The world came back to me in blurs and shadows. The ceiling was too white. A hum too sterile. My mouth was dry, and my chest ached like something sharp had kissed too close to my heart. I blinked, trying to understand where I was, what happened... and why the hell it felt like my ribs had been replaced with broken glass.
A soft beep echoed in my ears. Machines. Hospital. That much I could tell.
"Vincent..?"
The voice was soft. Too soft. My gaze shifted to the side.
A woman sat next to my bed, clasping my hand in hers, her face red-rimmed like she'd been crying for days. Her eyes sparkled when she saw mine open, her breath hitching
I opened my mouth to speak, but my throat scraped like sandpaper.
"Water," I croaked.
She jumped up, gently tilting a glass with a straw toward my lips. I
