Chapter 142: Awake

“Help…” The ragged croak was barely audible over the ceaseless mechanical cacophony surrounding her. “Someone…please…” Whether due to her feeble call being overheard or the myriad monitors detecting signs of her distress, Elena wasn’t certain. But suddenly the room was a flurry of activity as figures in scrubs seemed to materialized from all sides. “Mrs Hunter? Mrs Hunter, can you hear me?” The disembodied voice cut through the fog briefly, and Elena managed to focus on the nurse leaning over her with concerned eyes. She tried to speak, to respond, but her tongue felt heavy and useless in her mouth. Thankfully, the nurse didn’t seem to require a response. “You’re in the hospital, Mrs Hunter. Just take some deep breaths for me and try to remain calm.” The soothing cadence of the woman’s words seemed to have a grounding effect even if Elena’s mind still whirled with unanswered questions. How did she get here? What had happened? A flurry of activity kicked up around her as more staf