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Mia felt so weak and so much pain that talking had become more of a Herculean task for her. She slowly woke up as she felt someone crying and holding her hands. She had not even realized that she had fainted and had been rushed to the hospital.

There, kneeling next to her bed was the unmistakable head of her mother who held her hands and cried into the sheets. She looked up to see aunt Mildred also standing there, in tears. She opened her mouth to say something but no words came out. Her throat felt parched and even being awake was painful to the young child.

Soon, she felt like screaming as her heart started beating faster, offsetting the machine next to her and drawing her mother and aunt’s attention. She could hear them talking to her and crying and moving around between themselves but she could not do anything but look around and just observe her surroundings.

Soon, a doctor and a nurse rushed into the room as her mom and aunt were ushered out of the room. She could hear the do