“Well, good morning,” I said, resting my hands behind my head.
Confusion crossed her expression again.
“Don’t worry. You’re in good hands now. The doctor left all of your care instructions with me.”
“Is this hell?” she croaked.
Choking her to death wasn’t an option, so I laughed.
“You’re so funny,” I said, lifting the concoction meant to replenish her electrolytes.“You’ll have a long and healthy life.”
I’d make damn sure of it.
I guided the straw to her lips.
“Drink up,” I said, ignoring the suspicion in her eyes as they flicked to the tall glass.
She did as she was told.
Interesting.
Chapter 14
Lielit
This was hell. There was no other explanation.
His lips twisted into a crooked smile, his eyes squinting with it. The expression was wrong—awkward, unsettling. The moment I realised he was trying to smile at me, my stomach lurched. The straw slipped from my mouth.
“I feel sick,” I managed, pushing it away as nausea surged.
He shoved a plastic bowl under my chin just in time.
I retched hard, my ribs aching as my stomach finally emptied. When it passed, I slumped back against the mattress, weak and shaking. The shivering hit next—violent, uncontrollable—until my teeth began to chatter. The stone walls seemed to press in, closing around me.
“S-so c-cold,” I stuttered, clutching the thick covers with numb fingers.
He muttered something under his breath.
Snap.
My eyes flew open—panic flaring—but it wasn’t a weapon.
A silicone glove.
Snap.
The second glove slid on.
He leaned over me and I flinched instinctively, but instead of touching me, he lifted a folded white cloth from the bedside. He dabbed my mouth, turning the fabric before wiping my lips and chin with deliberate care.
My breathing grew shallow, laboured. The edges of the room blurred.
And then I began to drift.
???
The next time I woke, I was cautious—uncertain whether I was fully lucid or still drifting somewhere between. The chill lingered, but the violent shivering had stopped. I glanced around the room. It was empty. Light spilled in from the far side, pale and distant.
