"Annette..." Her dad whispered, his voice sounding strangled as he kneeled before her bed, gently taking one of her hands into his own even as tears streamed down his face.
"Don't worry, Mr. Hebert." The doctor, a slim older man with whitening hair and a perfectly shaven face, gently spoke up, laying a than on dad's shoulder. "She was incredibly lucky, and Panacea visited only a few minutes before you two came in. She said that the patient just needed some time to wake up."
She blinked away her own tears at the doctor's words, shuffling forward until she was right next to her dad. "She... She's gonna wake up?" She whispered, hope blazing in her belly as she took in her mother's peacefully sleeping face.
The doctor grinned. "Indeed. Panacea really does work miracles, doesn't she?" He mused aloud, not that either of the two Heberts were particularly listening.
Taylor sniffled, rubbing her eyes with her sleeve even as she felt more than saw as her father wrapped his free arm around her, bringing her closer to both him and her still-sleeping mother.
"It's gonna be okay, sweetheart." Her father murmured gently, rocking her back and forth. "Mom is fine, she just had a small incident. She's gonna be back in no time at all." He smiled at her, but despite his attempt, Taylor could easily spot the tremble in his voice and the stiffness in his smile.
Even then, however, Taylor couldn't help but smile back slightly, leaning into him even as she closed her eyes. Guilt still weighed heavily in her chest, caused by the knowledge that she'd been the one to distract her mom during the incident.
Now, though, it felt like a great weight had been lifted off of her. She could breathe easier knowing that, when she awoke, she'd be able to hug her mom and apologize.
(If only she'd known then what she knew now, apologies would have been the last thing on her mind)
For now, though, she forced herself to let go of her mum, letting out one final sniffle before both she and her father were politely but firmly shuffled out of the room with a request to come back sometime tomorrow afternoon.
Taylor was practically vibrating in excitement as she jumped out of her father's old truck, bouncing on her feet as she stared at the looming hospital before them with excited eyes.
"C'mon, dad, hurry up!" She whined, watching anxiously as he shut off the car and got out as well. "Hurry uppp!" She whined a moment after.
Her dad merely chuckled, giving her a small smile. "Calm down, Taylor. There's no rush." He advised, only to immediately make a hypocrite of himself as he slammed the door shut, almost dropping the keys as his trembling hands clicked the lock button before then marching over to the entrance.
Taylor, of course, hurried up after him, fiddling nervously with her blouse as she did.
Thankfully for Taylor's already fraying patience, it didn't take long for them to meet with the doctor from yesterday, who practically rushed out into the entry hall a mere minute after her dad had talked to the secretary at the front.
"Mr. and Ms. Hebert, right?" The doctor asked, his voice grim.
That really should have been the first sign that something was wrong, but as it was, both Taylor and her dad merely nodded.
"Good. Come with me, please." He half-ordered before turning on his heel and walking back out into the long hallway leading to the patient's rooms.
Father and daughter both blinked in confusion at the abruptness, but after a few moments, followed after him anyway.
"Do not touch me." The cold, harsh words matched with an even harsher glare was what greeted the father-daughter duo as they entered Annette's room, with the woman having sat up on her bed, her legs dangling freely at its edge.
Taylor, who'd tried to rush her mom for a hug, froze in place. "W-what? But, mom..." She whined, hurt and confusion obvious in her tone.
Annette didn't even look at her as she turned away, staring at nothing in particular, leaning her chin on her fist in a pose that Taylor knew meant that her mother was in deep thought.
Now even more hurt and confused, Taylor could only flutter about her mother helplessly, desperate to reach out to her and yet too afraid to do so. "Mom, what's wrong? Are you angry at me? I'm sorry, I know I was really stupid, I shouldn't have called you while you were driving I promise I'll-"
She was cut off, however, as Annette turned an irritated eye toward her. "Shut up already. I'm trying to think." She practically snarled, causing Taylor to flinch back. Then, as if nothing had happened, she returned to her brooding.
It was then that Danny intervened, his face torn between helplessness, confusion, and anger. "Anne, that's enough. What's gotten into you? Taylor just wanted to cheer you up!" He shouted, glaring at his wife even as he put a protective hand on Taylor's shoulder, silently giving her his support.
Annette's only response was to shuffle a bit, offering the two of them her back in a clear dismissive gesture.
Taylor... did not know what to say to this, and in the end, as her dad started angrily questioning her mom again, only to be met with curt and dismissive responses, the doctor took pity on her, gently leading her shell-shocked self out of the room.
The car was deadly silent as the three of them pulled up before their house. Taylor meekly remained silent as she watched her mom practically shove her way out of the car before stomping over to the house, leaving the both of them behind.
"... Dad?" Taylor finally spoke up. "What is... Did I do something wrong?" She asked, her earlier happiness having long since evaporated.
"Of course not, sweetheart." Her dad was quick to reassure her, giving her a painfully obvious fake smile. "Your mom just... needs some time to herself, that's all." He said, and Taylor knew that he was saying it for himself just as much as for her.
Taylor said nothing as she too got out, following her dad as they entered.
When she finally found her mom late at night, having been woken up because of a horrible nightmare, it was in one of the most unlikely places she'd imagined: The basement.
"Mom?" She tentatively called out, watching as her mother- who was curled up in a corner, a small lamp beside her and her kindle in her lap- jerked in surprise.
"Who goes- Taylor?" Her mom responded, and Taylor could've sworn she'd heard a weird sort of echo in her voice.
She blamed her sleepiness for it.
She shyly stepped forward, clad in her pajamas and with her favorite owl plushie clutched tightly in one arm while the other held what she knew was one of her mom's favorite books.
"H-hey, mom." She half-whispered, unsure of how to even start this conversation. The look of annoyance that her mom sent her only made her even more unsure, causing her to shuffle on her feet. "U-um, what are you reading?" She asked.
"It is nothing that one such as you need worry about." Her mother cooly answered, causing Taylor's heart to sink. "Now, tell us what mundane reason it is you have interrupted our studies for, child?"
Taylor's mouth opened, but no words managed to come out other than a small, almost unbearable whine. She closed it, gulped, and tried again. "I... I was hoping you'd read to me. You know, like... You used to? I had a really bad nightmare..." She trailed off weakly, her voice growing more and more feeble even as her mother's irritation visibly grew.
Her mom eyed her with obvious disdain mixed with disinterest. "You are not worth the effort." She finally said after a long pause. "Not right now. Perhaps not ever. Now that I have seen the truth, I must ready myself to join the dance."
Taylor's arms felt weak, and her vision began to blur for some reason. "What... I..." She tried to say, only to choke on her words. "Mom, I'm sorry, I didn't... I know I shouldn't have-"
She was cut off as Annette's gaze sharpened, causing Taylor to flinch backward. "Enough with your prattle. Leave me, child. You are taking up valuable time." She ordered.
"Mom, please, I just..." Taylor tried again, only for Annette to practically jump to her feet, glaring down at Taylor with enough force that the twelve-year-old actually found herself freezing in fear.
"Leave." She snarled, and this time, Taylor knew she hadn't imagined the echo in her mother's voice as she turned on her heel and ran, dropping both book and plushie as she did, her heart thundering in her chest as she fled like the devil itself was on her heels.
Taylor didn't stop fleeing until she was back in her own room, slamming the door shut with enough force to rattle the walls. Then, she slid down said door until her butt hit the floor.
She felt strangely calm, and yet, for some reason, she was absolutely soaked in sweat, and her hands couldn't stop trembling. Taylor took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, but all that did was leave her light-headed.
She was shivering now, she realized as she forcefully hugged herself, trying to get her body to stop to no avail.
What had happened to her sweet, loving mother, she wondered as her calm began to leave her and tears began to once again freely flow from her eyes and snot from her nose. What had happened to the woman who'd once held her in her arms, humming songs to her with love clear in her voice?
She didn't know. She didn't know.
Taylor did not get a wink of sleep that night.
Annette Hebert, wife to Daniel Hebert and mother to Taylor Hebert, had disappeared by the next morning. She had not left behind any notes. She had not taken any of her possessions with her.
And now, as her father panickedly called the police and hospital, begging for help and explanations, Taylor found herself staring at her mother's kindle, feeling as though a great void of ever-darkening nothingness had been carved into her chest.
With trembling fingers, she turned it on, her breathing erratic as she looked at the title of the book her mother had been reading last night.
Myths and Legends of the Fae Folk.
