Marcus sat in the hallway, feeling completely stranded, his mind blank as he tried to decide what to do next. Just then, he saw his mother walking toward him.
He immediately stood up and rushed to her side.
“Mum… are you feeling better? How did you even get out of your room like that?” he asked anxiously.
Mrs. Ashford looked pale and fragile. The cannulas that had once been attached to her arm were gone, as if she had pulled them out herself. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying.
“Tell me this is a dream,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “Marcus… tell me this is just a dream. My daughter and my grandchild… they are okay, right?”
Tears rolled down her cheeks as she wiped them away with shaking hands.
“I want to see them now,” she said desperately. “I want to confirm that this
