Chapter 22

• There were voices—faint, indistinct, but present. I wasn’t sure if they were in my head or simply around me. All I knew was that someone was talking, arguing. When I came to, the first thing I noticed was a young man, heatedly arguing with an older woman.
• "Quiet, she's awake," the woman said as I groggily touched my head, my mind clouded with dizziness. The brightness around us felt like shards of glass piercing my eyes. Instinctively, I reached for my stomach, worrying about my baby.
• "Where am I?" I asked, my voice shaky. The young man, standing at a distance, glared at me angrily. The woman, however, stepped forward, a bowl of water in hand, her expression unreadable.