The Hungry Dead

I was rooted to the spot, drained of all strength.

Why was it just my daughter who was affected? I could not understand.

That piece of fish was meticulously deboned.

The relatives, seeing my daughter's violent reaction, turned ghostly pale.

They shook me hard.

"Silvia, what did you give her?"

"Don't just stand there, get her to a hospital!"

However, I was frozen, and in the chaos, they called for an ambulance.

Yet, that day, hospital after hospital told us they were understaffed.

In a state of utter despair, I fumbled for Jane's number and called her.

The ambulance screamed into view almost immediately.

Jane leaped out, her face etched with panic, as she scooped Wendy from my limp arms.

"What's she choking on?"

I could only gaze at her, my eyes hollow, lost.

"Fish."

Without wasting another second, Jane hauled me into the ambulance.

I sat there, watching my little girl, silent and soulless, as if she were already gone.

The emergency room's red light flashed urgently.

Numb, I perched on a hallway bench, frozen in time.

After an eternity, or maybe just two hours, the emergency room doors swung open.

The doctor removed his mask, his face grim.

"I'm sorry, we did everything we could. The fishbone pierced her trachea; we couldn't save her."

I tried to stand, but my legs betrayed me, and I crumpled to the floor.

A guttural scream tore from my throat.

As my tears fell, they seemed to carry away the last of my spirit.

A nurse wheeled my daughter away, her small form hidden beneath a stark white sheet.

Out of nowhere, Theodore lunged at me, his foot connecting with a sickening thud.

"Look at you, crying like you're the victim, you bring nothing but bad luck!

"You invite us for a meal, and this disaster happens!

"You did this on purpose, didn't you? First your parents, then Chester, and now your own child!"

His kick sent a warm trickle of blood down my face.

Jane was by my side in an instant. "Stop it! This is a hospital, for God's sake!"

Her authoritative figure stood between Theodore, her voice cutting through the chaos.

She pointed to the security cameras lining the hallway.

"The hospital's watching. Lay another finger on Silvia, and I'm calling the cops."

Her words snapped me back to reality. I wiped away my tears and steadied myself.

I walked to the morgue with purpose, bypassing the chance to see my daughter one last time.

Instead, I found the doctor in charge.

"Doctor," I said, my voice steady, "I want to donate her organs."

My voice was raspy but steady.

The doctor froze. "Are you sure about this?

"The patient passed away less than an hour ago. It might be too much for other family members to handle."

I stood my ground. "There's no one else left.

"And it's not just my daughter. I want Chester's and my mom's remains donated too."

Everyone stared at me like I lost my mind.

"Silvia! Have you lost all sense of decency? They're gone, and you want to give away their organs!"

"To think the Douglas family could produce such a monster. What a curse."

Jane, taken aback, tried to reason with me in the softest tone she could muster.

"Silvia, please, take a moment to think this over."

Ignoring her, I grabbed the pen and swiftly signed the nurse's form.

In a flash, a hand I knew all too well snatched the paper away and ripped it in two.