~ Helen's POV ~It's a new day.Sunlight creeps over my skin as I wake. It's warm, soft… alive. A reminder that time is moving, that the world didn’t stop….though mine almost did.“Good morning, Miss,” Nurse Rava greeted as she walked in with her usual bright face.“Good morning,” I responded with a slight yawn, rubbing my eyes slowly.My arms stretch up by reflex, my muscles responding without hesitation. I sat up, not even thinking about it.“Yay…!” Nurse Rava gasped with joy.I froze.Huh?She looked at me like I had just done something extraordinary.“You sat up yourself,” she said, her tone filled with surprise and excitement, her eyes soft, almost teary.I blinked. Sat up… myself?I looked at my arms, my legs. I looked at the pillow behind me. She’s right.I sat up. By myself.Goodness.My eyes widened. My chest tightened.Then…..A small scream escaped me, one filled with disbelief and sudden joy. My hand covered my mouth as I gasped.I sat up.I really sat up on my own.My hea
~ Sebastian’s POV ~After spending an hour with her, just sitting, talking, watching her laugh lightly at the film….I felt like I could finally breathe a little. She’d eaten slowly, but she finished her food, and I made sure to wait until she was done before taking my leave.I didn’t want to go. I never really wanted to leave her side. But it was getting late, and she needed rest more than company.I stood, reluctant, brushing her hair gently once more, promising her I’d return tomorrow. She gave me that soft smile again….the one that clung to my chest like an anchor.Then I left.As the hospital doors closed behind me, the weight of the day slowly began pressing back down on my shoulders. The still air outside, the sound of passing cars, the scent of night blooming around the streetlights….all of it reminded me that life hadn’t paused even though it felt like it had.We drove home in silence, the only sound being the soft hum of the engine and the occasional traffic signal. My mind k
~ Sebastian’s POV ~Evening came faster than I expected, the hours slipping by in a blur of meetings, phone calls, and files. All the meetings I had scheduled for today were ticked off the list. Efficiently handled, but my mind… it hadn’t been completely present. Not really.By the time I glanced at the clock again, it’s already 5:30 p.m. The end of the workday. A relief, yet it didn’t feel like a full stop….more like a comma before something more important.And of course, there's something important, someone rather.Helen.Mike still at his desk, sorting through some files for tomorrow, meticulously checking them as he always does. Focused. Calm. The contrast between us is clear….I’m itching to leave, my mind already somewhere else.Then a thought struck me.“Mena loves the car,” I said suddenly, almost absentmindedly, as I leaned back in my chair.Mike looked up with a small smile, not surprised by the shift in topic. “I knew she would.”I turned toward him, raising an eyebrow. “How
~ Helen’s POV ~“Big sis!”Ashley’s voice rang out like a song, sharp and sweet, piercing through the silence of the ward as she pushed the door open and dashed toward me.Her energy was like sunshine spilling into a room that had been dim for too long.“Beautiful,” I breathed, the word tumbling from my lips before I even realized I was saying it.The instant she reached me, she threw her arms around me, her head resting on my shoulder as her gown flared over my lap. Her scent….warmth and strawberry body mist, a burst of comfort I hadn’t realized I’d been craving.I held her tightly. Like my body needed her presence to remember what living felt like wholly.She pulled back, eyes sparkling with excitement and concern all at once.“How are you doing?” she asked, voice higher than usual, as though happiness bubbled right out of her chest.“I’m getting better,” I answered honestly, smiling. “I walked today.”Her mouth dropped open slightly, and then she squealed, clapping her hands togeth
Sebastian's POV ~I hope she gets better.Goodness, I hope she gets better.It’s been two days since she opened her eyes, and although there’s been improvement, it’s still not enough for my heart to rest. She’s still so weak, still so pale, and the memory of seeing her weak body in that hospital bed still clings to the edges of my mind like a sickness I can’t cure.I want her back home.I want to wake up and not feel this hollow pit in my stomach. I want to walk downstairs and see her before I even get to the bottom step. I want see her smile when I walk in. I want to hear her voice smooth and beautiful. See her sway her hips as she walks.But instead, she’s confined to that sterile room.And I’m here.Getting dressed for another day that feels utterly wrong without her.The buttons on my shirt feel tighter this morning. Maybe because my chest is heavier. I fasten each one slowly, staring into the mirror as if it might offer reassurance. It doesn’t. My reflection stares back at me….ti
~ Helen’s POV ~Two days had passed.Two long, dragging days since I woke up from that terrifying darkness and yet, I still wasn’t fully myself. My body had begun responding, yes. I could feel my knees now. That alone had brought tears to my eyes yesterday. But they didn’t feel like my knees. It was as though I had been rewired, and my own body was trying to figure out how to work again.They told me to be patient.That healing takes time.But they weren’t the ones trapped in a body that felt foreign. They weren’t the ones who had tasted poison and returned from the edge of death.I stared at the ceiling as Dr. Ralia stepped in, holding her clipboard, her presence warm yet focused as always. She was the kind of doctor that made you feel like you weren’t just a case file….like your pain mattered.She came to my bedside and offered a small smile. “A physiotherapist will come in today to help you regain more movement,” she said gently, eyes scanning my vitals. “Meanwhile, I’ll run a toxi