Cedric
A WEEK LATER
The call came early that morning, before I had even properly started the day.
I was still in the middle of getting dressed when my phone rang, an unknown number with the hospital’s area code. I answered it the way I always answered calls from that number lately, with the particular careful brace of someone who had learned not to expect good news.
The nurse’s words landed one at a time, each one taking a moment to fully register.
Your sister. Opened her eyes. Awake and responsive.
I stood completely still in the middle of my room, one hand still holding my phone, the other gripping the edge of the dresser without fully realizing it. The nurse kept talking, saying things about the doctor wanting to run assessments and that I should come when I could, but the words b
