The sticky sweetness of strawberry juice was on my fingers. I could feel it. The sun was warm on my neck. Jolina's laughter tinkled like a bell to my left. I reached for a perfect, fat berry, its red skin dotted with little seeds.
My fingers closed around it. It was soft. Too soft. I looked down. My hand wasn't holding a berry. It was holding a small, white hospital band. The kind they strap around a wrist.
I dropped it. My head snapped up.
The sunny field was gone. We were in a long, white hallway. The lights were too bright, buzzing. The smell of strawberries was replaced by the sharp sting of antiseptic. It stung my nose.
Josh and Jolina were at the far end, but they weren't running. They were walking slowly, holding hands. They looked back at me, their faces pale and confused.
"Mommy?" Josh called, his voice small in the big hallway.
"Come back here! Right now!" I yelled, but my voice sounded muffled.
