Chapter 108 I Am Back

The smell of antiseptic hung in the hospital room, mingled with the low hum of the machines. The whole place felt sterile and heavy. Lila moved closer to the bed, her pulse picking up with every step. On the bed lay Vernon, gray-faced, hooked up to tubes and monitors keeping him alive. Only the slight rise of his chest proved he was still a living being. The man who'd once been so strong looked drained now. Lila's eyes filled quickly, a sour burn rushing up her nose. She held the tears back, went to the bedside, and looked at Vernon's aged face. This version of him was a world away from the Vernon who used to stand up for her, and her chest tightened until she could barely breathe. Just then, his eyelids fluttered and he cracked them open. The moment his cloudy eyes found Lila, they stilled, and a faint light flickered back into them. His mouth worked, and his dry, trembling hand struggled to lift. "Lila, you came back?" Vernon's voice was barely a whisper, but it hit Lila li