Chapter 11

JOJO: The small shove against my shoulder caused my eyelids to part open. The brightness of the sun's rays seized my eyes at once, and I docked my arm over my face to shield my vision. When my eyes adjusted to the light, I sprang up and tried to cover myself, wrapped up in the flimsy piece of torn clothing. Valerie was beside me, her neck slightly bent as she slept peacefully. The sight warmed my heart.  The man towering above me was dressed as a security guard. He must have been a security guard. He threw me a questioning stare as I stood, shivering from the cold the previous night.  I opened my mouth to speak.  "Sir, I... my mother... I came to see her."  He looked me over. I knew it was not because he did not recognize me, but my appearance caused him to raise a brow. Seconds later, he opened the gate to allow me passage. I lowered myself and lifted my sleeping sister. I placed Valerie's head on my shoulder and carried her into the hospital building, moving us to my mother's ward.