Chapter 102

• ZACH’S POV
• Hearing Joan's voice calling out for me made my heart leap. I hadn’t seen her since she went to bed last night, still groggy from the medication, and now she was awake and calling for me. I moved quickly down the hall, my heart pounding in my chest with a mix of excitement and concern. Mrs Henderson was right on my heels, her steps just as hurried, the tray in her hands balanced with practised ease.
• As I rounded the corner, I saw Joan standing in the doorway of her room, her small frame bathed in the soft morning light filtering through the curtains. She was wearing her favourite pyjamas, the ones with little pink flowers, and her hair was a wild mess of curls that made her look even smaller and more vulnerable. The nurse was there as well, fixing something in her IV drip.