“Wh–what?” I whispered.
Doctor House tilted her head. “Today’s your birthday. March twenty-second. I thought someone might’ve already told you.”
I blinked. My throat went dry.
“No,” I croaked. “No one told me.”
I hadn’t even remembered the date.
I hadn’t looked at a calendar. I didn’t know how many days had passed since Kody found me.
It hit me all at once—the weight of everything I’d lost, the things I hadn’t allowed myself to remember, the truth that I hadn’t even wanted to survive long enough for another birthday.
Suddenly, the air felt too thick. My vision blurred. The walls closed in, the beeping of the monitors too loud, too sharp.
“Mishele?” Doctor House’s voice sounded distant. “You’re alright. Just breathe, okay?”
I couldn’t.
My hands gripped the blanket, and I felt it r
