Ch-18

JESSICA'S POV ~ An eerie silence seemed to spread through the air as if even the wind itself feared disturbing the dreadful stillness. The only sound audible was the steady ticking of a clock, each tick causing my ears to twitch. No matter how hard I tried to move my body, I felt as heavy as lead and struggled to awaken. My eyes refused to flutter open, so I resigned myself to lying on the bed, counting to ten before attempting again. A chill slowly ran down my spine when I started to hear voices, making me realize I wasn't alone. My breath slowed as I focused on the sounds around me. Someone was sobbing nearby. I couldn't immediately turn to see who it was because my body ached and was pretty much lifeless. But goddess, I was utterly curious about what was happening. I tightened my eyes and listened in again. It was a woman's voice, and she sounded utterly anguished. "I'm dying, Patrick," she cried. "I can't do this anymore. How can I live without our daughter? We had so many plans as