Heather
69
Heather blinked sleepy crust from her eyes and stared at the hospital’s ceiling. She was weighted down by an iron ball of pain—pain so heavy it pushed her through the earth’s crust, squishing her. The only thing that kept her from being swallowed by the gates of hell, was her anchor to Earth.
Kyle.
The thought startled her. He was the first person she expected to see—wanted to see—and he did not fail her. He sat beside the hospital bed in a chair, looking at her face, waiting. Her heart warmed.
“Hi,” Heather said, her throat dry.
Kathryn looked up from her book at the window seat.
“Hey,” Kathryn said softly. “How are you feeling?” She walked to the bed, and Kyle receded to give them space.
Heather watched him fade into the background and her tether to him tightened.
“I’
