It was past midnight when Lynn finally stepped out of the ICU again.
The hospital had grown quieter. The daytime noise had faded into low murmurs, distant footsteps, and the occasional rolling of equipment down the hallway. The lights were dimmer now, casting long shadows across the floors. It felt like everyone else had moved on with their lives and she was frozen in time.
Alex hadn't woken up. even though she had prayed and hoped that he would open his eyes. that he would call her name and tell her how much he loved her and hold her.
She had stayed by his side for hours, talking softly to him about everything and nothing. About the baby. About how much she missed his voice. About how she hated hospitals. About how she needed him to open his eyes and tell her she was overreacting like he always did. About how she wanted them to go through having the baby together.
But nothing changed.
The machines kept beeping.
His chest kept rising and falling.
