His voice softened. "But… from what I see now, your speech is intact. Your memory, your reasoning, your intelligence, not just IQ, but your emotional processing too. All of it is still there. Better than expected. Miraculous, really."
Carl let out a small, disbelieving laugh. "You even managed to pull out your own breathing tube the moment you woke up. That says enough."
Then his expression sobered. "But… whatever miracle saved you from brain damage couldn't stop the possible permanent consequences of the stab wound."
"I'll need to run a few more tests to confirm," Carl said carefully, "but… I think you're paralyzed from the waist down. I'm sorry, Nnenna."
The words dropped like a stone in the room. Everyone tensed, waiting for the explosion, tears, denial, shock, anything.
Minutes passed. Nothing.
No crying. No shouting. No disbelief. Nnenna just lay there, calm as ever.
