The first thing Ava felt was the weight.Not physical.Not something she could touch.But something heavy pressing down on her chest… on her lungs… on her very existence.Then came the sound.A steady, rhythmic beeping.Soft.Consistent.Too clean.Too controlled.Her eyelids fluttered.Light flooded in—too bright, too sharp—and she winced immediately, her head throbbing faintly as consciousness pulled her back, piece by piece.For a moment, she didn’t remember.Where she was.What had happened.Why her body felt so weak.So drained.Then, it hit her.The room.The ropes.The fear.Vanessa Reid.Her breath caught sharply as her eyes snapped open fully.White ceiling.Hospital.Her heart began to race.“No…” she whispered hoarsely, her voice barely more than air.Her hand moved instinctively.To her stomach.Flat.Still.A cold wave of dread washed over her.“No…”The door opened softly.A nurse stepped in, her expression calm but attentive.“Oh, you’re awake,” she said gently, walking
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