The Comatose Wife's Billionaire Family Comeback

Amari's bare feet slapped against the cold linoleum floor of the hospital. The chill seeped through her soles, making her toes curl. Above her, the fluorescent lights buzzed. The sound grated against her eardrums. She ducked behind the heavy metal door of the stairwell. Her small fingers gripped the edge of the doorframe. Her chest heaved. She held her breath.

Two nurses pushed a stainless-steel medication cart down the hall. The wheels squeaked. The nurses complained about the night shift. Their voices bounced off the sterile walls. Amari waited. The squeaking faded. The voices disappeared.

Amari stepped out. She pushed the heavy wooden door of Room 302. The hinges groaned. The sharp stench of rubbing alcohol hit her face. Her stomach churned. She swallowed the sour taste in her mouth. She tiptoed toward the center of the room.

Evalyn lay on the bed. A plastic ventilator mask covered her nose and mouth. The machine hissed. Amari stared at her mother's sunken cheeks. The skin looked like gray wax. Amari bit her lower lip. Her teeth dug into the chapped skin until she tasted copper.

She shoved her hand into the pocket of her faded overalls. Her fingers found the crumpled piece of paper. She pulled it out. It was a crayon drawing. She smoothed the wrinkled edges. She reached out. She slid the paper into Evalyn's palm. The skin was ice-cold.

Under the thin eyelids, Evalyn's eyeballs darted back and forth. The movement was fast, erratic.

Sharp clicks echoed in the hallway. High heels hitting the floor tiles. The sound grew louder. Amari's head snapped toward the door. Her eyes widened. Her pulse hammered in her neck. She dropped to her knees. She scrambled under the metal bed frame. Dust coated her hands. She pressed her belly against the floor.

The door handle jerked down. The heavy door slammed open. It hit the wall stopper with a loud crack.

"I hate this place." Delma's voice rang out. Her tone was sharp, annoyed.

Jazmyne walked in behind her. She pushed the door shut. The lock clicked.

Delma walked to the bed. She kicked the metal leg. The frame rattled. Under the bed, Amari clamped both hands over her mouth. Her lungs burned. She didn't dare breathe.

"Another month, another massive bill for this vegetable." Jazmyne said. Her Cartier bracelets clinked together.

Delma sneered. She unzipped her leather bag. She pulled out a stack of papers. A Do Not Resuscitate form. The signature at the bottom was forged. She pulled a Montblanc pen from her pocket. She clicked the top.

Jazmyne reached toward the ventilator. Her manicured fingers hovered over the power switch.

The screen flickered. A low hum vibrated through the machine.

Amari watched from the shadows. She saw Jazmyne's hand grab the thick plastic oxygen tube. Jazmyne yanked it halfway out of the machine.

Amari's stomach dropped. Her vision tunneled. She scrambled out from under the dusty bed on her hands and knees. She threw her small body forward. She wrapped her thin arms around Jazmyne's calf. She opened her mouth and bit down hard on the bare skin right above the designer heel.

Jazmyne shrieked. The sound pierced the quiet room.

She swung her leg back. She tried to shake Amari off. Amari locked her jaw. Her teeth sank deeper into the flesh. Warm blood filled her mouth. It tasted like metal.

Delma lunged forward. Her hands grabbed a fistful of Amari's tangled hair. She yanked backward. Her muscles strained.

Amari flew backward. Her spine slammed into the drywall. The impact knocked the air from her lungs. She slid down the wall. Her knees hit the floor.

Jazmyne clutched her bleeding leg. Her face twisted. She stomped toward Amari. She raised her foot. The pointed heel of her stiletto drove straight into Amari's stomach.

Amari folded in half. A wet groan scraped up her throat. She clutched her stomach. Her vision blurred.

Delma turned back to the bed. She noticed the crumpled crayon drawing resting on the white sheet. She snatched it up.

She held the paper in front of Amari's face. She ripped it straight down the middle.

Amari's eyes stretched wide. She pushed a trembling hand into the air. Her fingers grasped at nothing.

Delma sneered. She tore the halves into quarters. Then eighths. She threw the shredded pieces into the air. The bits of paper fluttered down. They landed on Amari's bruised cheeks.

The vibration from Delma kicking the bed frame finally dislodged a primary monitoring electrode from Evalyn's chest. The heart monitor beside the bed instantly spiked. The steady beep turned into a rapid, frantic alarm indicating a lost signal.

Under the blanket, Evalyn's index finger twitched. The joint bent a fraction of an inch.

Inside Evalyn's paralyzed body, rage slammed against her ribs. Her brain screamed. Her muscles remained locked.

Jazmyne grabbed the metal IV pole. She swung it down. The heavy base crashed into Amari's shoulder.

Amari's vision went black at the edges. The pain radiated down her arm. She kept her eyes locked on the oxygen tube connected to her mother's face.

Delma glared at the glaring red lights on the monitor. The alarm was deafening. Her jaw tightened.

"Forget the plug. The nurses will come running." Delma snapped. She looked down at Amari. "Let's deal with this little rat first."

Delma bent over. Her hands clamped around Amari's thin ankle. She pulled.

Amari's fingernails scraped against the linoleum. The sound was a high-pitched screech. She tried to find a grip. There was nothing.

Delma yanked the door open. She dragged Amari out into the hallway. Amari's body bumped across the floor.

Three people standing by the vending machine turned to look, their faces pale with shock. Jazmyne stepped out. She glared at them, her eyes wide and manic. "Mind your own business! This is a family matter!" she hissed, her voice dripping with venom. One man reached into his pocket for a phone, but his wife frantically grabbed his arm, pulling him back. Terrified of the wealthy, unhinged women, the people looked away. They quickly stepped back into their rooms and locked their doors.

Delma pulled Amari over the metal threshold of the doorway. Amari's forehead slammed into the metal track. Skin split. Hot blood dripped into her eye.

Amari twisted her neck. She looked back into the room. She looked at the bed.

Jazmyne grabbed the door handle. She slammed the door shut.

Inside the quiet room, the monitor kept blaring. A single, boiling tear slipped from the corner of Evalyn's closed eye. It rolled down her pale cheek and soaked into the pillow.

Delma tossed Amari onto the wet grass of the backyard. Mud splattered against Amari's face. The cold seeped through her torn overalls.

Kyler walked out of the back door. He held a thick leather leash. At the end of the leash, a massive Rottweiler strained against the collar.

Kyler laughed. He walked over and kicked Amari in the ribs. His sneaker connected with a dull thud.

He pulled a coil of rough nylon rope from his pocket. He grabbed Amari's arms. He twisted them behind her back. He wrapped the rope around her wrists and tied her to the trunk of the large oak tree. The bark scraped her skin raw.

The Rottweiler lunged forward. Its jaws snapped inches from Amari's face. Saliva flew from its teeth.

Amari squeezed her eyes shut. Her body shook violently. She pressed her head back against the tree. She waited for the teeth to sink in.

Kyler unclipped the leash. He dropped it in the mud.

The dog roared. It lunged at Amari. Its teeth caught the leg of her overalls and ripped the fabric.

Back at the hospital, Nurse Jenna pushed the door to Room 302 open, her eyes wide with panic. The heart monitor was flashing red. She sprinted toward the bed to check the disconnected leads.

On the bed, Evalyn's eyelids snapped open. Her sclera was entirely red with broken blood vessels.

She gasped. Air rushed into her lungs. Her chest heaved up and down. The sudden expansion burned her ribs.

She focused all her energy on her right shoulder. Her muscles trembled. Her arm lifted an inch off the mattress.

Her hand found the plastic mask on her face. She gripped the edge. She ripped it off. The elastic band snapped against her cheek.

She reached for her left hand. She grabbed the IV line. She yanked it out. Blood spurted from the vein and dripped onto the white sheets.

Nurse Jenna froze, letting out a startled gasp. "Mrs. Dale? You're-"

Evalyn didn't have the strength to speak. She threw her dead weight sideways. She rolled her body to the edge. She slid off the mattress. Her atrophied legs gave out instantly. Her knees slammed into the hard floor. The impact sent a shockwave up her spine.

"Help! I need a doctor!" Nurse Jenna screamed, turning toward the hallway.

Evalyn bit down on her tongue. She couldn't let them sedate her. She dragged her heavy, useless legs across the linoleum, using her forearms to pull herself toward the emergency wall phone mounted low near the baseboard.

She reached the phone. Her fingers shook so hard she dropped the receiver twice. She picked it up. She slammed her palm against the single red speed-dial button.

The line clicked. A long, electronic verification tone buzzed in her ear.

Her heart hammered against her sternum. Sweat dripped down her neck.

The tone stopped. A deep male voice spoke.

Evalyn's lips parted. They were cracked and bleeding. "Andres."

On the other end of the line, glass shattered against a hard floor.

Evalyn spoke fast. Her voice sounded like gravel. She gave the town name. She gave the address. She told him Amari was going to die.

Above her, medical staff rushed into the room, their voices a chaotic blur.

Evalyn dropped the phone. Her vision went black. She slumped against the wall, her body sliding down to the floor.