NIRVANA

I woke up to the beeping sound. I felt disoriented and so freaking exhausted, like I just climbed a mountain. Then I realized the room seemed familiar with a white ceiling, while the walls and scent alone were nauseating.

When I was in high school, I got food poisoning, and I ended up in the hospital for two days. It all felt the same over again. The only difference was that my tummy didn’t hurt, but my shoulder did. It is excruciatingly painful.

Then my gaze landed on the man I’d been longing to hug. He looked sad and exhausted, as did my best friend, hugging him behind his...