"It's nice that you finally decided to show up!" Elisa opened her mouth to speak, her voice sharp and bitter even as Isadora continued forward until she came to a stop at the foot of the bed. The air in the hospital room was heavy, a faint sterile scent clinging to everything — the white curtains, the dull beeping of machines, the half-empty vase of flowers sitting neglected by the window.
Her gaze remained on her sister even as she did her best not to look down at her bandaged hands, afraid that the sight of them would make the words in her throat turn to dust. For a brief moment, she could barely recognize Elisa — her skin was pale, her hair unkempt, her eyes tired and hollow yet still carrying the faint spark of defiance that had always defined her.
