Emily’s POV
I kept a constant watch over the stranger, my eyes never leaving his still form. Every shallow breath he took felt like a small victory. I silently pleaded with him to wake up, to give me some sign he’d be okay. The antiseptic hospital smell mixed with the metallic hint of blood still clinging to his clothes.
I wanted to stay awake all night, but exhaustion finally pulled me under. My dreams were fractured images of finding him, the dark alley, the sticky warmth of blood on my hands, and the way his eyelids had fluttered when I’d shouted for help. I woke with a start more than once, each time immediately checking to make sure he was still breathing.
“Good morning, ma’am.”
A nurse’s gentle voice pulled me from my restless sleep. Sunlight streamed through the blinds, maki
