NadezhdaI feel my fingers first.A soft, pulling pressure. It is warm and nice, and for a minute, I'm still too lost in the fog to realize I don't know where I am. And I can't see anything.Slowly, though, I become aware of my other senses.I feel the firm mattress beneath me, and I smell the generic lemon scent of clean tile floors. Then, I hear the soft beep of the machine behind me, and I know I'm in a hospital. The thought startles me for a moment, but then I realize the beeping means I'm alive.And the tug on my fingers means I'm not alone.I try to remember what happened, how I got here, but escaping the cloud of my thoughts is like untangling myself from a net. I make my way out through slow, torturous effort, freeing myself one thread at a time."Nadezhda?"The voice is familiar but far away. Like I'm hearing someone's voice from underwater."Nadezhda, are you awake?"Warmth wraps around my hand, and I know it is Artyom.I fight against my heavy lids and the aching fatigue in
Last Updated : 2026-06-30 Read more