The morning sky above Westchester County was a pale, washed-out blue, streaked with soft ribbon-like clouds that promised a crisp autumn afternoon.
Lilly guided her unmarked dark sedan up the winding asphalt driveway of the St. Jude Medical Center. Nestled deep among rolling hills and dense thickets of turning oak trees, the facility looked more like a secluded private estate than a specialized psychiatric and medical recovery compound. It was deliberate architecture designed to minimize stimulation for patients whose nervous systems had been shattered by severe trauma.
She parked in the designated visitor lot, killed the ignition, and sat in the quiet interior of her car for a moment.
In the rearview mirror, her reflection looked distinct from the woman who had spent weeks breathing su
