My feet landed on the cold floor, and I took a few steps forward before a sharp pain pulled at my wrist. I looked to find an IV line attached in one hand.

“Lila!” I called out again.

“Mr. Thorne, please, lay back down!” a woman in green scrubs directed upon entering my room. I ignored her, pushing past her and out into the hall, the IV tube in my hand as I dragged the stand behind me.

Darren followed behind me, arguing with the nurse; him telling her to let me go, her telling him I was disturbing patients.

I didn’t give a f**k if I disturbed patients; I needed to find my Lila.

“Lila!” I called again. My chest was throbbing with each step, tears stinging my eyes. She had to be here, somewhere, she just had to be.

“Mr. Thorne! You need to return to your room!” The nurse screeched at me.

“He has to do this, Mary, just let him go,” Darren said to the annoying nurse.

“Lila!”

The IV stand caught on something in the hall, and I pulled on the tube, dislodging it from the bag.

“Don’t pull that out!” another nurse scolded as they all chased me down the hall.

“Lila!” I wailed. A sob was growing, about to release while tears began streaming down my face.

I looked into each room, one at a time, the irritating nurses following right behind, yelling at me, threatening me. Darren and my parents then started yelling at them.

“Lila!” I was begging for her to answer, but with each room I came to and didn’t find her, my desperation grew.

My heart was hammering in my chest, the ache growing. My vision began to dim again, dread setting in.

I reached a room near the end of the hall, and leaned on the frame, bracing myself while my limited vision wildly searched for her.

And then I saw her. She was bandaged and beaten to hell, but she stared back at me with wide-eyed recognition.

My vision returned and my body relaxed while I took her in. Lila was alive. Thank God, she was alive.

Her eyes met mine, and relief flooded every part of me, tears stinging at my eyes. Joy that my nightmares hadn’t come true.

I wasn’t too late. I could fix this, fix us.