I hardly hear a word, still gaping at Mum. Here. In England.
“How…?”
She smiles, brushing a stray curl from my face. “I’ll explain later. Everything will be alright. I promise.”
Something inside me breaks open—the fear, the ache, the longing. It all spills together as I clutch her hand. The warmth of her palm seeps into mine as the world begins to fade.
My eyelids grow heavy.
I try to stay awake.
I try.
I…
Try…
40
Awake
Lily-Anne
A soft beeping pulls me from sleep.
My eyelids peek open to a bright room, curtains partially closed, nurses moving around me with rustling scrubs.
“You’re in a recovery room,” someone tells me.
As if that means anything to me.
My head is heavy, almost impossible to lift. I’m shivering, my foot heavily bandaged and elevated, my throat sore, and my eyes stinging with tears like I’ve been inhaling smoke.
Someone tucks a blanket around me. Mum. She leans close with a warm smile.
“Hi, darling. How are you feeling?”
“Where am I?”
“You’re in the PACU now. You’re safe. Surgery’s all done. You did very well.”
Did I?
I open my eyes. Didn’t realise I’d closed them.
I turn my head to observe a nurse watching the monitor. She spots me looking and smiles. “Are you in any pain, Lily?”
My mouth forms the word ‘no,’ but it takes me a moment longer to find my voice. “Did it go okay?”
“It all went very well. You’re in the recovery area now, waking up from surgery. We’ll take you to your room soon.”
Soon.I don’t think that means much here.
Another nurse comes. Asks if I’m okay. Checks me over. Tells me, “You’re in the PACU recovering. We’ll be transferring you to your room shortly.”
I feel like someone said that already.
I drift back to sleep.
