Chapter 71: Wounds and Sounds

John sat next to her bed and held her hand tenderly. He felt both relieved and exhausted, which left him feeling both exhausted and oddly optimistic. With her eyes fluttered open, Marie stirred. Her face twisted into a grimace, and then a weary grin appeared. "John?" she asked in a hoarse voice. "Right here," John squeezed her hand in response. "You gave us quite a scare." The night came flooding back, the sirens going off, the last-minute rush to get out, the searing anguish that had shattered her whole life to pieces. Her voice shaking, she murmured, "What happened?" John described their desperate attempt to flee the building, the mayhem brought on by the virus, and their subsequent apprehension by security personnel. He described his pleadings with a staff physician who was sympathetic, Dr. Lee's involvement, and Marie's emergency operation. A sigh escaped her lips as relief spread over her face. "So, we did it?" With a glint of pride in her eyes, she croaked. With a smile t