I don’t know how long I’d been out when I heard the door open behind me. I jumped to my feet, placing myself between her and whoever was entering the room.

I relaxed when I realized it was my parents and brother. I’d totally forgotten they were waiting out in the hall all this time. I looked back at the bed to make sure she was still okay.

“Son what’s going on?” Mom moved around me to the bed and screamed. I shushed her and moved her quickly away before turning to look at Zandi, who didn’t seem to have been disturbed.

She tried moving in closer to touch her, but I pulled her away again. “She’s asleep, she needs her rest.” I didn’t want even my own mother near her. Not now, not yet.

“Is that…? But how?” Dad and Mike came closer both wearing the same expression of disbelief. I guess mom and dad had called Mike to meet them here, something I’d forgotten to do.

He called me aside after looking at his sister in law and I stepped away from her side reluctantly. “The cops are here to talk to you, they’re right outside. What do you want me to do?”

I’d forgotten about them too. I guess the hospital had called them after my wild tale. I wasn’t in the mood to talk to them, but knew there was no help for it.

Two years ago they’d turned my life upside down looking for proof that I’d killed her and dumped her body somewhere. For a while there it was the talk of the town.

If not for my upstanding character, and the fact that anyone with eyes knew I was crazy in love with her, they probably would’ve sold that theory. Needless to say there is no love lost between us.

If I didn’t need them to get to the bottom of whatever the hell this was I’d tell them to go fuck themselves, but I needed answers.

I looked back at her torn between leaving and staying by her side. I didn’t want to let her out of my sight and felt a moment of panic at the very thought.

“Don’t worry bro, I’m staying right here.” Mike clapped me on the shoulder. If there was anyone I knew I could trust other than myself to keep her safe it’s my brother.

“Call me if she wakes up.” I walked back to her side and leaned in close. “I’m right outside the door baby, don’t be afraid.” I had no idea if she heard me or not, but her breathing seemed to change.

I brushed her hair to calm her until she settled again. With a kiss to her forehead I turned away from the bed still torn.

I stepped out of the room and it was like stepping into a different world. People were moving about, and I could now hear the sounds that had been dimmed behind the closed door. Life was going on.

It seemed strange that all these normal everyday things were happening around me when my world had been knocked for six. I felt a disconnect that I guess was going to take getting used to in the coming days.

I saw the same two men who’d handled her case before, leaning against the wall deep in some secret discussion. I didn’t need to guess at what they were thinking.

I approached them, some of the old anger coming to the forefront. Maybe if they’d spent more time trying to find her tracks instead of trying to find ways to pin her disappearance on me we wouldn’t be here today.

Maybe she would’ve been found days later instead of having to endure whatever the hell she obviously had the last two years had they been more competent. But as they say, that’s water under the bridge.

“Mr. McClintock.” The lead detective reached a hand out to me, which I ignored. “She’s back. I don’t know how, I don’t know much of anything, only that I came home from the hospital and she was crouching in the corner of our bedroom like a scared little girl.”

The memory of that will haunt me for the rest of my life. In the beginning, when she’d first been gone I’d imagined her return a thousand times. Nothing I’d seen in my mind’s eye could’ve prepared me for the reality.

“Is she awake? Where has she been?” I glared at the asshole lead detective wishing I could plant my fist in his jaw. Of the two of them he was the worst.

“Didn’t you hear me? I don’t know anything. She fainted before I could get an answer out of her.” I hated the smug look on their faces.

They had only two theories two years ago. One, I’d killed my wife and got rid of the body, or two, she’d ran off to be with some phantom man that they’d made up in their minds.

I wanted to put my fist through his face back then too. “Wherever she was, she’s been drugged and starved. She did not leave on her own.”

I didn’t try to hide the anger in my voice. It’s best he know now that I’m not going to put up with his shit this time around.

I’d taken it in stride the last time because all I cared about was getting her back safe. Now that she was back with me I no longer felt hindered in my movements.

“Okay, calm down, we’ll get to the bottom of it, but first we need to ask her some questions.” He made as if to walk around me to enter the room but I got in his way.

“Well she’s out of it right now, so you’ll have to come back later.” If he even tries to go around me this is going to end badly for him. Fucknut!

I was looking for any excuse to get some of my own back. I didn’t give a fuck that he wore a badge either. If he says the wrong damn thing, make the wrong damn move I’ll make him eat that shit.

He must’ve seen it too, the intent in my eyes, because he backed down without putting up much of a fight. That was new. Last time he stayed in my face because he had the upper hand. Now the tables were turned.

“Here’s my card, call us as soon as she wakes up.” I could tell from their body language and the look that passed between them that they had already drawn their own conclusions, just like before.

It didn’t matter, if I have to figure things out myself then so be it. I’d hired a P.I. back then who’d had no luck finding her either. Not even a trace. But he’d done the best he could I was sure of it.

I’m not sure how much help he’d be this time around, but I won’t know unless I give it a try. I sure as hell ain’t about to leave shit up to the two incompetent fucks that just left here, so I guess I’ll be giving him a call soon.

For now I went back to the room where my family were sitting, waiting and still whispering in disbelief. They stopped talking when I walked in.

I went to my wife’s side, still no change. She looked so peaceful, so still. “You don’t have to stay, I can call if there’s any change. The doctor has no idea when she’d wake up, there’s no point…”

I stopped talking when my mom got up from her seat and came over to stand beside me. “We’ll stay as long as you need us to son.” The sound of tears was still heavy in her voice.

They’d been such rocks, always there for me when I was at my lowest. I couldn’t tell them now that I wanted to be alone with my thoughts, with my wife.

I needed to get my head together and I couldn’t with everyone around. I wanted to be alone with her when she wakes up. I just want her to open her eyes and look at me; nothing else matters.

The door opened again but I didn’t turn to look this time. “Mr. McClintock… a word.” The doctor stepped into the room and held the door open for me to follow him.

I held my hand up to stop my family from following after me as I followed him out of the room. I was already bracing myself for whatever he was going to tell me, expecting the worst.

He seemed nervous, like he didn’t quite know how to say whatever it was he needed to. “What is it, what’s wrong with my wife?”

My gut twisted itself into a tight knot as fear gripped me. No fucking way. I couldn’t have found her only to lose her again. I won’t accept that.

“Was your wife pregnant when she disappeared?” The question hit me in the gut and my knees weakened. It took me a second to find my voice and get the words out past the lump in my throat.

“Why do you ask that?” The day Zandi disappeared she’d called me all excited about something. She refused to tell me what it was on the phone, only that she’d tell me that night over dinner.

For two years I’d turned that conversation over and over in my head, because I’d believed she was going to tell me she was carrying my child.

We’d been trying for a few months, it was something we both wanted and was ready for. That’s why I knew that she hadn’t left on her own.

“Your wife has given birth sometime in the last year or so. She’s still lactating but from the way her body’s healed even with the extenuating circumstances, I’d say the child is maybe a year or just a few months shy of that.”

My world went blank before coming back into focus. “I have a child. Where’s my child?” I grabbed the other man even though I knew he had no answers.

Rushing back into the room I stood like a stone as I looked down at her. What the fuck is going on with my life? What more is headed my way? And what the fuck did we do to deserve this shit?

“What is it son?” This time it was my dad who came to stand next to me. I looked at him without really seeing him as the words burned like acid on my tongue.

“She was pregnant. I have a child.” I felt sick saying the words. To think that I have a child out there somewhere in danger was almost too much to bear. Or was he dead?

Who the fuck did this? Why would this happen to me, to us? I felt the life being sucked out of me, as I stood there almost trancelike.