The steady beep of the heart monitor filled the sterile hospital room.
Kyle sat propped up against the pillows. His gaze fixed blankly on the wall across from him.
His fingers absently traced the edge of the white hospital blanket, his mind far away.
The door creaked open.
Seraphina stepped inside. Her usual energetic demeanor softened into something quieter.
She closed the door behind her with a soft click and made her way to the chair beside his bed.
For a moment. She just watched him.
The way his shoulders were tense despite the exhaustion in his eyes.
The way his jaw clenched ever so slightly. Like he was holding something back.
"You look like hell," she said finally, her voice light but careful.
Kyle blinked, as if pulled out of a trance, and turned his head toward her. A faint, tired smirk tugged at his lips.
"Thanks. I feel like it."
