When the Stranger Breathes Again
The ward was quiet again, save for the steady beeping of Sophie’s monitor and the faint hiss of oxygen through the tubes. Talia leaned back in the chair, her face calm like something big a great thriller movie hadn’t just happened in this ward just now
She never wanted anyone to know about the life of the stranger she saved being in danger she doesn't want to get herself involved in her issues till she wakes up
The ward door creaked open as the morning doctors and nurses stepped in for their routine rounds. Their hushed voices and rustling coats filled the silence that had hung heavy all night. Sophie lay motionless on the bed, her chest rising and falling with shallow but steady breaths.
One of the doctors leaned closer, adjusting the monitors. “Her vitals are holding,” he murmured. “If this continues, she should regain consciousness soon.”
The words loosened something in Talia’s chest. She exhaled shakily, since last night she had guarded Sophie with her body, her blood, her pain. To hear that Sophie might wake… it was the first sliver of hope she’d felt.
But the relief didn’t last long.
A nurse, moving toward the bed, paused suddenly. Her eyes swept over the toppled IV stand in the corner, the overturned chair, the faint smear of blood against the tiled floor. Then her gaze shifted sharply to Talia—her ripped sleeve, her trembling posture, her bloodstained palm wrapped tightly against
“Miss… what happened here?” the nurse asked, alarmed. “You’re hurt badly. And this room… it looks scattered like something just happened ….”
Before she could finish, Talia cut in quickly, voice rough but steady.
“It’s nothing. Last night, when I pulled this lady out of danger, “ she said pointing towards Soohie “I got these wounds. The one on my hand… I just cut it by mistake this morning when peeling an apple .”
The doctor frowned, clearly unconvinced. His eyes lingered on her pale face, the exhaustion carved into every line of her body. But after a moment, he sighed.
“Fine. Let’s help you treat it. But you shouldn’t ignore this, miss. You’ve lost blood, and you need rest as much as the person you saved does.”
Talia only shook her head. “I’ll be fine. … take care of her.”
A nurse fetched a tray and sat beside her. Carefully, she uncurled Talia’s stiff fingers, revealing the deep gash across her palm. The sting of antiseptic burned as it touched the wound, but Talia didn’t flinch. She sat still, her gaze locked on Sophie, her expression unreadable.
“You really should lie down,” the nurse murmured as she bandaged the palm neatly. “No one can watch over someone else if they collapse themselves.”
Talia only needed
Minutes stretched, the hum of the monitors filling the air. The doctors finished checking Sophie’s vitals, making notes, whispering about progress. One by one, they filed out, leaving behind the faint scent of disinfectant and silence.
Talia leaned back in the chair, her body heavy, her spirit fraying at the edges.
She stood up and adjusted the blanket on Sophie’s body tucked her in.
And then, a fragile sound.
Her hand twitched A faint breath, sharper than the rest. Sophie’s eyelids fluttered, her fingers twitching weakly beneath the blanket. Slowly, her eyes opened clouded with confusion, blinking against the harsh white light above.
Talia froze as Sophie’s eyes flickered open, confusion clouding her gaze before they found hers. Relief crashed over Talia so fiercely it hurt, her hand trembling in the air between them. “Finally… she’s awake. Finally, all my effort wasn’t in vain,” she muttered under her breath. She wanted to keep her distance, but something in that fragile stare broke her resolve, and before she knew it, she was hugging Sophie tightly against the bed.