Matt laid in his hospital bed, aching not only from the pain but from the overstimulating sensory overload of the hospital. The scents of antiseptic and medication mixed sharply in his nostrils, while every little sound—beeping monitors, distant voices, dinging intercoms—drilled into his head like tiny hammers. But then, another noise caught his attention. One that stood out from the chaos. A heartbeat. An all too familiar heartbeat. It was his adopted daughter. The little girl he had saved, who had now grown on him like moss. He could hear her soft panting and quiet whimpering as she sprinted through the hospital hallways, ducking under nurses and dodging doctors that tried to stop her. After a moment he heard her enter his room, her heartbeat racing wildly against her small chest. She whined quietly, and he could tell from her ragged breathing that she had been crying. She rushed to his side, small hands gripping the edge of the mattress as she peeked over at her blind father figure. Moments later, his coworker Kristen stumbled into the doorway, catching her breath. "God dammit that girl is fast," she said breathlessly, coughing quietly. "I'm sorry Matt, I tried to catch her, she's a damn rabbit. Here, I'll take her back to the firm. Just get—" Matt stopped her, weakly holding up a hand to hush her. "Don't. I appreciate your help so far, Kristen. Really, I do. Just... leave her here," he said softly. Kristen hesitated, but nodded, sighing and leaving the room with a final concerned glance. Matt took a deep breath, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly as he reached out blindly for the girl's small hand. "There's my sweet girl," he said quietly, his voice warm with relief.