ADRIAN'S POV The antiseptic stench of the hospital room clings to the back of Adrian’s throat, a sharp, chemical taste that refuses to mix with the metallic tang of blood lingering in the air. He stands beside the bed, his hands shoved deep into his pockets to stop them from trembling. His mother looks smaller than he remembers, swallowed by the starched white sheets and the humming machinery that monitors her fragile heartbeat. A purple bruise, blooming like a violent flower, mars her left cheekbone, trailing down to her jaw where the skin is split and scabbed over. "I missed you so much, Adrian," she whispers, her voice rasping like dry leaves over concrete. She reaches out, her fingers trembling, seeking his hand. "Every day since you were gone... the house was so quiet." Adrian pulls his hand free slightly, then forces himself to let her take it. Her skin is paper-thin, cold. He stares at the monitor, the green line blipping in a rhythmic, hypnotic cadence. "I know, Mom.
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