The drugs dulled the pain first, then stilled the fear before slowly calming the mind. Within a few days, I observed my soul returning to my body like a prisoner reluctantly re-entering her cell. The light hurt my eyes and the world felt too big, loud, and sharp.
But I was there. I had come back. And Janet noticed. Of course, she did. She stayed by me throughout the day, only moving to make me food.
After a while, she pulled a chair closer to my bed, her hands fidgeting with the hem of her cardigan as if she were trying to sew invisible words into the fabric.
"Kim," she began, her voice somewhat trembling. "You have to come back. Please."
I stared at her, the edges of her figure blurring slightly. I wanted to tell her to shut up, and perhaps explain how she didn’t know anything and wa
