The first thing Ava noticed when she woke up was the silence and not the ordinary kind.
Not the distant hum of traffic outside her apartment window or the muffled noise of neighbors through thin walls. This silence felt expensive, very soft, controlled. The second thing she noticed was the weight in her arm, her brows furrowed slightly as her eyes fluttered open, her vision blurry for a few seconds before the ceiling above her slowly came into focus. White...smooth...too smooth.
Ava blinked again, the room around her sharpened little by little, and confusion immediately settled heavily in her chest, this wasn't a normal hospital room.
The space was enormous — almost the size of a luxury hotel suite. Warm lights glowed softly from hidden fixtures built into the walls, casting a golden calmness across the room. The floors were polished marble, partially covered by cream-colored rugs so soft they looked untouched. Near the large floor-to-ceiling windows sat a gray couch and a glass coffee table with fresh flowers arranged neatly in the center.
Even the hospital bed looked different it was less clinical and looked more elegant.
The curtains hanging near the windows were thick and expensive-looking, slightly parted to reveal the evening skyline glowing outside.
A flat-screen television was mounted against one wall, there was even a private kitchenette.
Ava stared blankly for several seconds before slowly turning her head and looking down at her wrist. An IV line connected to her wrist, her throat felt dry.
"What…" her voice came out weak... How did she get here?
The last thing she remembered was leaving work getting into the elevator, the lobby.
Then… nothing, everything was blank. Panic slowly crawled into her chest... as she tried to sit up, pain shot through her head immediately, suddenly the door suddenly opened.
"Ava."
She looked up instantly.
Liam walked in quickly, worry written all over his face so clearly it almost hurt to look at him.
His hair looked messy, like he had been running his hands through it repeatedly. His hoodie was wrinkled, and there were dark shadows beneath his eyes. Relief flooded his expression the second he saw her awake.
"Oh thank God."
He crossed the room immediately.
"What happened?" he asked softly, stopping beside the bed. "Do you have any idea how worried I was?"
Ava blinked at him slowly. "Liam…"
"You collapsed."
His voice cracked slightly.
"They called me from your phone and said you were unconscious."
She frowned faintly. "My phone?"
"The nurses found it in your bag."
He pulled a chair closer and sat beside her bed, leaning forward with both elbows resting on his knees.
"You scared me."
The words came out quieter that time, sounded more honest. Ava looked down at her hands feeling bad for making him worried.
"I didn't mean to."
"What do you mean you didn't mean to?" Liam let out a frustrated breath. "Ava, you worked yourself until you literally collapsed."
"I'm fine." she said
"No, you're not."
She looked away immediately, because that tone—
That soft angry concern— That was Liam.
The Liam she knew too well...the Liam she loved too much
He sighed and rubbed his face tiredly before looking back at her again.
"You should've called me."
"I didn't want to bother you."
His brows pulled together instantly. "Since when are you a bother to me?"
The question hit harder than it should have.
Ava forced a small smile. "You have your own life now."
Liam's expression shifted slightly.
Something unreadable flickered across his face before he looked away for a second, but before either of them could continue, the door opened again. A doctor walked inside alongside a nurse holding a tablet.
"Good evening, Miss Reynolds," the doctor said politely.
Ava looked up then froze slightly___ She recognized him.
Not personally, but from the oncology wing.
He was one of the doctors she occasionally saw whenever she visited her mother.
The realization hit her immediately, her eyes widened slightly as she looked around the room again.
"Northbridge General Hospital"
She was in Northbridge
The doctor approached carefully, checking her chart.
"How are you feeling?"
"A little dizzy."
"That's expected. Severe exhaustion, dehydration, lack of proper sleep, and stress can do quite a number on the body."
Liam crossed his arms. "I told her that already."
The doctor gave him a small amused glance before checking Ava's IV.
"You've been pushing yourself too hard." Miss Reynolds," the doctor said politely.
Ava swallowed slowly before asking the question sitting heavily in her chest.
"My mom…"
The doctor's expression softened immediately.
"She's stable."
Ava closed her eyes briefly in relief.
"Can I see her?" she asked hopefully
The doctor hesitated only a second before nodding. "You can, but not for too long. You need rest too."
"I just want to see her." she pleaded
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A few minutes later, Ava walked slowly beside Liam through the quiet hospital hallways.
The weakness in her body still lingered, making her steps slower than usual.
Liam stayed close beside her instinctively, not touching her, But close enough to catch her if she stumbled. The oncology floor smelled faintly like antiseptic and lilies, a scent Ava had sadly grown used to. When they finally stopped outside the room, her chest tightened painfully, she suddenly didn't want to go inside, because every time she entered this room, there was always a tiny voice in the back of her head wondering—
What if this is the day things get worse? Liam noticed her hesitation.
His voice softened. "Hey."
She looked at him.
"She's still here." he said comforting her
That nearly broke her already fragile composure. Ava inhaled shakily before slowly pushing the door open. The room was dim except for the soft light above the bed.
Her mother looked smaller than she remembered, too small.
The blankets swallowed most of her fragile frame, her skin pale beneath the warm lighting. The oxygen tube rested beneath her nose while the steady sound of machines filled the room with quiet reminders of reality.
Ava's throat tightened instantly.
"Mama…"Her voice cracked.
She moved toward the bed slowly before taking her mother's hand carefully into hers it felt cold, too cold. The tears came immediately flooding down her cheeks hot and uncontrollable.
"I'm sorry," she whispered brokenly. "I'm so sorry."
Liam quietly stayed near the door, giving her space, but Ava barely noticed him anymore because memories were suddenly crashing into her all at once.
Bright memories and painful memories.
***********************************************************************************
She remembered being seven years old, sitting on the kitchen counter while her mother danced around the tiny kitchen singing badly into a wooden spoon.
"Ava," her mother had gasped dramatically, "one day you will tell people your mother was a superstar."
Young Ava had burst into laughter. "Mama, you can't sing!"
Her mother placed a hand over her chest in fake offense. "Excuse me? This voice is a national treasure."
"No it's not!"
"Yes it is!"
Then her mother had grabbed her hands and pulled her down from the counter.
"Come dance with me then."
And they had danced barefoot in the kitchen while rice burned on the stove.
Ava laughed through her tears at the memory, another memory followed immediately.
Rainy afternoons. Her mother braiding her hair while sitting between her legs.
"Hold still," her mother would say gently.
"It hurts!" Ava cried
"That's because you're dramatic." her mother said
"You say that every time!" Ava whined
"And every time I'm correct." her mother replied
Ava remembered the warmth of those moments, she remembered the safety her mother's love.
The feeling that nothing bad could ever truly happen as long as her mother was there.
Then—The memory shifted, and suddenly it wasn't warm anymore, It was cold, sharp and painful.
Ava's breathing trembled slightly as the old memory resurfaced fully. She had been nine years old and she had accidentally broken her father's watch, It wasn't intentional... she had only wanted to try it on because it looked shiny and expensive sitting on the dresser, but it slipped from her hands and shattered. She could still remembered the sound of the glass breaking and the silence afterward. She remembered her father's footsteps had terrified her more than the broken watch itself.
"What did you do?" he had shouted.
Young Ava backed away immediately, crying already. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
"You touched my things after I told you not to!"
"I didn't mean to!"
But her father was already furious, he grabbed his belt. Ava remembered the fear so clearly it still made her chest tighten years later.
Then suddenly—Her mother stepped in front of her.
"Stop," her mother had pleaded quickly. "She's just a child."
"She needs to learn!" her father shouted angrily
"You're scaring her!" her mother said pleading
"I said move!" her father said through gritted teeth, but her mother didn't.
And when the belt came down—It struck her instead. Ava still remembered the sound, the horrible sound of the belt whip
"Mama!!!" Ava cried out loud
Her mother winced in pain but immediately turned toward Ava instead.
"Go to your room." her mother whispered
"But—" little Ava tried to speak
"Now, baby." her mother pleaded
Ava ran upstairs sobbing uncontrollably. She remembered curling up beneath her blanket, crying into her pillow while hearing muffled arguing downstairs.
Then later that night— A soft knock on her bedroom door, her mother entered quietly holding a warm cup of milk.
Young Ava immediately sat up. "Mama…"
Her mother smiled gently despite the visible redness near her shoulder.
"Why are you crying like someone stole your future?"
Ava burst into tears again. "I'm sorry! I broke it! I didn't mean to!"
Her mother sat beside her carefully.
"I know."
"Dad hates me."
"No."
"Yes he does!"
Her mother pulled her close immediately.
"He doesn't hate you."
"Then why is he so mean?"
Her mother went quiet for a moment, then she kissed Ava's forehead softly.
"Sometimes adults carry anger they don't know how to put down."
Ava sniffled. "But he hit you."
Her mother smiled sadly.
"That was a mistake."
Even then... Even hurt— Her mother protected him.
Protected her, protected the family. Ava never forgot that.
***************************************************************************************************
Back in the present, tears blurred her vision completely as she held her mother's weak hand against her forehead.
"You protected me too much," she whispered shakily. Liam finally approached quietly, resting a comforting hand against her shoulder.
"She's strong," he murmured softly. Ava shook her head, crying harder.
"I hate seeing her like this." Liam's grip tightened slightly.
"I know."
"She used to smile all the time."
"She still does."
Ava laughed weakly through tears. "You're lying."
"No," Liam said quietly. "She smiles every time you walk into the room."
That broke her again, completely. She cried silently while Liam stayed beside her, letting her fall apart without trying to stop it.
Just then—A small movement... tiny, weak but there. Ava froze instantly, her mother's fingers twitched faintly inside hers... Ava's eyes widened.
"Mama…?"
The room went still____