Guiding Light to Rebirth

It seemed like a business rival Ethan had crushed and cornered lately.

The man called Ethan, "Ethan, take a pick from your childhood sweetheart and your love post-amnesia. Who are you saving?"

Ethan kept cool on screen, but seeing the bruises on Hanna's shoulder cracked him. "Touch a hair on Hanna, and I'll bury your whole crew!"

I shut my eyes, a sour sting hitting them. Tears silently slipped down my face.

No surprise. I should've known Ethan's pick.

The kidnapper burst out laughing. "You think I'm giving you a choice?"

At a gesture, his men dragged me into a glass box, shoving me against a warm body.

The box got tossed into the sea, splashing huge. Weights on the bottom sped the sink.

I yanked off my heels fast, slamming the metal spike into the glass.

The torrent dragged at my limbs, glass shards cutting into my skin. I gritted my teeth, pulling the unconscious Hanna out of the container, and swam desperately toward the surface.

By the time we broke water, I was spent, but I did my best to push her onto driftwood, tapping her cheek. "Hang on!"

She lived, and Ethan's obsession found its home.

As I shoved the wood toward the shore, ALS hit me.

My arms went dead, and I sank helplessly into the depths.

I stared at the rippling light above and slowly closed my eyes, resigned to fate.

Before my consciousness faded, I seemed to see a hand reaching for me. 'Hallucination?'

...

I opened my eyes to see the white ceiling of a hospital.

A nurse quickly leaned in. "Thank God! You're awake. You've been out for two days. Any longer, we'd have stopped your antibiotics for being unidentified. Lung infection flares without meds."

I croaked, "No one visited while I was out?"

"Nope," she sighed. "You're a tough case. The girl who came in with you just choked on water. Her boyfriend got her a VIP suite, and he is still there."

I froze, then smiled bitterly.

Just then, a knock came at the door, followed by a familiar voice. "Debbie."

I snapped up, tears flooding at the tall figure.

"Couldn't reach you, so I came myself." Cole Norton pulled me into a tight hug and stroked my hair. "Come on, let's go home."

He carried me onto the chopper.

It pierced clouds, heading abroad. I wiped my tears, gazed out, and whispered, "Ethan, goodbye. Be with Hanna as you wish. We'll never meet again."