NICOLE

The first thing I notice when I peel my eyes open are the bright lights overheard.

My vision is blurry, though. I have to blink several times to clear it. Then, all my senses return to me. I hear the endless beeping of a monitor, see the tiles of the ceiling, and when I turn my head to the side, I take note of the IV pole right beside my bed, which is surrounded by white curtains.

I'm in a hospital?

I try to move but my body is too numb for that. It's the strangest sensation in the ...