Katelyn’s POV

It still didn’t feel real.

Sometimes I would walk into Rachel’s hospital room and just stand there, staring at her body that looked so small under the sheets, waiting for her to blink, or shift, or speak.

But nothing ever happened. The machines continued their soft, steady beeping, like a lullaby mocking the silence. Every breath she took came with effort, every hour stretched into another reminder that she was still here… but not really.

I knew what the doctors had said. ...