Mia The next time I came fully conscious, it was to a rattling noise near me. I groaned and slowly fluttered my eyes open. The moment bright lights greeted me, I squeezed my eyes shut again. “How are you doing, love?” A female voice came my way. I felt a warm hand about my shoulder as the woman continued. “Is there anything I can get you? Water? Tea? Coffee?” I nodded with my eyes still shut. “Wa-water,” I managed to articulate, my throat dry and scratchy. It hurt. “Sure,” the woman said. “Just hold on a second.” As I heard her footsteps moving away, I tried opening my eyes once again, and this time, I got used to the bright light that shone into the room. With my vision still a little blurry, I searched about the place, wondering how long I had been asleep. When the woman returned

