Blake jolted awake, momentarily disoriented. He blinked rapidly, heart racing as he realized he had inadvertently dozed off. Rose still lay motionless on the bed, exactly as he'd left her.
"Damn it," he muttered, angry at himself for succumbing to sleep when Rose needed him most.
A faint noise caught his attention. He rose swiftly, padding down the hall to check on Celena. The little girl was still sound asleep, peaceful and unaware of the turmoil around her. Blake lingered at her doorway for a moment, ensuring all was well.
Then another sound reached his ears - this time from downstairs. Without hesitation, he rushed toward the source of the disturbance.
As he reached the bottom of the stairs, Blake saw a familiar figure at the front door, fumbling with a set of keys. It was Dr. Martina, struggling to find the right key among the bunch in her hand.
