Sunlight spilled across the hospital room, warming her bandaged arms and head. Sam blinked slowly. The beeping of the monitors seemed softer now, less urgent. And then she noticed him — a man seated quietly at the edge of the ward, adjusting the camera on his lap.
They stared at each other for a minute, She tries to speak but her throat is dry.
He notices.
Their eyes meet.
He stands slowly.
"Easy," he says gently. "You just came out of surgery."
His voice is calm. Warm.
"What…?" she whispers.
He says with a small, reassuring smile. "You're safe."
Before she can ask anything else, the door opens.
Brayden walks in.
And sees them.
Brayden immediately charges towards the man helping me.
" hey who are you? What do you want from her?."
"Well my name is Jason, I was just helping out." He said
Brayden eyed him and reluctantly thanked him.
Jason was in the same ward as Sam, Jason's grandmother had an accident that almost cost her life and she's old so he has to be present, to assist her with her needs.
I watched Jason from the corner of my eyes, fascinated by his every move. Who is this guy I said to myself. I watched him carefully. There was something about the way he paced around— careful, patient, almost… considerate. My mind tried to place him, but it was blank. Who was he, really? And why did it feel… easier, somehow, to look at him than at Brayden?
Brayden noticed the sudden interest in Jason and was fuming.
Bradyen's eyes narrowed, but he said nothing. My heart twisted, confused by the tight line of his jaw. I didn't understand it yet — but I could feel it, the tension rolling off him like heat from a radiator.
I let my gaze linger on him still, for some reason I couldn't help but be fascinated by a man I had just met few minutes ago. His hands moved carefully, like he was handling something fragile — maybe the truth of my own condition. For a fleeting moment, I forgot the chaos of the accident, forgot the confusion, and simply… watched.
Brayden cleared his throat, looking at both of us. "I… need to check on your meds," he muttered, backing toward the door. But my eyes stayed on Jason. Something told me this was only the beginning.
When Brayden left the room, Jason smiled at me and I balecame shy all of a sudden.
" is that your boyfriend? He asked."
I didn't know what to say because according to popular knowledge he was but I can barely remember him.
" I think so, you see i can't really remember." I said
" oh, sorry about that." And he continued with his sketch
" can I see that? I asked."
He looked up from the pad, surprised
" yeah, sure you can"
He stood up and walked towards me holding the sketch pad in his hands. He gave me the pad and what lay before me was the most beautiful drawing I ever saw.
" wow, this is lovely, you drew this?" I asked
He replied " yeah" acting shy all of a sudden.
"This is really beautiful, you've got a great talent"
"Do you want it? He said."
I looked at him, his eyes radiated softness and peace.
"No thank you, that would be rude, I'm good thank you."
He shrugged and went back to his sit, and I kept my eyes closed, but I wasn't sleeping.
I could hear the faint scratch of his pencil against paper. Slow. Steady. Comforting.
"Most people pretend to sleep when they're thinking too much," Jason said gently.
My eyes fluttered open.
"I'm not thinking," I murmured.
He gave a small smile. "You are."
Silence settled between us again, but it wasn't heavy. It wasn't awkward. It felt… safe.
"Do you always draw?" I asked quietly.
"Whenever things feel out of control," he replied. "It helps me make sense of them."
Out of control.
The words echoed inside me.
"That's why you were drawing earlier?" I asked.
He nodded. "My grandmother's surgery was yesterday. She's strong… but she's old. You start to realize how fragile people are."
Fragile.
I swallowed.
"Was I…" My voice trembled. "Was it bad?"
He hesitated. Not long. Just enough.
"Yeah," he said softly. "It was."
Something inside my chest tightened.
"And he…" I paused. "The guy who was here. Brayden. Was he there?"
Jason looked at me carefully now.
"Yes," he said. "He didn't leave your side."
That did something strange to me. I felt… grateful. And guilty. And confused.
"Do you love him?" Jason asked before he could stop himself.
The question hung in the air between us.
I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.
Because I didn't know.
And that terrified me, because I was supposed to marry him.
Jason looked away first.
"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "That wasn't my place."
But it was too late.
The question had already settled into my bones.
Outside the door, I didn't know that Brayden had come back.
And heard everything.