"Mackenzie!"
I was awakened by that voice as the warden led me to the cell. Jonah?
"Why are you… " I did not finish what I'm trying to say when everything went black.
I heard her calling my name but I couldn't manage to open my eyes. I'm aware of what's happening but I can't move. I felt my sweat coming out of my body… and it feels so cold. After that, I felt weaker and weaker until I couldn't hear her anymore. My Jonah… how did you end up being in prison? What happened?
"She was stressed out, wasn't she? Still, I have good news." I heard a person say, I bet she's a doctor or maybe a nurse. I don't know.
"The baby is safe, ma'am. She'll be returned to the provincial jail after a week." she added.
I slowly opened my eyes and I saw a familiar wall. A plain white wall. Am I at the hospital?
I saw the doctor living with her all white coat and wearing her stethoscopes but I barely saw her face. I averted my eyes in the center and saw a lady wearing a pair of teacher pants and a coat.
"Mackenzie, you're awake." she said and there, I realized who she was.
"M-mommy... " I immediately uttered as I recognized her. I missed her. I missed her voice. I miss everything about her. I miss each and everyone of them. I sincerely and truly miss my family.
"Shh. Don't cry. Everything will be fine, baby. I will make sure of that." she coaxed and sat on the bed to caress my hair and tap my shoulders.
I want to speak but how? I can't feel enough of my body. I felt so weak and empty. My lips were stuck and I couldn't move them. I wanted to move my hands and reach my mother to hug her but I couldn't.
"Do you want to eat? I bought some fruit." she said and stood up. She brought me the food she prepared.
I just looked at her. Her eyes were swollen and her lips were pale and her hair was a bit messy. I don't know what happened but I feel it's not good. I could feel the sadness she is feeling. She had never been this way before. She was strict, undeniably. But it's not like she is smiling but I could feel what's behind it. I feel like it is because of me, because of the rumors about me. I felt weaker. I can't see her like that. She's one of my sources of strength. Without her and without them, I feel like I am a battery with no charge at all. I felt wasted. My life feels wasted. It is ruined. How could I give the reputation of my mother back to her if I am really the reason behind her swollen eyes and all.
"Hey, Mackenzie. Please eat. I don't want to lose you, okay? And I don't want to lose the baby, too. I know you don't want it too so get up and eat, lady." she mandated.
DAUGHTY'S POINT OF VIEW
"Don't you realize how much you've messed up with the school's reputation by standing by your daughter?!" Mrs. Nueva asked and shouted at me. Her eyes began to be bigger and bigger as I remained silent.
Can't they understand? She's my daughter and I just can't let go of her. Knowing that she didn't do anything about those rumors about her. She is too pure to plan a murder for someone and it made me harder to believe as the victim is her twin sister…
I know Mackenzie and she's too kind to be a murderer. I've been with her for almost her whole life.
"Dang it, woman. Would you just waste my time, huh? Talk!" she mandated and slapped my face a little to wake me up.
I am awake! I'm so awake that I noticed the police made a wrong decision to put Mackenzie in jail. Maybe she's the one who's still sleeping. She can't realize what's wrong. Mackenzie had never been a bad student and a person. How could she not recognize it?
"Wake up, Dr. Gavin!" she shouted and slapped me again. "Teacher Daughty. We're at school." I said without looking at her.
"I don't care. Just leave this school. You are fired."
I felt my eyes burning. How could she? I have been teaching here for almost ⅓ of my life.
"No. No. No. I am not leaving this school. You misunderstood everything. We have a contract every five years and I just signed last year. I hope you know what it means if you just get me out of this school." I explained.
"And? I can fire you right away, honey. This is our school. Our school, our rules."
I felt the tears dripping down my face. I love my job… I love seeing kids every time. I love teaching them. It's my passion. I love each and every one of them but I love my own kid.
"'Kay. I'll just leave but I won't get back what I said on the media. My daughter is innocent and I believe that your son is part of this setup together with her wicked mother." I spit out.
"Don't you dare—"
"Why? Your son done everything to make Mackenzie's life like hell! So why wouldn't I suspect him, huh?"
"You don't have any evidence so shut up."
"Wait until I get one and I'll make sure that Uno won't leave that prison until he die."
I stood up and walked towards the door when she pulled my hair harshly. I get back so hard I know we would land on the floor so I assured I will land on her body. This woman is really wicked. She needs a lesson.
As soon as she accidentally get off her hand on my hair, I stood up and fixed it. I was about to go to cemetery when my phone rang on my drive home.
"Is this Mrs. Gavin, mother of Mackenzie? This is warden Randall Peña—"
"What happened?!" I panicked and queried as soon as I heard that it's the warden. I thought it was just one of the people who judge us without knowing what really happened.
"She passed out as soon as we reached the cell, after the investigation. You can go to the provincial hospital, she's currently at hospital arrest." he said.
I don't know what to do but I suddenly moved fastly that I even managed to buy some fruit.
As soon as I reached the hospital, I fixed myself. I combed my hair using my fingers as I noticed that my hair was messy. Mackenzie do not deserve to see me like this. I don't want to look weak in front of her. I know this is the only thing I can do now at this time to help her.
I rushed through the nurse station to ask my daughter's room number. Through my ran towards the room, I bumped into someone. "Are you okay?" he asked. I just nodded softly I could pass him and get at Mackenzie's room fastly.
I need to see my daughter. I wanted to see her.
"Warden Peña." he said and as soon as I looked up, I saw him, wearing his normal uniform.
"Randall?" I queried as soon as I recognized his face.
I didn't realize that earlier as I was longing for Mackenzie's situation. I just looked at him and pursed my lips. Double kill? Haha. What is this? What is happening? After what happened, here he comes. Talking to me as if nothing happened.
Pathetic guy. Hypocrite.
I ran past him and opened Mackenzie's room. "Mrs. Gavin?" the doctor asked. I nodded.
"Let us discuss her condition, please come in." she said and I flashed a fake smile on my lips.
"W-what happened?" I immediately asked as I got in.
"She passed out as soon as she reached the cell…" she answered while looking at Mackenzie.
"She was stressed out, wasn't she? Still, I have good news."
I knitted my eyebrows as soon as I heard her. I wish it was about the baby.
"The baby is safe, ma'am. She'll be returned to the provincial jail after a week." she added.
I nodded and the doctor went out of the room. As soon as I looked at Mackenzie, her eyes opened. Finally…
"Mackenzie, you're awake." I said while trying to sound okay. I pursed my lips after she called my name. She's crying. My baby's crying. I coax her to stop her from crying. I went to her bed and caressed her hair. She doesn't deserve this… "Shh. Don't cry. Everything will be fine, baby. I will make sure of that."
I offered her the fruits I bought but she just looked at me. I felt weaker and weaker as I saw her in this situation. She deserves every good thing in this world. Maybe...maybe this is my fault? I didn't fight for her when the policemen came. This is all my fault. I was so irresponsible.
"Hey, Mackenzie. Please eat. I don't want to lose you, okay? And I don't want to lose the baby, too. I know you don't want it too so get up and eat, lady." I added to get her attention.
Please, Mackenzie. Please, my child. Please fill everything I didn't do for you. Don't let your child experience what you have experienced. Do not be like me.