I wake up slowly. This one drags out of sleep in pieces, first the warmth then the quiet.....then the faint clink of cutlery.
I blink as the ceiling slowly cos into focus.
Soft light is spilling in through the curtains, not too bright, just enough to tell it’s morning.
For a second, I don’t move,just lie there because this... this feels unfamiliar in a strange way.
Safe.
Then the sll hits ...food.
My stomach twists sharply, like it just rembered sothing important and I turn my head slightly.
Ivy is sitting on the edge of the bed with a tray in her hands..,She’s watching and patiently waiting.
"Morning," she says softly.
My voice doesn’t co out imdiately when I try to respond because my throat feels dry.
"...Morning."
She smiles a little and shifts the tray closer to .
"I made you breakfast."
I push myself up slowly, my body protesting a little but not nearly as bad as yesterday. The blanket slips down as I sit there, staring at the tray.
Toast, eggs and sothing warm in a cup which has my stomach reacting instantly as It growls loud enough that Ivy hears it.
She huffs a quiet laugh. "Yeah... I figured."
I haven’t eaten properly in days...The realization makes sothing in go hollow for a second.
I just reach for the food and At first, I try to eat normally but that doesn’t last....,,Within seconds, I’m eating faster than I should, barely chewing properly, just trying to get sothing....,anything...into my system.
My body takes over, like it’s been waiting for this.
Ivy doesn’t say anything as She just sits there, watching with this quiet look on her face.
No judgnt or pity just ... understanding.
I finish almost everything before I even realize it and by the ti I stop, my stomach feels full in a way that’s almost uncomfortable, but I don’t care.
I needed that badly. I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand, letting out a small breath.
"Thank you," I mumble.
She smiles. "Anyti."
After that, everything feels a little clearer.
I get out of bed, moving slower than usual but steady enough. Ivy clears the tray while I head to the bathroom to wash up properly.
When I look at myself in the mirror, I pause.
I look... different....muvh thinner now.
My face slimr than I rember. There are still faint bruises along my arms, a healing cut near my collarbone.
But my eyes...they look tired and older.
I don’t stare too long, I just get dressed in
Sothing simple and comfortable.
By the ti I head downstairs, the house is quieter than I expected but Lucas is there In the living room.
Phone in hand..::He’s not sitting, not relaxed...he’s tense and pacing slightly.
His brows are drawn together, his jaw tight..i stop at the bottom of the stairs.
"What’s wrong?"
He looks up imdiately, his expression shifting when he sees .....it Softens just a littl
"Zane," he says.
Just that and I already feel irritation rise in my chest.
"What about him?"
Lucas exhales, running a hand through his hair.
"He’s demanding you co back to his house."
I blink. Then let out a dry, almost disbelieving laugh.
"Demanding?"
I take a few steps into the room.
"He’s not exactly in the position to demand anything from right now."
My voice sharpens.
"He literally tried to kill ."
Lucas watches carefully.
"I know," he says. "And I told him that."
There’s sothing in his tone... anger.
"He doesn’t care," he adds after a second. "He wants you back. Now."
I scoff quietly, crossing my arms.
"Yeah? Well, he can want."
Lucas nods slowly.
"The choice is yours."
He steps closer, his voice lowering slightly.
"But if it were up to ...
His jaw tightens again.
"I’d fight to my death before I let him take you back by force."
I et his eyes and I know he ans it, there’s no exaggeration there.....no empty words Just truth and a heavy kind of protection that settles around .
"You don’t have to go," he adds. "Not if you don’t want to."
I let out a breath
"I don’t want to go back," I say finally.
My voice is quieter now but firm
"I want to stay here."
I glance around the house briefly.
"I need ti. I need to... get back to myself."
Lucas studies for a second then nods.
"Alright."
Just like that.
No argunt, no pressure.
"Then you stay."
A pause. Then he gestures toward slightly.
"Don’t forget your appointnt."
I nod.
"I didn’t.
I glance down at what I’m wearing.
"I’m already dressed for it."
He gives a small approving nod.
"Good."
I shift my weight slightly.
"We can go now."
Lucas grabs his keys without another word.
And just like that....
We’re moving again.
The drive to the hospital is quiet.
Not awkward. Just... quiet.
Lucas drives, one hand on the wheel, the other resting near the gear. He doesn’t rush, but he doesn’t waste ti either. Every now and then, his eyes flick toward , quick checks, like he’s making sure I’m still there.
I lean back in the seat, watching the road ahead blur past.
Ny body feels lighter lyk sothing that was sitting heavy inside has shifted just enough to let breathe a little.
We don’t talk much.
There’s nothing to say that won’t open sothing up again And I don’t think either of us wants that right now.
When we pull into the hospital, Lucas parks close to the entrance.
He gets out first, cos around to my side like he always does, opening the door without a word I step out.
The air slls like disinfectant the mont we walk in....clean and almost familiar.
We don’t have to wait long, everything is already arranged and We’re led straight in.
His office hasn’t changed..he looks up the mont we walk in and his expression shifts instantly.
"Elaine," je says, standing up.
There’s relief in his voice.
"Co here, let see you."
I walk over, sitting where he gestures.
His hands are gentle but firm as he starts checking .
Pulse first, then my eyes.
He tilts my chin slightly, studying my face.
"You’ve lost weight," he murmurs, not as a question.
I give a small shrug.
"Yeah."
He doesn’t press, he just continues.
He listens carefully, focused, professional....but there’s sothing softer underneath it. He’s known for years. This isn’t just another patient to her.
Lucas stands off to the side, arms crossed, watching everything closely...not interfering.
Just... present.
He steps back after a while, studying fully now.
There’s a pause then he exhales.
"You look so much better."
I blink.
"What?"
He nods, more certain now.
"There’s a noticeable difference from a few months ago."
He moves back to his desk, picking up so old records, flipping through them briefly.
"Your skin tone, your responsiveness, even your breathing....it’s all improved."
I just stare at him trying to process that. He looks back at , his expression steady.
"Wht was affecting you before," he says carefully, "it’s no longer actively harming you the way it was."
My chest tightens slightly and I think about the smoothies....about mia and About everything.
He continues, softer now.
"Right now... you’re not at imdiate risk."
Not at risk and I’m Not dying, not slowing breaking without knowing why.
I didn’t even realize how much I needed to hear that as My shoulders drop slightly and Lucas lets out a quiet breath behind .
I don’t turn to look at him, but I hear it and Feel it.....The tension easing, even if just a bit.
The doctor gives a small, reassuring look.
"We’ll still run so tests," he adds. "Just to be sure everything is clearing out properly. But for now..."
He nods once.
"You’re a little bit okay."
Okay.
The word feels strange as for the first ti in a long ti... It doesn’t feel impossible.
He pulls a drawer open and starts writing sothing down.
The scratch of his pen against paper sounds louder than it should.
I sit there, watching his hand move, my mind still stuck on what he just said.
You’re not at imdiate risk.
It keeps echoing like I don’t fully trust it yet.
He tears the sheet neatly and turns back to , his expression back to that calm, steady look he always has when he’s being serious.
"I’m going to put you on a course of dication," he says, handing it over. "Nothing too aggressive, but enough to help your body clear out whatever toxins are still lingering."
I take the paper from him, glancing down at it without really reading it.
"Your system has already started recovering on its own," he continues, leaning lightly against her desk. "That’s a very good sign. It ans once we support it properly, you should bounce back much faster."
Bounce back....i almost want to laugh. I don’t feel like I’m bouncing back from anything, I feel like I crawled out of sothing and I’m still catching my breath.
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