Sharlene's mind is in turmoil right now; she doesn't care about her husband being outside. She is thinking about her child's safety.
Have I been neglectful toward Ashley? She often asked herself that question. She wanted to hurt herself because of her decision to allow her on the field trip.
Sharlene wanted to pull her own hair out, but she shouldn't lose control now; she calmed herself down.
When she heard what happened, she was suddenly drenched with cold water, and her heart felt like it was about to burst out of her chest. She remained uncertain about what would transpire at the school, particularly in the basic department; she had heard of the deaths of numerous children, some of whom had passed away immediately or upon arrival.
There are other children like Ashley who are on the brink of death; when she saw her child's condition, it was as if her soul was pulled away by what she witnessed; she couldn't recognize if the person in front of her was still her child. She is trying to be strong, but her world has collapsed.
My God, I hope not. Sharlene could only say it in her mind.
"Tashia, please stay with your sister here for a moment." She heard Vivianne say.
"I'll just get some things from their house, and I'll also buy food now," Vivianne said independently.
"W—Wait, Vivianne, I—I have money here." She quickly grabbed her bag, her whole body still trembling.
"Sis, that's for you first." Then Vivianne walked out of the hospital.
Sharlene hears every mother's cry with each piece of news she hears. She couldn't bear to listen; she understood them.
"I'll go buy some water first. Stay here for now." Tashia said to her.
Sharlene just nodded then. She was sitting in the waiting area, hearing the cries around her, and her chest ached even more, fearing she might not be able to bear it.
Could you please explain how this situation occurred, Ashley? She couldn't help but ask herself in her mind.
Before the accident even happened, Ashley was always appearing and being seen wearing a white hospital gown. She has been experiencing visions and intuition similar to that of a mother, yet she refuses to believe in them.
I take full responsibility for both the situation and the outcome. If I hadn't agreed, this wouldn't have happened to Ashley. Child, please be strong, fight, and don't leave me here all alone. Sharlene pleaded silently, unable to think straight as she remained in denial about the situation.
She covered her face with both palms and tried to comprehend everything happening now; she shook her head. Her gaze shifted to what was happening around her.
There are other mothers who faint when they witness their child; she has never felt her whole body tremble like this before. She stared at them for a long time. There are those like Ashley who couldn't take it anymore and died.
She leaned against the concrete wall, and after a while, she saw children with bloodied uniforms following their crying parents; she didn't know if this was due to her worn-out mind.
She saw that the children hugged their parent, and suddenly it turned into white light. She just watched them.
Are my own eyes deceiving me? Sharlene asked herself again at that moment, while watching the bloodied children following their parents.
A girl, whose appearance was unrecognizable, looked at her; she was dressed in uniform and suddenly approached her.
I can't see Mom; help me. She heard the girl's plea. Sharlene didn't answer then; she just watched her.
She then read the child's name tag, which had the surname written on it.
Dela Cruz. She read the surname in her mind and furrowed her brow, recognizing it as familiar. The news they had gathered earlier made her gasp; a teacher had died to protect other children from harm.
Bernadith Dela Cruz is a kindergarten teacher. She thought to herself.
Mama, Mama, where are you? A little girl's cry echoes through the air.
She was suddenly startled when someone tapped the child; she could barely recognize its face.
Mama is here. Said the ghost.
The child gasped at that moment, then stopped crying and hugged her mother. Bernadith looked at her and suddenly smiled at her. The faces of the two brightened; the two souls became a bright light, and then it suddenly disappeared from her sight.
She was startled by the sudden shout she heard from a room.
"Bernadith! Sarah! Don't leave me!" That's what she heard.
It turns out this individual is the spouse of the deceased. Sharlene saw that the man was sobbing while embracing the corpses of his wife and child. Her heart ached, and she felt pity for him; she couldn't say she was happy now, with her child.
Will his husband be happy if I say that his wife and his child are happy now? She could only ask herself.
"Sister, drink some water first." She looked at Tashia.
She had no strength back then; her sister supported her because her full strength had not yet returned.
"Thank you." She said in a whisper.
Tashia sat beside her; she didn't realize she was already so thirsty. Suddenly, the surroundings spun around her, but she forced herself to stay awake, fearing something might happen to her child.
Sharlene forced herself to remain calm as a nurse approached them. She stood up to greet the nurse; her sister helped her stand on her feet.
The nurse was carrying some papers; the nurse explained the condition of her child now, and they were going to transfer Ashley to the ICU. It's on the 4th floor; she looked for her husband, but Martin was just sitting outside the hospital to get some fresh air. The nurse didn't wait for Martin either; what mattered was that she was there, knowing it.
"The child's condition is still delicate, right? We conduct hourly monitoring for this purpose. Occasionally the baby's heartbeat weakens, and hopefully tomorrow, the baby will wake up so that her recovery can continue, and we can find out if surgery is needed to remove the blood clot in her brain." She received a lengthy reminder from the nurse she was speaking to.
Her emotions may overwhelm her and prevent her from speaking.
"It was indeed a miracle what happened to the child; we will do everything for your child." He reassured his interlocutor.
She just nodded then.
After the nurse spoke to her, she immediately attended to her child. The people outside gradually dispersed; she could still hear a few sobs.
A giant tragedy awaits their school now, especially since many children were involved in the accident. The school bus driver also died. Sharlene won't think about that for now; she needs to focus on Ashley.