Light flooded her vision as her eyes slowly peeled open. She winced and shut her eyes quickly, eyebrows furrowing as she tried to block the light from showing through her eyelids. After a moment, she blinked again and slowly moved her eyes over everything she could see without moving.

The room offered no solace from the blinding whiteness. Colorless walls were unfamiliar to her. Her unknown surroundings felt like they were closing in around her. The whitewashed ceiling seemed to be falling on her as she struggled to breathe. Heart racing, she tried to scream but no sound came out. Her lips were sealed shut with dehydration. Her eyes jumped around. There was no sound, not even the normal hum of machinery.

Was she dead? People always talked about a white light but it was supposed to be a sign of peace, eternal happiness, relief from the cruel world. All she felt was fear and an overpowering loneliness.

She couldn’t remember what happened. Her last memory was falling asleep beside her boyfriend. That single memory was enough to help her relax just a little and she felt her shoulders sag slightly. She grimaced as the slumping motion she finally felt the aching in her neck and back

And then the slow, steady beeping sound shattered the silence and noise erupted around her. Background noise, like footsteps beyond the unyielding walls, the hum of the air conditioning. She heard the breath of someone sleeping and pushed herself up onto her forearms.

Or she thought she did.

Fear pulsed when she discovered that her body was not responding to her directions. The most she could force herself to do was tap her finger against the unforgiving mattress beneath her. The effort of that alone made her head begin to pound. What was happening to her?

She focused hard and slowly peeled her dry lips apart and let out a raspy breath of air. She closed her eyes and tenderly moved her tongue across her parched lips. Even as she did so, she began to taste the plaque on her teeth, the horrible taste that came from going to sleep without brushing her teeth. Her teeth clenched tight, sending another wave of pain to her head as she closed her eyes again.

She took a deep breath and the smell of ammonia and cleaning supplies crashed like a wave over her. Her eyes shot open as she let out a meek whine. The sound surprised her at first before she realized it meant she could still make sounds. Once again opening her mouth, she sucked in a breath and whined louder.

A moan drifted over from the direction she’d heard the gentle snores from moments earlier, followed by fabric rubbing against fabric, a body shifting in a chair, and a hiss of surprise. The smell of cigarette smoke brushed over her, pushing away the vile smells of the room. Relief washed over her; she felt her entire body go limp as the familiar face of her boyfriend appeared beside her.

But he wasn’t the same. His skin was pale and his eyes were dark, lacking the familiar caring glow they usually shone with. His face was thin and the bones of his cheeks were prominent in the unforgiving light. Dark circles and bags had formed under his eyes and his chocolate hair hung over his face, unkempt and greasy.

None of that mattered to her. The only thing on her mind was the tremble of his lips and the sudden sob that erupted from him. He moved faster than she would have imagined he could have in his state of lifelessness and planted a loving kiss on her forehead. She felt herself being lifted slightly as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his tight grasp. His damp cheeks prickled with stubble as he held her close to him.

“Doctors! Come quick!” His voice was choked up and rang higher than usual. “She’s awake!”