The hospital room was silent except for the steady rhythm of the heart monitor.
Beep… Beep… Beep…
The soft, rhythmic sound echoed through the sterile space, a constant reminder that Raya was still here. Still fighting. The faint glow of monitors cast a pale blue light across the white sheets, highlighting the bandages wrapped tightly around her wrist.
Anna sat quietly beside the hospital bed, gently holding Raya's bandaged hand between both of hers. Her eyes were swollen from hours of crying, red-rimmed and exhausted. Now and then, fresh tears escaped despite her best efforts to hold them back. She wiped them away with the back of her hand, but more followed.
She looked at Raya's pale face and felt another deep ache settle in her chest, sharp and unrelenting.
"You idiot," Anna whispered with a watery smile, brushing a few loose strands of hair away from Raya's forehead with trembling fingers. "Do you know how scared you made me? I thought I was going to lose you."
