Page 4 of Starving Butterfly
“Fine.” I grunted. “Any word about the lawyer?”
“Obsidian has him in lockdown, nothing we can do about it right now. They’ve withdrawn from Riven for the most part, camped around New York.”
“Fuck.” I muttered. “Okay, and the shipment? Please tell me the fucking shipment is still on schedule.”
“Yes sir. Still on time.”
“Thank fuck. Okay I need you to do me a favor, and if you tell a soul…” I trailed off, letting the rest of the threat land harder.
“Yes sir. Of course.”
“Look into Midas’s Poker Games, follow the girls, it’ll lead you to the money trails.”
There wasn’t another way to do this, and truth be told, I had no idea if it would work, worse case scenario, I'd never see Summer again. Midas might have skipped town, but his money-makers were still here.
“Remember, don’t utter a single word. Especially to my wife.”
“Yes sir.”
I flicked the cigarette as the line died.
“What an interesting conversation.” Dr. Avery’s voice cut through the wind.
“Jesus fucking christ, say something next time.”
“No. Private conversations shouldn’t be held on the streets in broad daylight, any old fool may hear, your plan is flawed anyways. I doubt you’ll be able to recover the girl in time.”
“The fuck did you just say?” I pinned him against the brick, seething into his eyes.
“Simple terms for the brute, alright. You will fail. She will die. Six years old. Minimal intake. Temperature drop. You don’t have time. ” There wasn’t malice in his voice, only certainty.
“Go fuck yourself,” I shoved him off, heading back to Summer. The fuck did he know about starving children. The fuck did any of them know about survival.
5
SOMEWHERE A CHILD WAS STARVING
October 7th
“Truth has a way of revealing itself regardless, I would be more concerned—” Dr. Avery halted his whispers, and I looked up to see Cole awake, staring. Cole muttered something about a call, and when he came close, I flinched back,not really sure why. Hurt flashed in his eyes before he slammed the door shut.
“Stop beating around the bush and tell me straight.” I muttered. Dr. Avery reached into his bag and withdrew a sheet of paper, passing it over to me. Confusion morphed on my face as I read over the results. Color drained from my face at the bold lettering.HCG - 53 mIU/mL.This test was old, early in August. I swallowed hard as I digested this news.
“Well this complicates things,” a short, bitter laugh left my lips. “Would you have told me if I didn’t trade you my trauma?”
“No. Although what you choose to do with the information is entirely up to you. You are within the window. The procedure would not compromise future fertility.” The paper crumpled in my hand the longer I gripped it. My breath caught in my throat the longer I stared at that result. I knew they’d removed the IUD in the hospital, but I didn’t think my body would snap back so quick.
“How did you get my blood?” My voice rose an octave as panic started to settle over my senses.
“Karter.” He plucked the sheet out of my hands. Replacing it with a glass of water. I didn’t say anything until the entire cup was empty. Dr. Avery just watched, letting me digest the news. Pregnant.
Somewhere a child was starving, and my body was creating another.
“How could he?”
“Sex and opportunity. Motivations aside, it was most interesting results.” Dr. Avery spoke matter-of-factly, as if he were very sure of himself.
“Oh.” It was all I could say. Why should I have a child when my own is missing? A pang of guilt wove itself through my body. Tears slid down my face. Pregnancy wasn’t my choice the first time; to have it now felt wrong. Could I do that to myself? Ididn’t trust my mind and turned towards the doctor. My eyes darted towards the door, half expecting Karter to show up or, worse, Cole. I couldn’t do that to him again. He’s been nothing but supportive and always wanting the best for me. I glanced down at my hands and noticed they were on my stomach. New life, would I be a good mother to this one? I didn’t know anymore. I looked at Dr. Avery, half expecting an emotion I knew he never held.
