Annaâs public trial was about to begin in two days. In the last few days, Joshua had visited the detention center several times to see Anna. He claimed that the best thing to do at this point was to say in court that she had acted in self-defense. Meanwhile, he believed there was a possibility she would be found guilty, which made the case trickier.
A day before the trial, Anna went to the cafeteria after finishing her morning study session. At that moment, Zoe, who shared a dorm with her, stopped her. Zoe said she needed to speak with Anna, so they went into a nearby restroom. She was flushed from running and appeared to have something very important to say. However, she didnât explain anything but placed a handkerchief in Annaâs hand.
The handkerchief was heavy and appeared to contain something. Anna wanted to open it to look inside, but Zoe grabbed her hand and stopped her.
âWhen you see your lawyer, please ask him to send this to my friend. Please!ââ As Zoe pleaded with Anna, her eyes were filled with glistening tears. She was panting to catch her breath after saying this.
Anna wiped Zoeâs tears away and said, âRelax. Tell me what happened.â
âIjust found out Iâm going to prison after breakfast,â When she finished, Zoe lowered her head. Her sobs echoed in the small restroom.
Hearing that, Anna had no idea how to comfort her other than to pat her on the shoulder. âDonât worry,â Anna said. She then stuffed the handkerchief into her pocket and reached out to hug the woman in front of 502 Saving Life in Detention Ce. a her once more.
While resting her chin on the top of her head, Anna gently patted Zoeâs back. As Anna knew there was nothing she could say to make Zoe feel better, she remained silent.
Zoe had been arrested on a counterfeiting charge, accused of producing fake drugs. In the past few months, a workshop in a Birmingham suburb had made many counterfeit medicines, mainly for children.
The cops had been keeping an eye on them for quite some time. They took over the workshop later while Zoe was the only one apprehended. So, the police assumed she was a scapegoat and detained her in the detention center for the time being.
However, after a thorough investigation, the police discovered Zoeâs confession, and the clues pointed to her as the mastermind.
Anna could not accept this fact because she believed counterfeit manufacturing drugs was a heinous crime. As a result, no matter how timid and soft Zoe appeared, Anna could not treat her like before.
After crying for a while, Zoe was in a better mood. So, they decided to go to the cafeteria for breakfast. On their way, Zoe had held Annaâs arm the entire time, and her gaze had been reserved.
ââ¢Howâs your feet feeling? Did the blister heal?â Anna asked Zoe with concern.
âMuch better now. Thanks for asking, Anna,â Zoe replied with a smile âWell, after you are transferred to the prison, just ignore what others will say about you, okay? Promise me, donât get into another fight with them.â
âOkay, Anna, | promise. Itâs just... Yeah. What that woman said about me was right. | am an evil person,â Shaking her head and sighing, Zoe looked down at the ground 502 Saving Life in Detention Ce. a Not knowing what to say to comfort her, Anna heaved a sigh as well. The two had just entered the cafeteria when a woman from their dorm room grabbed Annaâs arm and asked, âYouâre a doctor, right? Something happened in the kitchenâ
She then led Anna upstairs to the kitchen. At this point, a group of people had already gathered at the kitchen door. They rushed there to see what happened but were all too scared to come forward.
The woman led Anna through the crowd and to the center. While walking, Anna could tell that the kitchen was a shambles, with shocking blood stains on the stoveâs walls. Several cooks stood by with knives and spatulas, staring blankly at the woman on the floor.
A few broken porcelain pieces were scattered around the womanâs hands, and there was blood around her body. Her right wrist was swollen with blood from a horrific wound.
Anna was taken aback by all this. Still, she quickly regained her composure and approached the woman to see what was going on with her. And the first thing she did was check to see if she was still alive. Anna then examined her wound and pressed her hand against her arm to stop the bleeding.
âGive me two clean towels,â Anna yelled at the cook standing beside her. Following that, several people dashed to the storage room âPlease call an ambulance!â The woman looked increasingly frail, so Anna said to the guards.
âThe ambulance will be here soon,â one of them answered her quickly.
After a while, they heard the sound of an ambulance coming from downstairs. Several medical workers arrived, and Anna helped them carry the woman to the stretcher. 502 Saving Life in Detention Ce. a âHer breathing is weak, so | couldnât take my hands off her,â Anna explained to the medical workers. Later, she followed them to the ambulance, her hand pressing firmly on the womanâs arm artery to stop the bleeding. A doctor told the guards, âThis woman must go to the hospital with us. One of you can go with us and bring her back later.â
âIâll go with her,â One of the guards dashed out and into the ambulance.
The nearest hospital around the detention center was about a ten-minute drive away. The ambulance sirens wailed the entire way. Fortunately, they arrived at the hospital quickly.
Once the woman was in the operating room, Anna felt relieved. She sat on a seat in the corridor and took a deep breath. The guard who had accompanied them took a deep breath and asked, âWill she be okay?â
Anna was unsure of how she should respond. After all, she thought the woman would die on the way because she had lost so much blood. After a brief moment, Anna nodded as she knew they did the best they could. She was about to say something when one of the doctors said to them condescendingly, âThank you for acting so quickly and stopping her bleeding. Even the chief doctor couldnât have saved her otherwise.â
This doctorâs voice sounded vaguely familiar to Anna. When she looked up, she noticed a male doctor staring at her.
âadam?â she asked after a brief moment of thought.
âYou still remember me?â Adam asked. He wore a stethoscope around his neck, which made him look professional. And he examined Annaâs face while his hands were in the pockets of his white coat.
Anna was not wearing any makeup, which made her look even more haggard. She wore a white sweater with a blue uniform jacket over it. The jacket was a bit loose, making her look frail. 502 Saving Life in Detention Ce. a âYou look so different from the last time | saw you, so | almost didnât recognize you,â Adam said with a fake smile.
Although Anna knew he was being sarcastic, she didnât take it personally. She looked up and said flatly, âYouâve probably seen the news. Iâma suspect now, so Iâm obviously different from before.â
Anna was as assertive as she had always been. Adam felt very uneasy because her confidence and firmness made him seem small.