CIARA blinked awake, disoriented by the sterile whiteness of her surroundings. Her head felt heavy, and her limbs felt leaden. It took her a moment to piece together her surroundings and recognize the faint beep of medical equipment. Her gaze drifted to the figure seated beside her bed, his worried face partially obscured by the dim light of the room. Nathaniel.
"Where... where am I?" Ciara croaked, her voice hoarse from disuse.
Napatingin si Nathaniel sa mahihinang boses na nasa harapan niya. Nanlaki ang mga mata niya nang makitang gising na si Ciara. "Mabuti naman at gising ka na. Anong nararamdaman mo ngayon?"
"My head still hurts," reklamo ni Ciara. She tried to push herself up, but Nathaniel gently placed a hand on her shoulder, guiding her back to the bed.
"Dahan-dahan lang, Cia
