The ward lights glowed a sterile white, far too bright for the bleakness in Lloyd’s heart. The silence in the private room where Meghan lay was not peaceful, it was thick, terrifying, and suffocating.
Machines hummed and beeped around her, a cacophony of fragile life. Doctors had stabilized her for the time being, but her vitals were still fluctuating dangerously. The blood loss had been severe, her oxygen levels low, and despite every effort, they were not yet in the clear.
Lloyd sat beside her, unmoving, his hands gripping hers so tightly that his knuckles were white.
Meghan looked pale, almost translucent. Her chest rose and fell with each mechanical breath from the ventilator, but he couldn’t stop staring at her, as if looking away would cause her to slip further from him.
“Stay
