months

ysical assault. The wind coming

lly strained against the fabric of her oversized coat

s freezing. The heater had died two days ago,

had saved every penny from the diner. She ha

p wearing three

the night, she

s thick. G

ok

re alarm on the ceiling was silent-broken,

from the hallway

bed her "Go Bag"-a backpack with diap

he touched the handle.

ap

he wood. But the roar of the fire

and then a gush of wa

ater

d. "Not now. Pl

a sledgehammer. She doubled

wi

sted shut. She grabbed the heavy lam

as

d in, feeding the flames that w

he metal grate was covered in ice. She

elled from the alley be

down. Thr

ripped the railing, screaming into th

vy gear climbed up, his face masked. He

his shoulder lik

and pain. The heat seared her back, bur

ance before she knew

ing!" a para

the stretcher. The pain was bli

us

ng to do with Seraphina Sterling, the socia

en, si

a thin, wa

aramedic said. "She'

her hands covered in

bundle on her chest

medic radioed ahead. "Smoke inha

he baby's forehead

ispered. "Your

darkness

harity ward. A nurse

he?" Seraph

. "She's fighting. But the bi

a closed

he was discharged.

aper that weighed a thousand tons. Ne

formula for premature infants. The hospital had given her samples, but they

ed her d

lin

ars. The can of for

ecurity camera. She

rmula into her ove

Her heart was beating faster

ey

houlder. A security

your po

knees. Right there o

ough the soot that still stained her hairline. "My baby is sick. Sh

the desperation in her eyes that went beyond drugs or greed. He

ound. The st

canned it at the register, pulled a for

ed her

id roughly. "And

he dignity to refuse. She just whispered,