Chapter 13 A Hard Night, A Harder Day

The next day, I woke up feeling worse than I had the night before. My body still ached all over, and every small movement sent a sharp pain shooting through me. I was lying on the bed where Bell had left me, but something felt off. It was too quiet. I glanced toward the door. Usually, by now—around 12:00 PM—Bell would have knocked, bringing me food or fresh clothes. She might not have spoken much, but her presence was the only comfort I had in this place. At the very least, Theo always sent her to check on me once or twice. But today, there was nothing. No knock. No sound. Just silence.