AUTHOR’S POV
Inside the hospital, the atmosphere was thick with the sterile smell of antiseptic and the low, constant hum of medical equipment.
Deep within the corridors, outside Operating Theatre No. 3...
A young woman stood alone.
Lila.
Her hands were folded tightly together, her knuckles white from the sheer force of her grip. Her eyes, red-rimmed and hollow, were fixed entirely on the bright red light glowing above the operating room doors.
She hadn't moved in hours. She hadn't eaten the stale sandwich she’d bought from the vending machine three hours ago. She hadn't slept a wink. She simply waited, a fragile silhouette against the harsh fluorescent lighting of the hallway.
Praying.
Hoping.
Holding herself together by a single, fraying thread. She felt like if she moved, if sh
