24
The first thing Taylor saw when she opened her eyes was a brightly colored bird. Her eyes slipped closed again as her brain tried to figure out what was going on. She heard beeps of machines and smelled the pungent telltale scent of antibacterial cleansers. She slowly tested that her fingers and toes were moving, feeling the rasp of the sheets against her body.
She opened her eyes again, and the bird was still there. She stared at it, holding on to the vision and wondering if seeing it meant she had a brain injury.
She tried to move, but her body felt heavy, like she was being held down. She couldn’t move her neck at all, which she realized was because of a brace holding it still.
She cleared her throat and movement to her right told her someone was in the room with her.
“Taylor
