Chapter 78
Lucy’s eyelids fluttered open, and the harsh glare of the overhead lights pierced through the fog of her mind. The room was unfamiliar, sterile. Every surface white, gleaming, almost blinding. Her body protested with a dull ache that spread from head to toe, as if bruised in every possible place. Even the simple act of breathing felt like a monumental effort, each inhale sharp, each exhale heavy. Then a voice broke through the haze. Urgent, panicked, filled with relief. “Thank God, you’re awake, sweetie!” Her mother’s face came into focus, eyes glistening with tears that caught the light. Hands trembling, she clutched Lucy’s with a grip that was almost painful in its intensity. The raw emotion in her mother’s voice struck Lucy like a lightning bolt. Her father stood nearby, moving with
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