Rosa didn't sleep that night. Every creak of the hospital building made her flinch. Every shadow beyond the curtain sent her heartbeat racing.
She curled around Evan protectively, as though her fragile arms could shield him from the world.
Evan, though an infant, felt every tremor of her fear vibrate through her body. He was painfully aware of her heightened heartbeat, fast, uneven, terrified. The man from earlier lingered in his mind. "That child is a target now."
The words looped like a curse. A target. Why?
For what? He needed answers, but he couldn't speak, couldn't move properly, couldn't even hold his own head up. It was maddening. Powerlessness, something he'd never experienced in his old life, now wrapped around him like chains.
And still, he watched Rosa. She whispered into the dim light, "I don't know what to do… I don't know how to keep you safe." Evan listened, absorbing her fear.
He would not let danger follow him into this second life… nor destroy the only person who showed him genuine care. He could not protect her now., But one day he would.
Morning came with a knock. Rosa jerked upright, nearly dropping Ev, James. She held him close, her breath trembling. "W-who is it?"
she called. A nurse stepped in, smiling warmly. "Good morning, Ms. Reyes. Breakfast time."
Rosa sighed in relief but didn't relax entirely. The nurse set a tray down and glanced at Evan. "He's a quiet baby. That's rare."
Rosa forced a smile. "He's… calm."
Evan certainly was not calm, but his sharp newborn eyes studied everything. Every movement, every sound, every detail. He noticed the nurse's badge.
"St. Mercy General Hospital." He noted her name. "Leah."
He logged it away.Information was survival. Leah checked Rosa's vitals. "Your bleeding's controlled. You and the baby should be discharged tomorrow if all goes well."
Rosa stiffened. "Tomorrow?"
"Yes," Leah said. "Are you worried about something?"
Rosa hesitated. "No. No, it's fine. Thank you."
The nurse smiled gently and left. Rosa stared at the door long after it closed. An hour passed. Two. Rosa didn't touch breakfast. She barely moved. A doctor came in for routine checks, and she lied smoothly, "I'm fine."
But Evan could feel the truth. She was planning something. Preparing something. Something dangerous. He listened as she whispered to herself: "I can't stay here… He'll find us. Or they will."
Another unknown threat. Who was "he"?
The man from before? Or someone else? Rosa cradled Evan in her arms and bit her lip. "We run tomorrow. No matter what."
Run. Evan's small heart pounded. Not again. He escaped death only to be thrust into another life on the run? He closed his eyes, overwhelmed with frustration. The world was too big. He was too small.
But his mind was sharp, sharper than ever. If danger was coming, he would sense it. He would watch. He would plan.
Afternoon settled in… and danger arrived early. Two men appeared at the nurse's station. Evan saw them through the crack in the hospital room door.
Dark suits. No badges. No emotion. One leaned in toward the receptionist. "We're looking for a patient. A woman who came in last night. Rosa Reyes."
The receptionist frowned. "And you are?" The taller man flashed a fake smile. "Family."
Evan felt Rosa freeze behind him. She heard it too. The receptionist scrolled through the database. "I don't have any visitors listed for her."
The second man's voice hardened. "We need to see her. Now."
"I'm sorry, sir," the receptionist replied, "but without verification, I can't"
The taller man leaned in closer, lowering his voice. "You will not make this complicated." Evan recognized the tone. Threat. The same tone Tom used when pressuring Maria.
The same tone that echoed through the hospital halls before he died. Rosa backed away from the door slowly, clutching Evan so tightly he felt her nails through the blanket. "No," she whispered. "No, no, no, already?"
Already. Danger had followed them like a shadow. The receptionist stood firm. "Sir, I'm calling security" But the shorter man reached across the counter and grabbed her wrist.
"Don't."
Evan's tiny body tensed. Rage burned through him, the same rage he felt watching Maria and Tom plot around his dying body. He couldn't move. Couldn't speak.
But rage lived inside him like a firestorm. Rosa's breaths were sharp. Quick. Terrified. She held Evan tighter. "We have to leave," she whispered. "We have to go."
Evan agreed. But how? He could not guide her. He could only trust her instincts. The receptionist pulled her hand free. "Get away from my desk. Security is on its way."
The men exchanged a look. Dangerous. Calculating. The taller man said softly, "We'll find her ourselves."
Then they split apart, heading down different hallways. Searching. Hunting. Evan's stomach dropped. They weren't leaving. They were closing in. Rosa's breathing grew louder, faster. "Oh God… Evan… what do I do?"
A soft knock interrupted her panic. She froze. Evan's heartbeat echoed hers. "Ms. Reyes?"
a voice whispered through the door. "It's Leah. The nurse."
Rosa inched closer. "Leah? Is it really you?"
"Yes,"
the nurse whispered urgently. "They're looking for you. The two men, they're trouble."
"You saw them?" Rosa whispered.
"I heard them. They tried to intimidate the front desk. Security is searching for them, but"
"But what?"
"They were last seen heading toward this wing."
Rosa's knees trembled. Evan felt her heart stop for a beat. Leah continued urgently, "The doctor's lounge has a back exit. I can help you get there."
Rosa hesitated. "I don't know if I should trust anyone."
"I understand,"
Leah said gently. "But if you wait here, they'll find you. You don't have time."
Rosa's eyes filled with tears. She looked down at Evan. "I have to protect him,"
she whispered. Leah spoke again, softer. "Then let me help."
Rosa closed her eyes. Made her choice. "Okay," she whispered. "We'll go."
Evan felt a rush of relief and fear. Another escape. Another leap into the unknown. Leah cracked open the door and peeked out. "It's clear. Keep your head down."
Rosa stepped out, holding Evan against her chest, swaddled tightly. The hallway seemed endless. Every step echoed.
Every shadow felt alive. They passed a supply closet, a nurse's station, then turned sharply toward a quieter wing. Leah whispered, "The lounge is up ahead. Once inside, we'll"
A voice thundered behind them: "HEY!" Rosa froze.
The shorter man stormed around the corner. "There she is!"
Rosa gasped. "No—no!"
Leah grabbed her arm. "Run!"
But Rosa couldn't run well, her body was still weak from childbirth. The man lunged toward them. Evan screamed, not from fear, but fury.
A deep, instinctive rage surged inside him, so strong his tiny body trembled. Rosa spun into the doctor's lounge, slamming the door behind her. Leah locked it quickly. "Through the back, go!"
Rosa rushed toward the back exit, But the door was blocked. A janitor's cart. Too big. Too heavy. She pushed. It didn't move. "No!" she cried. "Move! Please!"
Leah tried to help, but the cart barely budged. Then, BANG! The men slammed against the lounge door. "Open it!"
one yelled. "Now!" Rosa sobbed as she strained against the cart. "Please, please move!"
Another crash. Another. Leah panicked. "They're going to break in!"
Evan's heartbeat roared in his ears. His rage grew. His tiny fists clenched. The lounge door began to crack. A hinge groaned. Rosa screamed. Another slam.
The door started giving way, Then something unexpected happened. Security guards sprinted down the hallway, voices booming. "HEY! STEP AWAY FROM THE DOOR!"
The two men turned. "Don't move! Hands up!"
The men fled. Security chased them. Chaos echoed down the hospital corridors until everything faded into silence. Rosa collapsed to her knees, sobbing into Evan's blanket. Leah knelt beside her. "It's over… you're safe now. For now."
Rosa held Evan close. "I have to leave," she whispered. "Today. Right now." Leah nodded. "I'll get the discharge papers."
When the nurse left, Rosa whispered shakily to Evan: "We're running again, baby. But I promise… I will keep you safe. No matter what."
Evan listened. And for the first time in this new life, he realized something chilling: Danger wasn't coming. It was already here. And it was looking for him.