The hospital room was quiet, save for the soft hum of the fluorescent lights overhead.
Laura lay in the bed, her body stiff and sore, the aftermath of her encounter with Xu Li still fresh in her mind. Her head throbbed with a dull, persistent ache, a constant reminder of the iron rod that had struck her.
She tried to focus on the doctor speaking to her, but her thoughts kept drifting, slipping away like sand through her fingers.
“Laura?” the doctor said gently, pulling her attention back. “We believe that being in your usual environment could help jog your memory. Sometimes, the brain needs familiar stimuli to reconnect certain pathways. You’ve made progress here, but the sterile environment of the hospital might not be the best for your recovery going forward.”
Laura nodded slowly,
