JUDY’S POV
The hours stretched on endlessly, each second feeling like an eternity. The sterile scent of antiseptic and faint hum of hospital machines combined with my anxiety, creating a suffocating atmosphere that seemed to wrap itself around me.
I sat by my father’s bedside, gripping his hand tightly as if my hold could somehow tether him to consciousness. My heart pounded unevenly, each beat a painful reminder of the helplessness I felt.
He looked so fragile lying there, his complexion pale and his features drawn with worry even as he remained unconscious. The steady beep of the heart monitor was the only reassurance that he was still with me. I couldn’t take my eyes off his face, silently pleading for him to wake up, to tell me he was okay.
Across the room, Chris paced restlessly
