Hailee's POV
I wiped the last of my tears with the back of my hand, my chest still rising and falling unevenly. The hallway was quiet again, too quiet. Only the faint hum of the hospital lights and the distant echo of nurses' voices reached my ears.
And then it hit me: I remember someone who could help. It had been ten years. Ten long years since I'd heard his voice.
I stood quickly and walked to the hospital call line near the nurses' station. The nurse looked up confused, but I didn't say a word. I just picked up the old landline, my fingers trembling as I typed the number I knew by heart.
The line rang once. Twice. Then a click.
A deep voice answered, cautious at first. "Hello?"
My throat closed. My eyes filled again. "Peter…" I whispered.
There was silence, then a sharp intake of breath on the other end. "Hailee?"
A tear rolled down my cheek as I gripped the phone tighter. "Yes… it's me."
