What was that dripping sound? It sounded like an echo, a noise from far away repeating itself in an effort to wake her up. What had happened? Her eyes pulled open but she wasn't able to see much, her vision was foggy and her mind was blur. The car door fell open and she found herself struggling to crawl out, unsure of what was happening but all she knew was that she had to crawl and so she did. She kept crawling. Her head pounded, eating at her strength as she pulled herself through the rough ground. As dizzy as she was, she could only recognise a few things; the horrible smell of smoke and the dark small cave sitting in the hills not very far from her. Her groan was loud and painful. There was a sting in the lower part of her body that she couldn't assimilate at that moment and so she continued to crawl. When she was finally in the cave, her hands began to wobble. They had taken her to the destination and couldn't do anything more. She begged them to let her go deeper into the cave but they were bent on their stance. And so she gave in. After one last effort to remember what had happened or even who she was, Tiffany's head fell on the hard stony ground of the cave. The vertigo in her head had stopped and the stinging pain in her legs was no longer. She laid in her faint. An arm supporting her small head and her legs shut tight. She laid unconscious and heavily asleep in the icy winter cold.

Chapter 1 In The Cold

*January 7*

What was that dripping sound? It sounded like an echo, a noise from far away repeating itself in an effort to wake her up. What had happened?

Her eyes pulled open but she wasn't able to see much, her vision was foggy and her mind was blur. The car door fell open and she found herself struggling to crawl out, unsure of what was happening but all she knew was that she had to crawl and so she did. She kept crawling.

Her head pounded, eating at her strength as she pulled herself through the rough ground. As dizzy as she was, she could only recognise a few things; the horrible smell of smoke and the dark small cave sitting in the hills not very far from her.

Her groan was loud and painful. There was a sting in the lower part of her body that she couldn't assimilate at that moment and so she continued to crawl.

When she was finally in the cave, her hands began to wobble. They had taken her to the destination and couldn't do anything more. She begged them to let her go deeper into the cave but they were bent on their stance. And so she gave in.

After one last effort to remember what had happened or even who she was, Tiffany's head fell on the hard stony ground of the cave. The vertigo in her head had stopped and the stinging pain in her legs was no longer.

She laid in her faint. An arm supporting her small head and her legs shut tight. She laid unconscious and heavily asleep in the icy winter cold.

• • • • • • • • ֎ • • • • • • • •

Tiffany pounded on the half-glass half-wooden door, her heart racing uncontrollably. She was in a panic. The memory that had woken her up from her rest in the freezing cave. What had happened?

“Brea!” she called onto her long loyal secretary and best friend. “Brea, it's me, open the door.”

She pounded louder, trying not to think the worse of what had happened.

Images flashed through her mind. The gun on the driver's hand. The car smashing the side of the bridge. Christian's face when it toppled over. She quickly shut her eyes and blinked rapidly trying her very best not to think the worse. She had escaped, so maybe he did too.

She saw Brea's surprised gaze through the glass on the door and then heard her fumbling with the lock.

The door opened a crack and Brea's shocked face peeked around the edge. “Ma'am?” she asked with a confused frown.

Tiffany gazed at her, not exactly sure as to why she was so stupefied to see her.

“Miss Andrews!” Brea exclaimed, opening the door wider and embracing her ever so tightly.

Tiffany hugged her back, a glint of happiness softened her fear as she acknowledged the love of her secretary.

“What happened?” Brea asked, pulling her gently inside the house. “Where have you been?”

“I. . .” Tiffany couldn't find herself able to bring what had happened into words. Infact, only tiny pieces of it was in her mind at that moment. Certainly not enough pieces to complete a puzzle.

Brea gave her a mug of coffee, brushing her hair off the side of her face and dusting her cheek.

“You look rough, ma'am,” she said. “When we heard about the accident we. . .”

Tiffany hurriedly put that down the coffee, gulping the huge quantity that she had put in her mouth.

“The accident,” she said. “Christian? Where is he?”

Brea's face worsened. She didn't just look worried now but she was terrified. The look she had affrighted Tiffany the more.

“Oh my God, you don't know?” Brea asked, dismayed.

“I don't know what?” The sound of panic in Tiffany's voice was evident. Her fingers began to shake and her eyes started to tear up. Maybe she was wrong, maybe she did have to think the worst.

“What don't I know, Brea!” she shrieked. Her voice sounded wet and despondent.

“Ma'am, after the accident, Christian was rushed to the hospital,” Brea replied. “His injuries were extremely fatal and he was bleeding from his head and like everywhere.”

A drop of tears fell to her lips and Tiffany licked it up, cleaning her lips in the process as she started to cry. “What. . . what happened to him, Brea?”

“I don't know,” she replied. “What I keep hearing is that he's in a serious coma. A really serious coma, ma'am. The doctors are not even sure he's going to wake up.”

Tamara opened her mouth to gasp but only the dry air rushed into her throat and she almost began to choke. She turned around, heading for the door as Brea followed closely behind her.

“Where are you going, ma'am?” she asked, holding her by the shoulder.

“I have to go,” Tiffany replied. “I have to see him.”

“You're in no state to go anywhere. Talk more of even driving!”

“I have to go, Brea!” she yelled at the very top of her voice. “I must go and you are not going to stop me.”

Brea completely understood why she had to go and she also didn't plan to stop her.

“Okay,” she said. “But let me drive you.”

The atmosphere of the hospital was extremely tense. Tiffany could sense it. Was it only because of Christian that it was? Was there something else to it? What was going to happen to him? Will she ever get to even be with him?

These questions flew in and out of her mind as she tore her way through the people in the hospital.

“Good morning,” she greeted the receptionist, quickly wiping her tears and sniffing but not quick enough for the receptionist not to notice.

“Good morning, ma'am,” the receptionist replied. “How can I help you?”

“I'm here to see someone?”

Brea rubbed softly on Tamara's back, attempting to soothe her as she spoke.

“Alright,” the receptionist concurred, picking up a file she had on her table. “A patient? Who are they if so?”

“Yes, a patient. Christian Salazar, he was brought in last night from a car accident.”

Almost impulsively, the receptionist closed the file and shook her head. “I'm sorry but Christian Salazar cannot receive visitors.”