//~Chapter Song- River of Tears~\\
\~By- Alessia Cara~\

"I told you, it's not gonna work but you didn't listen. Now see what's happening!"

"That little girl gonna die because of you Hailey!"

"No, I won't let anything hurt my Cora."

"You couldn't be an average daughter or girlfriend and you thought you could be a single mother!  "

"No, I wasn't a bad daughter."

"Are you be fooling yourself, love?  Hahaha"

"Shut up! I was a good daughter. And I will be the best mother."  Hailey shouted.

"You gonna kill this girl too just like you killed your mother."

"Noooo…..I won't let anything happen to my Cora!" Hailey shouted with all her might, 

"Mom…"  the soft voice of Cora sounded scared to her ears, She got up quickly to hug her firmly.

"Mom, you had a dream?" Cora said sticking to her mother.

"Ahm…" her words pulled Hailey out of her trance, "ahm yes baby it was a nightmare."  Her body was shivering with fear of losing the only thing she had in the whole world. Her daughter, her Cora.

Her arms went around Cora to take her in a warm embrace, "Don't worry, Mom is here. Nothing can happen to you.'  she whispered to assure herself only but Cora had heard her too.

"Is there something wrong with me Mom?" 

"Who said that baby? " Hailey huffed.

"Then why are you so worried?" Cora questioned, gazing up at her face.

"Nothing dear, you are all fine. And today we will go for an X-ray and few other tests to get it in writing that my baby is totally fine. Just a bit lazy to play." Hailey chuckled a bit and started to tickle Cora.

She burst into laughter but soon her chuckles fell weak. Hailey got that she was getting tired more than usual.

"Cora baby, let's go for a quick shower and breakfast. Then we will go for those tests."  Hailey added lightly hiding her concern.

"Mom… it's not gonna be a tough test right?"  Cora said as her mother made her wear the frock for the lab.

"What?" Hailey questioned as she couldn't get her.

"I mean, I have not prepared yet for the test. I don't hate surprise tests but I don't know what they gonna ask. What a doctor can ask? Do they know the alphabets?" Cora inquired seriously but her mother started to laugh at her innocent queries.

"Mom, are you laughing at doctors or me?" Cora questioned with stern looks.

"Certainly on those doctors baby. As I don't think that they gonna ask you alphabets or colors. There will be few questions regarding how you feel? They might need some blood of yours and you may need to lay on a bed where a huge machine will click your photos those gonna be your X-rays."  Hailey tried to tell Cora as much as she could so her daughter not gonna be scared of machines there.

"Mom," said Cora all sudden as Hailey was walking towards the bathroom with her, in arms, "Did Grandma went for these tests too?"  

Hailey paused like a statue as her daughter had questioned about her mother only," No dear, She never went for any test like this in my knowledge." She replied stepping into the bathroom.

"What happened to Grandma then? " Cora questioned gazing at her feet.

"She got some serious problem, but now stop inquiring about her. And you tell, why are you asking about her so much?"  Hailey questioned.

"You were crying in your sleep, you said that you won't let anything hurt me. You were fighting Mom. To whom?" Cora asked with misty eyes. 

She had been watching her mother arguing in her sleep, at times she had seen her crying and shivering too. At such moments she used to hug her mother and only then Hailey could sleep.

These things had compelled little Cora to grow up faster than her age. She was six but her sensitive nature could sense her mother's tension very well.

Hailey hugged Cora in her arms, "I'm sorry baby. I disturbed your sleep again. Isn't it? Such a bad mother I am."

"Mom, you are the best mom. You taught me Chess. None of my friends knows it." Cora kissed her cheek and wiped her tears.

"What! Chess?". Hailey replied with a chuckle and the duo laughed a bit.

Within few hours they were at the lab, Cora had gone for all tests with some fears yet she had shown great bravery. Now both mother-daughter duo was waiting for the reports as Meril had told them to collect on the same day only.

Hailey had checked twice within two hours for reports but the lab assistant had refused to give any report.

"Meril! I thought you were not coming." Hailey said as she turned to find her walking toward herself.

"I wasn't but I couldn't help to control my anxiety when it comes to Cora. You just wait here and I will come after collecting the reports." Meril walked past her to enter the restricted area of Lab.

"You know honey, you might not underestimate your nerd friend in college," Hailey said to Cora as She saw everyone greeting her friend inside instead of kicking her out.

Cora chuckled at her mother's comment.

Hailey tried to peep in where Meril had gone but she could hardly watch her glimpse.

Her heartfelt as if something bad coming her way.

She sensed like she heard Meril shouting at someone. Within few minutes Meril come out, walking with a smile.

"What's wrong Meril?". Hailey questioned Meril.

"Nothing." Meril replied with a smile and bent toward Cora, "Cora baby, can you please come with Aunt Meri? I will need to take those tests again."

"Meril, what's wrong? Why she would go for those tests again?" Hailey questioned with fear of the unexpected.

"Hailey relax dear. I asked for it as… as I think in hurry they had mixed samples. I just want to be sure."  Meril said with a feeble smile while walking back inside the lab with Cora.

***

"Meril, what are we doing at this hospital?" Hailey inquired her friend, sitting in front of a cabin, with her in one of the most expensive and reputed private hospitals in the city.

"Relax Hailey I just wanted to be sure about the reports. This is the best hospital for children and Dr. Miller is best." Meril said controlling her anxiety.

Her feet were stumping continuously, Hailey looked at her for a second and held her hand firmly.

"Meril, tell me the truth what are we doing here?" She knew Meril used to do it when she's nervous.

"Hailey…." Meril held her palm back and was about to say something when the door of the cabin opened and a tall man stepped out in a white coat and stethoscope around his neck.

"Yes, how can I help you?"  He started looking at them with questioning looks.

"Hello Dr. Miller, I am Dr. Meril Jacob, I had called for an appointment, was just waiting for 12 o'clock, our appointment timing."  Meril introduced herself with a smile.

The doctor in front of them looked at her for a second then his eyes shifted to Hailey, "None of you looks like a mother. Who's child have problem?" He questioned narrowing his gaze at Meril."

"It's her daughter, Hailey Palmer." Meril introduced Hailey and stepped aside but to her surprise, the doctor's eyes were glued to her only.

"Seems like Dr. Miller met Dr. Meril. Sounds nice." Hailey mused to herself but Meril heard her.

"Hailey!" 

"Sorry… very sorry Meril." Hailey apologized with a chuckle.

In response, the doctor gave her a stern look,

"It doesn't seem like you need us Dr. Meril. Or that madam must be crying by now."  He exhaled with a sarcastic tone leaving Hailey shocked at his words.

"What do you mean by that Doctor?" Hailey objected.

"It means that I'm sorry to inform you but you can't meet Dr. Miller today. And I can't give you another appointment too. He is out for some personal reasons." He said while walking ahead of them.

"What? He is not Dr. Miller." Meril blurted with shock and ran behind him, " excuse me, excuse me please, we need to meet him. Can you please let him know that we are waiting? And we can wait until he returns." Meril said walking behind him with quick steps.

"Sorry, he is out for personal reasons, I can't tell if he is coming today or tomorrow." He explained apathetically.

Hailey lost her mind as she saw Meril standing there with still eyes, her heart shivered with fear, "Which kind of professionalism is this? He is a Doctor and he prefers his matters over…." 

"This is a Hospital. And no matter what we all should maintain the silence here!" Announces a voice from behind as Hailey had almost shouted at the doctor.

"What's the matter, Luke?" The person inquired standing between them and the Doctor.

The Doctor kept looking at his face for a while then spoke, "ahm… these ladies have an appointment with you."  He said and confirmed that the person entered in a three-piece suit was no one else but Dr. Miller only.

"If you were here to meet me then let me tell you. I'm here only and you still have to wait for 5 minutes as it's not 12 yet." He announced gazing at his wristwatch entering his cabin followed by the earlier doctor.

Hailey and Meril sat at their respective chairs to wait for the next 5 minutes.

A nurse went with a tray of cookies and water then male staff ran to the room with a steaming mug of coffee.

"You sure he is the best doctor? I think he is arrogant. And must be expensive too." Hailey whispered after thinking a bit.

"Don't worry, we are here to show him reports only. I don't think we will need to admit Cora here." Meril replied with a fake smile as they knocked on the door to enter.

"Admit? Why?" Hailey said a bit louder as they entered the room. 

"Hello Dr. Miller, we are sorry for the behavior but we are actually in need. We need your opinion."  Meril apologized as she placed reports on his table.

Hailey noticed the glass of water with cookies untouched at the table while the coffee mug was in his hand.

He said nothing but gestured for Dr. Luke to hand him the reports.

He read it all with a glance then checked the X-ray,

"Where is the child?"  He questioned without looking up at them.

"She is at her school," Hailey replied.

"In this condition, you sent her school? " He looked up at Hailey for a second for the first time since they had met, "what's her age? Five or six?" He inquired.

"She is six," Hailey replied consciously.

"And what's your age?"  Was his question.

"How does it matter for my daughter's reports?" Hailey replied with anger.

"It doesn't but I'm asking to affirm my theory that young girls shouldn't consider having babies especially when they can't look after them." He replied with the same aggression.

"What do you mean by that? And who are you to pass such judgment! Come on Meril, I told you earlier these people are not professionals at all. We will go for the best doctors. Cora will be fine it's just weakness nothing else." Hailey said controlling her anger. 

She stepped ahead to snatch the x-ray from his hand to leave but he held it firmly, " Weakness? Such a madwoman you are! Your child is facing serious heart trouble. She is having VSD."  He replied throwing reports on the table.

Meril flopped at the chair, in shock. This was her fear and it came out as the reality. Hailey couldn't get what he just said that turned her friend into a stone.

"Meril, what happened? Why are you pale?  What he just said?" Hailey sat at her feet with flooded eyes.

"Hailey,... Dr. Can we be hopeful? Can it be cured by medicines? " Meril tried to explain it to Hailey but then turned to Dr. 

"No, I guess she will need surgery that too as soon as possible." Dr. Miller exhaled, this time much calmer way.

"Hailey, it's Ventricular Septal Defect, in common language your daughter has a hole in her heart,"  Meril explained to Hailey.