomfortable, I cross to the first set of windows and look inside. There’s a small waiting area with chairs and a table close to the window and a room with three beds on the other side. An older woman is seated next to the nearest bed.
    The girl in the bed, Tanya, has a bandaged head. She’s got tubes and IVs hooked up all over her body, and the skin on her face is bruised. She’s unconscious, with one leg in a sling and one arm in a cast. I can’t see the rest of her body beneath the sheets, but I read she was beaten all over by a crowbar or something metal. She’s been in a coma since that night. I can’t see a lot of the damage, but I can imagine it.
    My own rape flashes in my mind. I recall the pain as they slammed something metal into my back, my thighs then my head. About to pass out, I very carefully cross the space between the window and the chairs along the wall and sit.
    I whisper the chants Dr. Thompkins gave me and cradle my head in my hands, struggling to breathe deeply. I let Daddy dissuade me, and this happened. It’s not his fault, though, because I had the power. It was my choice not to talk to Dom.