Willow woke slowly, the way someone rises from deep water. She did not startle awake and she did not rush back into the world. She surfaced gradually, moving through layers of warmth until the room around her began to take shape again. For the first time in days she did not open her eyes to fluorescent hospital lights or the stiff mattress beneath her back. The tight fear that usually gripped her chest before she was fully conscious did not arrive. Instead she woke into stillness.
The bed beneath her was soft yet supportive. The sheets brushed coolly against her calves while the blanket rested warmly across her waist. Pale morning light filtered through the curtains in a gentle wash that did not sting her eyes. Somewhere beyond the glass the city had already begun its morning rhythm, but inside the suite everything felt slowed down, as if the world had agreed to move at the pace her body could manage.
