Chapter 48: "After the Storm"
Zariah's eyes fluttered open, and for a moment, she wasn't sure where she was.
The bright white walls.
The beeping machines.
The sterile smell of antiseptic.
The soft hum of a heart monitor.
Her heart.
It was slow.
Steady.
Alive.
But it didn't feel like hers.
Not anymore.
She tried to sit up, but a sharp pain ran through her chest, and she collapsed back onto the soft pillows. She blinked, the world still spinning.
"Hey," a voice whispered, hoarse but full of warmth. "Hey, you're awake."
It was Jasmine. She was sitting by her side, her hand gripping Zariah's gently, like she was afraid to let go.
Zariah's mouth was dry, her lips cracked. She opened them, but her voice was barely a breath. "Jasmine?"
"I'm here," Jasmine said, her voice tight with emotion. "You're gonna be okay. You're safe now."
Zariah looked around the room, still confused. "What... happened?"
Jasmine hesitated, her fingers tracing over the edge of Zariah's hand. "You... you tried to hurt yourself. You lost a lot of blood. But you're here now. You're alive."
Zariah swallowed, the gravity of what she had done sinking in. "I... I wanted it to end."
Jasmine's eyes welled with tears, but she blinked them away, squeezing Zariah's hand even tighter. "I know. I know, Z. But you don't have to be alone anymore. I'm here, and we're gonna get through this together."
Zariah turned her head away, not wanting to see the pity in her friend's eyes. "I don't deserve this. I don't deserve you."
"Stop," Jasmine said firmly. "You're my best friend, and you deserve everything — even the hard days. Especially the hard days. And I'm not going anywhere. You don't have to go through this alone."
Tears filled Zariah's eyes as she fought to hold them back. She hadn't cried in so long. It hurt too much. But now... now it felt like it was all pouring out at once.
"I'm sorry," Zariah whispered, her voice breaking. "I'm so sorry."
Jasmine leaned down and kissed her forehead, her hand smoothing back Zariah's messy hair. "There's nothing to apologize for. Nothing at all."
The door opened softly, and a nurse entered with a gentle smile. "How are we feeling today, sweetie?"
Zariah flinched at the word "sweetie." She hated feeling fragile, hated needing others to take care of her. But the nurse's expression was kind, and Zariah didn't have the strength to protest.
"Better," she mumbled, though it didn't feel true. She still felt like she was drowning, even if her body was physically okay.
The nurse checked her vitals, talking to Jasmine in the softest of voices. Zariah could barely keep her eyes open. She wanted to shut them, to sleep, to forget.
But something inside her — something raw and real — refused to let her go back to that darkness.
As the nurse finished up and left the room, Jasmine stayed by her side, silent for a while.
"Z," she said finally, her voice soft but full of resolve. "You don't have to be okay right now. You don't even have to know what happens next. But I'm right here. And we're going to take it one day at a time. We'll find a way out of this. Together."
Zariah closed her eyes, letting the sound of Jasmine's words wash over her. It didn't fix everything. It didn't erase the pain or the shame. But for the first time in a long time, she felt like maybe... just maybe... there was a sliver of hope left.
She didn't know what the future held. But with Jasmine by her side, maybe she could start walking toward it.
One step at a time.