The sharp smell of antiseptic filled the room as I whispered, "She ran away so many times, even when I told her to stay."
The image of her pale face and her collapsing haunted me. "Yet here I am, unable to walk away from her, even when she pushes back, when she's mad, or even denies me."
I lowered my head, overwhelmed by my thoughts.
"I don't know what this is, Elena," I admitted softly, the truth shaking loose from inside my chest. "But I know I can't lose you."
Her monitors kept their steady rhythm, but I remained, unwilling to leave her side.
The room was dark except for the faint glow of machines. The sound of her monitor was the only thing keeping me tethered to sanity.
Beep… beep… beep…
I sat half-slumped in the chair, exhaustion dragging at every nerve, but I refused to sleep.
What if she woke up and I wasn't here? What if she slipped away again and the situation got critical?
Then, something shifted.
