Mandy's POV
The harsh fluorescent lights above made me squint as consciousness slowly returned. Everything felt hazy, like swimming up from the bottom of a deep pool. My shoulder burned with a fire that reminded me this wasn't some terrible nightmare. The antiseptic smell of the hospital room filled my nostrils as I attempted to push myself upright, only to have pain lance through my arm like lightning.
"The medical staff specifically advised against sitting up."
Jefferson's voice drifted from my left side, emotionless and detached. I shifted my gaze toward him, finding him seated with one leg crossed over the other, his attention seemingly focused on his phone screen. His face might as well have been carved from marble for all the emotion it showed. Usually his presence commanded any space he occupied, but now he felt distant, almost absent.
