Beep. Beep. Beep.
The monitors started as soon as they wheeled her mother into the emergency room, each sound cold and sharp, matching the panic pounding in Merlina's chest.
"Ma'am, we need you to step back," a nurse instructed, guiding Merlina toward a corner. But she barely heard her.
Each step she took felt slow, like walking through mud. Her throat got tight, her fingers shook, and the bright hospital lights made her mom look even smaller and weaker.
The hospital doors swung open, and there he was. Craig. His coat snapped behind him as he rushed across the polished linoleum, the smell of antiseptic sharp in the air. Relief, fear, and longing collided in a single heartbeat, leaving Merlina dizzy with everything she felt at once.
Without thinking, she ran to him, throwing herself into his arms. The world shrank to the two of them, the chaos of the emergency room, the beeping monitors, the rushing nurses, all faded to a blur.
