The first thing I felt was light and a cracked headache.
A faint beam slipping through a half-open curtain, falling gently across my face. It was warm, too warm. My body felt heavy, like I'd been asleep for years, trapped in a dream that refused to let me go. I tried to move, but my limbs didn't respond even my tongue felt dry and my lips cracked.
Where was I?
I blinked hard, forcing my eyes open. The white ceiling came into focus first, then the faint sound of beeping...the slow, steady rhythm of a monitor beside me. The smell of antiseptic filled the air. It hit me all at once.
I was at a hospital.
My chest tightened as I tried to sit up, only for a sharp pain to run through my ribs. I groaned softly and collapsed back against the pillow. I didn't even remember what happened. My mind was foggy… like there were missing pieces scattered across an ocean I couldn't swim.
I turned my head slightly, my eyes scanning the room. Empty. Except...
