It was like any other hospital room. It had a bed, a TV, chairs, a desk, and a small bathroom. The difference was it is locked away and I could only get to it with an escort that had a badge to unlock the three sets of double doors. Tess was sitting up in bed. She refused to look at me as I entered. “Tess,” I called out but she just stared up at the TV screen mounted to the wall in the far corner. She may be drugged or she may be just ignoring me. I sat on the edge of the bed. I looked her dead on and even if she wouldn’t look at me she would hear me. I leaned in and hugged her tightly. I kissed her cheek and she stiffened. “The kids are at Mike’s.” Her eyes left the TV and found me. “Did you tell them?” “No, I called Mike’s and talked to Hannah. I told her you have a cold and it’s contagious so you had to leave the house so they wouldn’t catch it.”
