Chapter 43

Jessie’s POV The automatic doors of the hospital slid closed behind me with a familiar whoosh, the cool evening air rushing to greet my flushed cheeks. My bones ached—not from the physical toll of my twelve-hour shift, but from the emotional weight that lingered after spending the day comforting grieving families and guiding scared patients through uncertain diagnoses. As I crossed the parking lot, I let out a long breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.