Bella slowly opened her eyes, her head throbbing as if it were being split in two. Her vision blurred, the sterile white walls and soft lights above her making her feel disoriented. She blinked several times, trying to gather her bearings, but the pain pulsing in her skull made it difficult to focus. Where was she? Nothing made sense.
She gingerly placed her hand on her head, feeling the confusion rise within her. It was a clinic, that much was clear—there were machines softly beeping beside her, an IV drip connected to her arm. Her throat felt dry, her body weak. She looked around, the silence pressing in on her, until the door creaked open, and a nurse entered the room.
The nurse, an older woman with warm eyes and a reassuring smile, gasped softly when she saw Bella awake. She rushed o
