How a Dying Woman Rewrote Her Epilogue

When Elodie woke up, she felt weak and lightheaded, her limbs heavy as lead. As she stirred, Freya's voice rang out in relief, "You're awake! Are you feeling okay? Anywhere still hurt?"

Elodie turned her head. "Why are you here...?"

Freya helped her sit up, fussing over her. "My brother and I brought you to the hospital. He's gone to print your test results. We were worried something was wrong, so we had them run every check-"

"What floor is he on?" Elodie's face changed. She threw off the covers and got out of bed.

Freya blinked in surprise. "He's right on this floor."

Ignoring the lingering ache in her body, Elodie hurried out.

She made straight for the self-service printer in the hallway. Sure enough, Joseph was there, waiting as the machine spat out paper.

Elodie rushed over and yanked the report out before he could react, clutching it tightly.

"You're awake?" Joseph looked both surprised and concerned. "What are you doing out of bed?"

was still racing, and she pressed her lips

caught off guard by the frost in her gaze, hesitated a moment before handing it over. "Sorry. It

anything unusual in the

couldn't, wouldn't risk it. If Joseph found out about her condition, Jarrod would know soon enough,

use her illness as an excuse to break things off, and she

Elodie wasn't ungrateful. "How much were the medical bills? I'll transfer it

could sense the distance in her tone. He pressed his lips together. "Don't worry about it. It's nothing. You still look pale, though. The test results are out—

Nothing serious," Elodie replied, her

you were unconscious, you kept crying out

even in her sleep, whispering softly as if

she endured to end up

explain. She simply said, "Thanks for today. Still, send me the total cost

message—she

If you're feeling better, let me take you home. It's late,"

her head. "That's not

pressed his lips together, an