The corridor remained quiet.
Only the occasional sound of footsteps echoed through the hospital.
Outside Room 16, Yokina stood waiting.
Beside her stood Herik.
Or at least he had been standing beside her a few moments ago.
Now he had wandered away again.
Yokina sighed.
The nurse had only just opened the door before asking her to wait another minute.
Then the door had closed once more.
No explanation.
No details.
Just another minute.
Irritated, Yokina walked back towards the nearby bench and sat down.
Her patience had been wearing thin ever since she arrived at the hospital.
Every minute felt longer than the previous one.
Especially when nobody was willing to tell her exactly how serious the situation was.
After sitting for several seconds, her eyes wandered across the corridor.
That was when she noticed Herik.
The boy stood a short distance away beside two men.
Police officers.
The officers appeared completely absorbed in their conversation.
Herik, meanwhile, listened without understanding half of what they were discussing.
Yokina almost called him back immediately.
Almost.
Instead, curiosity made her remain silent.
She tried listening too.
One of the officers folded his arms.
"This is going to become a huge case."
His partner nodded.
Yokina frowned.
She had no idea what they were talking about.
Then the second officer lowered his voice slightly.
"Twelve fetuses."
The first officer looked around before speaking again.
"Twelve of them vanished."
Yokina blinked.
Vanished?
The officer continued.
"Directly from the womb."
For a moment she wondered if she had heard him correctly.
The words sounded absurd.
Impossible.
Yet the officers spoke about it with complete seriousness.
A strange feeling settled in her stomach.
Before she could listen further, another voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Miss."
Yokina turned immediately.
The nurse stood near the doorway.
The door to Room 16 was finally open.
Without wasting another second, Yokina stood up.
Before moving forward she whispered towards Herik.
The boy reluctantly abandoned the police officers and followed her.
Even while walking, he kept glancing back towards them.
Eventually he stopped beside Yokina.
The nurse looked at both of them.
"Her condition is critical."
Her expression remained professional.
"Please try not to talk too much."
Yokina nodded immediately.
The nurse stepped aside.
She waited for them to enter.
Without hesitation, Yokina crossed the doorway.
At first her pace was quick.
Almost rushed.
But the moment her eyes landed on the figure lying inside the room, everything changed.
Her steps slowed.
Then stopped entirely.
She remained standing near the entrance.
Herik continued walking.
Only when he realised Yokina was no longer moving did he stop too.
The room fell silent.
The bed stood in the centre.
Medical equipment surrounded it.
And lying there was Wanna.
For several seconds Yokina simply stared.
Her eyes slowly widened.
A painful pressure formed in her chest.
Bandages covered Wanna's neck.
Some sections had been stained dark by blood.
The sight alone was enough to make Yokina's body tremble.
She had prepared herself for injuries.
For bruises.
For cuts.
But not this.
Not something that looked this serious.
Her throat tightened.
Only one word escaped her lips.
"Wanna..."
The name came out barely louder than a whisper.
No response followed.
Wanna remained motionless.
Her eyes stayed closed.
The room felt colder than before.
Yokina slowly walked forward.
Each step felt heavier than the last.
By the time she reached the bedside, her eyes had already begun filling with tears.
Herik remained nearby.
Unlike Yokina, he said nothing.
The child simply watched.
For a while neither of them moved.
Then something changed.
A faint movement appeared on Wanna's face.
At first Yokina thought she imagined it.
But then it happened again.
A slight twitch.
Uneasiness crossed Wanna's expression.
Her breathing became heavier.
Slowly, very slowly, her eyelids began to open.
Yokina immediately leaned closer.
The relief that struck her almost made her collapse.
Wanna was awake.
The injured woman struggled slightly as she opened her eyes.
Breathing itself seemed difficult.
The damage to her neck made every movement appear painful.
Without saying anything, Yokina reached for her hand.
Her fingers gently wrapped around Wanna's.
The gesture carried a simple message.
You are not alone.
Wanna's eyes slowly focused.
First Yokina.
Then Herik.
Recognition appeared almost immediately.
She tried to speak.
The attempt failed.
Only a strained sound escaped her throat.
Pain crossed her face.
Yokina immediately shook her head.
"Don't."
Her voice was gentle.
"Don't force yourself."
Wanna stopped trying.
For a moment the room became peaceful again.
Outside, distant hospital sounds echoed through the corridor.
Inside, nobody spoke.
Nobody needed to.
The fact that Wanna was awake was enough.
At least for now.