Chapter 5 - Elena Recovers Consciousness Under Bright Hospital Lights
St. Jude Memorial Hospital’s emergency trauma bay hummed with quiet, urgent efficiency as medical staff surrounded Elena’s bed.
Bright overhead surgical lights illuminated her pale face as an attending physician shone a small penlight into her dilated eyes.
Caleb stood anxiously in the corner of the sterile room, his knuckles pressed hard against the metal equipment cart.
Slowly, Elena’s eyelids fluttered open, blinking against the blinding glare of the hospital illumination.
Her lips parted in a dry, painful gasp as she tried to draw air into her starved lungs.
“Elena... can you hear me? I’m right here,” Caleb whispered, rushing to her side and grasping her cold hand tightly.
Elena turned her head slowly toward him, recognition and raw terror flashing simultaneously in her deep blue eyes.
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“Caleb...” her voice was barely a raspy whisper, broken from hours of silent screaming inside the pitch-black casket.
“Don’t talk, sweetheart, you’re safe now; no one is ever going to hurt you again,” Caleb promised, kissing her knuckles.
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