Shay:
A dull ache throbbed in my head as my eyes fluttered open, the harsh fluorescent lights making me wince. The sterile smell of antiseptic filled my nose, and for a moment, I was disoriented. The last thing I remembered was Saint… the motel… the gunshot— my heart raced, making the machine I was hooked up screech a blaring siren.
My heart kicked against my ribs as I tried to sit up, but my body felt like lead. My throat was dry, and my hands trembled as I reached for the scratchy hospital blanket draped over me. Where was Saint?
Before I could fully gather my thoughts, the door creaked open, and a nurse walked in, offering me a kind but cautious smile.
"Good to see you awake," she said, checking the machines beside my bed, cutting the siren off. The sudden silence came as a reli
