#Chapter 386: Healing Words

Nina I wasn’t sure exactly how long Lori and I sat in the hospital room, staring at our friend’s sleeping body. Each minute seemed to melt into the next, and both of us felt helpless. I did what I could to comfort Lori, but it was no easy task. Finally, the clock struck ten PM, and I knew that we couldn’t stay any longer. “We should go, Lori,” I said gently, rubbing her back in circles. “You need to rest.” Lori nodded stiffly and stood. We both got up and gathered what little we had. “I wanna say goodbye to her,” Lori said, wiping her tears from her cheeks. “Just in case.” I nodded. “Of course.” I stepped forward and gripped Jessica’s hand, crouching down to plant a gentle kiss on her bruised forehead. “We’ll be back, Jess,” I whispered. “Don’t go anywhere, okay?” Of course there was no answer, but I told myself that she could hear me anyway. After a moment, I blinked back my tears and straightened, then headed out into the hallway to give Lori some space. Lori