For a moment, she simply stared at Ivy, watching her carefully as though afraid that even the slightest movement might disappear if she looked away.
Her eyes travelled over Ivy's face before dropping toward the blanket.
Another tiny movement followed.
The nurse's expression changed.
She leaned closer, studying Ivy intently, as if trying to confirm that the sound had truly come from her and wasn't merely a trick of the quiet room.
"Ivy?"
Her voice was barely above a whisper.
She waited. And for the first time that morning, the stillness around the bed no longer felt quite so lifeless.
Under the nurse's attentive stare, Ivy's lashes trembled.
The movement was faint at first, barely enough to notice, but it came again, stronger this time. Her breathing gradually grew more laboured, e
