The days after I woke up moved in a soft, uneven rhythm.Morning light would slip across the private ward first, pale against the white sheets, and Samantha was almost always already there, sometimes half-asleep in the chair with her head tilted toward the bed, sometimes standing with a cup of warm water and a careful smile. The smell of antiseptic never fully left the room, but her perfume cut through it in small, familiar waves every time she leaned close.“Sit up a little for me,” she’d say, voice quiet, one arm already sliding behind my back.I’d let her do most of the work on purpose, not because I couldn’t try, but because the warmth of her hands felt better than effort. My body was still slow and heavy, muscles complaining at the smallest things, and I used that freely. When she reached for the comb, I tipped my head into her palm like a spoiled cat. When she brought the spoon closer during breakfast, I opened my mouth and waited instead of taking it mys
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