Hours passed before Thalia finally opened her eyes.

The room was dim, the single light above her casting a warm, low glow over everything. The scent of disinfectants clung to the air, sharply and coldly. Machines hummed quietly. A faint breeze slipped through the slightly open window, stirring the edge of the curtain.

Thalia’s eyelashes fluttered, her eyes moving beneath them as she regained her consciousness. She let out a tiny sigh from exhaustion. A deep, soul-crushing exhaustion that seemed to settle into her bones.

She blinked slowly, her vision clearing, and the first thing she saw was George.

His head rested on her hand, fingers wrapped around hers as...