The morning felt like every other—quiet, filled with the steady beep of monitors and the soft shuffle of nurses outside the door. The sterile scent of antiseptic lingered in the air, blending with the distant hum of voices from the hallway.
Larry was half-awake, exhaustion weighing heavy on his limbs, his body sinking into the stiff hospital mattress. His head lolled to the side, watching the slow drip of his IV, when the door suddenly swung open, breaking the monotony.
Margaret stepped inside, her phone gripped so tightly her knuckles were white. She stood frozen for a second, her chest rising and falling with uneven breaths. Her face was unreadable, a clash of emotions warring beneath the surface. But something in her eyes made Lauren sit up straighter, her own pulse kicking up in resp
