Evans

The sound of that first breath was like a gunshot in the silent room. It was wet, ragged, and heavy with the effort of five years of stasis. I stood frozen, my hand still gripping the manual override lever, watching the thick white mist spill out across the floor like a ghost. The heavy steel door of the chamber swung wider, the hinges screaming in a low, metallic protest.

"Evans, the thermal levels are dropping too fast," Lena whispered, her voice trembling as she clutched her tablet to her chest. "We need to get her out of the cold."

Hailey didn't wait for my lead. She moved before I...