DAMIEN POV
Week One of the Coma
I didn't leave the hospital.
Slept in the chair beside her bed. Ate in the cafeteria when Margaret forced me to. Showered in the hospital bathroom.
Every day was the same.
Elena in the bed. Eyes closed. Not moving. Not responding.
The nurses checked on her constantly. Adjusted IVs. Read monitors. Wrote notes in her chart.
"Any change?" I'd ask every single time.
"No change," they'd answer every single time.
Patricia came up from the city on day three.
She brought paperwork. Legal documents.
"Detective Morrison wants a formal statement about Brighton. About everything we know."
"I don't care about Brighton right now."
"I know. But this matters, Damien. If Brighton is still out there, and Elena is the only witness to what he did..."
"She's in a coma. She can't testify."
"Which is exactly why we need to document everything now. Before memories fade. Before evidence disappears."
She was right. I knew she was right.
