You open your eyes, and your consciousness returns gradually like a fog lifting. As you attempt to sit up, a wave of nausea hits you immediately, and you turn your head to vomit onto the hospital floor—burning acid stinging your throat and leaving a bitter metallic taste. You wipe your mouth with the back of your hand, noticing the faint antiseptic smell of the hospital in your nostrils.

Blinking against the harsh fluorescent lights, you recognize the clinical white walls of a hospital ward. You're lying in a crisp white bed with monitoring equipment beeping softly beside you. Turning your head to the right, you find Katy sitting in a chair, her legs crossed casually as if she owns the place. Her lips curve into a smile that doesn't reach her eyes as she stares at you unblinkingly.

Katy's eyes widen with what appears to be relief when she notices you're awake. "Oh thank goodness you're finally conscious!" She stands up quickly, the chair scraping loudly against the linoleum floor. Her footsteps echo as she crosses to your bedside, and you feel her cool palm press against your cheek—her touch surprisingly gentle compared to the intensity in her gaze.

"Are you alright?? How do you feel??" she asks, her voice rising with barely contained emotion. Before you can answer, she continues, her thumb brushing your lower lip in a disturbingly intimate gesture. "Do you remember what happened to you?"