She managed a small smile, the corners of her mouth lifting despite her exhaustion. “Thank you, Ethan. I just… I didn’t see it coming. Not like this.”

“You’re stronger than you know, Harley. You’ve faced so much already, and you’ve come out fighting every time. This won’t be any different.”

They sat in silence for a while, the only sound the rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor. Ethan stayed by her side, a reassuring anchor in the storm.