Chapter 1 - The Urgent Call
I was still dressed in my uniform when I drove away from Fort Liberty that evening. My black military jacket had been flawlessly pressed. The ribbons and medals pinned across my chest reflected the fading sunlight as I traveled through Charlotte, North Carolina, heading directly for St. Bernard Hospital.
The gold nameplate above my pocket read: COLONEL RACHEL GARDNER.
I entered the emergency department with the kind of determination no one could stand against. A nurse stepped into my path.
"Ma’am, you can’t go back there..."
"My daughter," I said. "Where is Abigail Ferguson?"
She lifted her eyes to meet mine. Whatever she recognized in my expression made her step aside without saying another word.
I found Abigail in a quiet observation room at the far end of the corridor. She was curled beneath a thin hospital blanket. One eye had swollen completely shut. Her lip was split. Dark bruises resembling fingerprints covered both of her arms. Her white designer dress was ripped and stained.
My daughter. The very same little girl who used to call me every evening while I was deployed simply to tell me about the colors of the sunset. The same child who drew pictures for soldiers and taped them onto the refrigerator whenever I returned home. Now, she could barely raise her head.
May you like
"Mom..." she whispered.
I crossed the room and pulled her into my arms. Her whole body trembled like a terrified little girl.
