**[Morning – Grace Free Clinic, Recovery Ward]**
Aileen blinked at the sunlight leaking through the thin blinds.
She'd survived another night.
Her body hurt in places she could no longer name. Her arms were bruised from IVs. Her mouth tasted like metal.
Nathan had left hours ago, after dropping the bomb: the truth about Jolene, the real killer, the kidney.
Now silence lingered. She didn't know whether it was peace or numbness.
A nurse stepped in, holding a clipboard. “Ms. Keller?"
“Yeah."
“We need to talk. There's... news."
Aileen's chest tightened. “About what?"
The nurse sat gently on the edge of the bed.
“There was a hit-and-run. Last night. Outside Eastbridge grocery. The victim... was your emergency contact. Lydia Keller."
Time slowed.
“No," Aileen whispered.
“She was br
