Chapter 28: Olivia's Struggle

The incessant beeping of medical equipment supplied a grim soundtrack to Olivia's thoughts, sitting there in this sterile hospital room with an IV dripping chemo drugs into her veins. Her sketch pad lay open on her lap, but the page remained stubbornly blank—as if some bottomless well of creativity had suddenly run dry. "Is everything okay, Ms. Greene?" Nurse Martinez said, catching Olivia's furrowed brow. Olivia could only raise a weak smile. "Just a bit of artist's block, I suppose. And please, call me Olivia." While the nurse took her vitals, Olivia began thinking back to the email that had been waiting in her inbox that morning from her gallery. The tone was kind and understanding, but it overscored a crystal-clear message: they did need new work, fast. Sure, the exhibition had been a success, but in the fast-moving art world, you were only as good as your last piece of artwork. "Your blood pressure's a little high," Nurse Martinez said, concern in her voice. "Is something both